The Arizona sentinel., 1877-08-11
uma COunty--E.

ufna county. The description
 can be based upon facts failing
 under our own observation, ana f will be tOlerably reliable. The
 history of the county, being un , written, will be given in a g0ssipy
 way from traditions current among
 OIdresidents here. Absolute accu.
 racy is more than can be obtained
 by any one. We shall gratefully
 publish any corrections.
 Upon the organization of the
 Territory of Arizona, in 1863, it
 was divided into four counties,
 Pima, Yuma, Mohave and Yava-
 pal. The eastern boundary of
 Yuma was fixed on the line of 113
 degrees 20 minutes west longi-
 tude; it's northern boundary fol-
 lows the channel of Bill Williams
 Fork from its intersection with
 the Santa Maria river to it's juno
 tiOn with the Colorado; the Colo
 radO river forms it's western
 boundary, and the Sonora line
 bounds it on the south. Never
 having been surveyed its area can
 not be stated with precision, but
 on good information it is placed at
 between 10000 and 11,OOO square
 miles. That is about one-third.
 the area of the State Of Maine, or about the size of Vermont or Ma ryland. Between it and the Pacific ocean lies the desert of Southern California, while the Sonora desert lies between us and the Gulf of California on the south and sOuth- west. To the north lies the high arid region of Nevada and Utah, and to the eastward the country is dry for hundreds of miles. This location ensures for Yuma county an atmosphere nearly destitute of moisture and almost innocent of rainfall. Natural vegetation is sparse except along the water courses, though very fair grazing is found in the northeastern part of the county. Malaria is unknown and the air is untainted with decayed organic matter. The i northwest trade winds of the Pa cific sweep across California and l reach Us stripped of moisture by the desert and charged only with ozone. From every direction the breeZeS come to us in the same life giving condition. Agues and typhoid diseases are unknown here. This dry, pure air rapidly dissipates all nOXious vapors, oxi- dizes the surface Of purulent sores and performs the same friendly office for tubercular lungs and other diseased tissues. The tenn perature is equable and conduces | to open windows and out door life. The winter climate is de- frost rarely occurs and the thermometer seldom falls be- ; low 90 at night; mean daily tenn Perature during eight months of the year varies little from G5 or 70. In summer the weather is frequently too warm for comfort, but never too hot forperfecth health. During three or four months the { thermometer often rises to 110 and rarely to 114; the daily mean $ not being far from 95. The nights ] are pleasant, the thermometer i usually falling to S5 or 90 during the extreme hot season. Resi- ( dents sleep out of doors during Y the summer,as dew seldom occurs. | Only those who have experienced } it can appreciate the delight Of $ lying on a canvass cot, out under the stars, and being famed by the a invigorating breeze from the des- $ ert. The hot, stifling nights of t the East are unknown here. Dur t ing the day the rapid evaporation a )f moisture from the skin, in this q Try air, cools the body and makes l, | heat of no here more endurable a