Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-03-15

paSC, one Cnlnp WOulu SEEM 10 HUI
cate. The proof can be taken for what
it is worth.
In the possession of General Stone
man of the United States Army is a
map which he obtained in the City OF
Mexico. This map shows the results
of the early explorations of the Span
ish navigatOrs at the head of the Gulf
of California. That the accuracy OF
the map is sufficient to entitle it to
some credence, one feature renders
probable; while the eastern shore of
the gulf up to the mouth of the river
is clearly and sharply defined, and as
at present found, the western shore is
left in doubt. This shows regard for
exactness hard to be reconciled with
the supposition that the whole map is
to an extent guesswork. In that map
the Gila river is laid down as entering
the head of the gulf, while now it
empties into the Colorado, about 80
miles above its mouth. Granting that
the observation was taken at a time
when the conjunction OF q flood OF the
Colorado and high tides of the gulf
caused an unusual overflow of the low
lands, and thus apparently extended
the sea limits, still the great distance
now intervening would show a re-
markable change. That the ella could
then have entered the gulf by sepa-
rate channel, the contour of the cOun-
try hardly admits as possibility. The
constant drift of sand from the desert,
carried by the prevailing west wind,
has still further helped to widen the
belt of low country. Within the last
twenty years, the sand is said to have
encroached upon the river bottom more
than mile.
Two other facts: remains of former
vegetation and relics of dead races in
cidentally bear testimony upon the
same question, of time elapsed, and
point to the same conclusions. These
will be discussed under another head
ing, viz: the climatic changes which
would naturally result in the surround
ing territory, as a consequence of the
drying up of this portion of the gulf
That such change has taken place in
the climate of Western Arizona and
Southern California, and within a
comparatively recent period, seems
positive. 1t is q transformation with
in historical rather than geological
era.
In Western Arizona are traces of
an ancient population, much more
dense, much more highly civilized,
than that now inhabiting the country
"a people patiently tilling the soil
and living upon it's fruits. Among
these remains are the ruins of cities,
once large and populous; canals for
extensive systems Of irrigation; frag-
ments of pottery so numerous that in
places the ground seems almost paved
with them. 1t would hardly have
been possible for that population to
subsist with the present arid state of
the country. These remains are many
of them perishable, and can scarcely
date back more than a few centuries.
The records of the Spanish eXplora-
tious in the sixteenth century show
that even then the population was
much more dense than now.
Take another curious fact. Men
who have rambled much in these now
desert mountains and plains, report
that they have found the remains of
old forests, still in O passable state of
preservation, where all is now parched
and dry; perishing evidently through
lack of moisture. How long time
could elapse after the death of the for
ests before all traces Of them would be
Obliterated? Even in that dry eli
mate, not more than a very few CEN
turtles. 1t is natural inquiry, wheth-
er there is evidence of any great alter
alton in the general contour of the
country to account for this recent eli
matte transformation. The shores of
the gulf show that for thousands of
years there has been no extensive up
heaval. The mountain chains of Ari-
iona bear no appearance OF recent con-
vulsions. Living and scouting among
them for months, the one deep i'm
press which they gave was of age
drear old age. Brown and bare,
washed and quilted by the storms of
centuries, parched with fierce heats
and beaten upon by burning winds,
they seemed the skeleton-frame of
,Wonl6R3ong worn out and forgotten
ii down with the burden of years,
YEARLY waiting the end. 1t is a land
of wrecks. have traversed canOns
where the solid mountain had by a
mighty power been cleft assunder, and
the rocky walls lifted bodily back, un-
til upon either side they stood dizzy
with their own height-a world-shud-
der, frozen in the moment of fright-a
cold, stony horror. That was ages and
ages ago. Since then the water has
filled in the bottom of these canOns
with the wash and debris of centuries;
worn channels in the solid rock, that
tell of long quiet and rest. One thing
shows the great length of time which
must have elapsed since these wide
spread commissions. frequently saw,
while scouting in the mountains, huge
bolders balanced upon slight pinnacles
of rock, in such positions that the
least shock would have displaced
them. They had evidently been left
so by the gradual decomposition and
disintegration of the softer stone
around.
Do not forget these two facts: the
still existing traces of dense popula-
tion-traces which the lapse Of very
few centuries would obliterate entire
Iy; and the remains of old forests, per-
ished evidently through lack of moist
ure-remains which would also have
been undistinguishable in a very linn
tied time. Recall that other fact al
ready given, the existence in good
state of preservation of the thin, per-
ishable shells of the Colorado Desert;
shells which the securing of the ever
shifting sands and the bleaching sun
would necessarily destroy within
like limited time. Weigh also the
evidence of rapid change at the head
of the gulf within an even more recent
period, as shown by that old Spanish
map. Take also for what it is worth a
tradition which exists among the In
dams upon the Lower Colorado, that
formerly the river ran much more to
the west, and that they had villages
and cultivated fields where now only
is barren sand.