Weekly Trinity journal., 1871-09-30
A WONDERFUL COUNTRY.

To the adventurous American, no portion of
the continent presents greater and more roman
tic charms than that part of the Gadsden pur-
chase known as Arizona. 1t is pre-eminently
land of contradictions, for in many parts of the
country irewood is dug from the earth, and hay
is chopped from the ground with hoes The
roots of the mesquit furnish wood almost as
hard as mahogony, and averaging about the size
of mans thigh.
The Colorado and Membres rivers flow for long
distances underground, and suddenly but i'm
perceptbly emerging become once more streams
of considerable magnitude. The course of the
latter river can be traced by the stnted timber
along its banks, but woe to the thirsty traveller
across these plains if he fails to strike it at one
of its oases. His only resource then is to travel
either up or down until he finds clear and beau
tifu streams flowing over a stony bed This
river is supposed to empty into the famed and
mysterious Lake Guzman, but loses itself in the
earth 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 clear
er reflections. Guzman can be seen sometimes
at least fifty miles to the northward, and the
shadows of the trees in its clear waters are dis
tinctly visible. No one need ever mistake mi
rage for reality, contrary to the romantists, ii
they observe the always present fact that the i'm
age is always suspended above the earth with
line of clear sky underneath. This is the case
with all mirages, whether the lakes or noun
tains, which are caused by the reflection of the
tbo oI,
strata of heated and rarfed air. This class nee
essarily implies the existence of the object re-
lected at some distance more or less remote.
There is another class nvaribly representing
sheet of clear, smooth water, which is u COM
pete illusion, and which, indeed, could not ex-
ist were water present in the locality. The writ
er has seen what appeared to be small pool of
water not more than yard across, and evident
ly within few feet from where he stood. The
dry grass, somewhat magnifed, resembed reeds
or flags growing up through the water, and the
deception was almost perfect But there is al
ways certain trembling and unearthy glamour
about these mirages which at once stamp them
as such to the practiced eye, and no one need be
deceived by them more than once. Animals are
said never to mistake them for the reality, no
matter how thirsty they may be. Indeed, these
latter seem to depend more upon their sense of
smell than sight, and the prairie traveller soon
learns to value and depend upon this peculiari
ty. 1t is II well known proverb that mule is
the best watchdog in an Indian country, and
they often detect the presence of Mr.. Red at a
distance impossible to a dog, or perhaps any 9TH
er domestic animal.
In travelling through the mountainous parts OF
this country the careful observer sees many
traces of former occupancy by race which paid
much attention to agriculture and to mining.
Along the sides of valleys now dry, can be traced
for miles the remains of aqua or bitches used
to convey water to the fields Stone founda-
tions of dwelling are near, and pieces 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 not rare,
on the edges of which stand trees of many years
growth in such position that those who sunk
the shafts would not have left them standing if
they had valued their lives for aught. 1t is a
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, and the supposition is that the sources
on which those people depended have actually
dried up, owing to some unrecorded climatic
changes. Among the Pueblo Indians is a tra-
dtion that previous to the coming of the Span
ards these mines were worked but becoming
alarmed at the rapacity of the conquerors, the
priests gathered select body of deyotees, and
destroyed all traces Of the richest mines by filling
them up with dirt, scattering to distant parts
any debris that might remain, and finally slant
trees above the spot, and numbering the last
man not of their own order who had assisted in
the work. These Indians have been forced to
retire by the wilder and stronger tribes and the
secret is perhaps dead, though it is claimed to
) be in the possession OF the priests of the Pue-
bios, who in their turn claim to be lineally de.
cended from the Aztec hierarchy COrrespond
ence 81. Louis Republican.
SEPARATING THE SExEs.-The Western colleges