The Arizona sentinel., 1878-03-02

a visit to scene of disturbance.
 He says {: "The low ground was
 full of cracks, from many of which
 there gushed forth sulphurous
 water, mud and sand. At the
 time, great changes were made
 in the river bed. The earthquake
 appears to have been Occasioned
 by an accumulation of gases and
 steam in the caverns of the earth.
 The elasticity of these forced an
 escape through a pond forty-five
 miles below, on the desert - be-
 tween the river and coast moun-
 tains, the repeated escapes causing
 rumblings and shocks. It is an old
 orifce, that has been closed several years, so that the first effort occa- stoned the most violent explosion.
 The steam rose in a beautiful snowy jet more than a hundred feet in the air, and spread, appear ing above the tops of the noun tains like a white cloud, and grad ually disappeared. This was re- peated several times, but on a much smaller scale." When the Major visited the place three months later, "these jets took place at irregular intervals of fif- teen or twenty minutes, and had a beautiful effect as they rose, mingled with the black water and mud of the ponds. The tempera- ture in the principal pond was 11S, and in a smaller one 135. One of the mud holes from which gas escaped was TO. The air was filled with sulphuretted hydrogen, and in the crevices were beautiful yellow crystals of sulphur. The ground was covered with a white effiorescense, tinged with red and yellow"
 Encamped in this region during the three winter months, we found the weather generally mild part of the time as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and again as low as 30. Living and sleeping in tents all the time, we seldom had occasion to have a camp fire except at early dawn. Owing to the clearness of the skies, the ra- diation is extremely rapid and ice forms quickly, whenever temper ature permits. Having returned to Fort Yuma in August, we found the heat excessive. Even in win ter the air is so hot, and the direct as we'll as reflected light npon the sand plains so dazzling, that, ex- cepting a couple of hours after daybreak and an hour before sum- set, it is only possible to see ob- jects, through the best instrument tai telescopes,i in the most distorted thin, white pole appear ing as a tall column of the whitest fleece.
 In this belt of country rain sell dom falls; in the distance dark clouds may be seen hanging over the Californian and Sonoranian mountains, but they seldom visit the intermediate localities. Dur ing the whole of one year they had but two inches of rain. After our arrival a few drops from some passing cloud fell in the two win ter months, December and Janu- ary, and in the following February 07 of an inch. The coast rains take place during the winter; and the rainy season in Sonora, the Mexican state south of the boun- lary line, in the months of July. and September. Spring. m the intermediate section, puts 'orth its thick green foliage in February, without any rains to 'efresh and cool the parched ground. Instead of storms of rain turing the winter and spring, hey have those of dust and sand. These are caused by high and trong winds sweeping over the lesert plains, coming principally