The Shasta courier., 1871-10-07
a woNDERFUL COUNTRY.

ton of the continent presents greater snd
more ron. autic charms than that part OF
the Gsdsden purchase known as Arizona
Iti pre- cnineEtly land of contradictions,
for in many parts of the country 6rewood
is dug from the earth, and bay is chopped
from the ground with hoes The roots of
the mesquit furnish wood almost as hard
as mahogany, and averaging about the
size of mans thigh.
The Colorado and Membres rivers flow
for long distances underground, and sud-
denly, but imperceptibIy, emel ging be-
come once more streams of considerable
magnitude. The course Of the latter yer
eau be traced by the stinted timber along
its banks, but woe to the thirsty traveller
across these plains if be fails to strike it at
one of Its oases. His only resource then
is to travel either up or down until be finds
clear and beautiful streams flowing over
stony bed. This river is supposed to emp
ty into the famed and mysterious Lake
Guzmau, but lose itself in the earth a
hundred miles to the north. This arid
country is the home of the mirage, and
nowhere can it be seen in greater beauty,
and with clearer reflections. Guzman can
be seen sometimes at least fifty miles to
the northward, and the shadows of the
trees in its clear waters are distinctly visi-
Bile. No one need ever mistake mirage
for reality, contrary to the romantists, if
they observe the always present fact that
the image is always suspended above the
earth with line of clear sky underneath.
This is the case with all mirages, whether
the lakes or mountains, which are caused
by the reflection of the object. either against
strata of heated or rari6ed air. This
class necessarily implies the existence of
the object reflected at some distance more
invariably representing a sh, ct OF clear,
smooth water, which is complete illusion,
and which, indeed, could not exist were
water present in the locality. he writer
has seen what appeared to be small pool
of water not m re than yard across, and
evidently within few feet from where he
stood. The dry grass, somewhat magni6
ed, reseinbled reeds or flags growing up
through the water, and the deception was
almost perfect. But there is always GER
tain tr milling and uDearthly glamour about
these mirages which at once stamp them
as such to the practiced eye, and no one
need be deceived by them mors than once
Animals are. said never to mistake them
for the reality, no matter how thirsty they
may be. Indeed, these latter seem to de.
pend more upon their sense of smell tn n
! sight, and the pr irie traveller soon learns
to value and depend upon this peculiarity
1t is well known proverb that mule is
the best Watchdog in an Indian country,
and they often detect the pi essence of Mr..
Red at a distance impossible to dog, or
perhaps any other domestic animal.
In travelling through the mountainous
parts OF this country the careful observer
sees many traces of former occupancy by
a race which paid much attention to agri-
culture and to mining. Along the sides
of valleys now dry, can be traced for miles
the remains of aquia or bitches used to
convey water to the fields Stone founa-
tions Of dwelling are near, and places of
broken crockery are often found Neither
Indian nor Mexican have any tradition of
the people who constructed these works
Deserted shafts OF great depth are not
rare, on the edges of which stand trees of
many years growth, in such position that
those who sunk the shafts would not b we
left them stand fthey bad valued their
lives for aught. 1t is mystery where the
sources of water has gone which once must
have existed in this strange country. The
remains Of considerable towns are found
many miles from any known supply of
water, aud the supposition is that the sour
ces on which those people depended have
actually dried up, owing to some unrecord-
ed climatic changes. 4.mcpg the Pueblo
Indians is tradition that, previous to the
coming of the Spaniards, these mines
were worked; but. becoming alarmed at
the rapacity of The conquerors. the priests
gathered select body of devote.s, and
destroyed all traces of..the richest mines by
filling them up with dirt, scattering to dis
tant parts any debris that might remain,
and finally slanting trees above the spot and
numbering the last man not of their own
order who had assisted in the work. These
Indians hive been forced to retire by the
wilder and stronger tribes, and the secret
is perhaps dead, though it is claimed 10 be
/ in the po session ofthe priests of the Pue-
bios, who in their turn claim to be lneally
descended from the Aziec hierarchy
Correspondence St. Louis Republican.