The Arizona sentinel., 1878-01-26
YUMA A. IT. SATURDAY JANUARY 26 1878


 turn takes from ten to twelve days, thongh a round trip has been made in five days, and at low water has taken over two months. The river steamers have been as far up as Callville, which is 12S miles above Hardy ville or 641 miles above the mouth of the river The low bottom lands are very rich, yet at present are almost in state of nature, except where cultivated in a primitive manner by the Mohave, Yuma, Chemehuevis or COcopah Indians, who raise gooa crops of wheat, corn, beans, pumpkins and melons. Not over two score of ranches are settled on the whole distance of oyer TOO miles, where in time there will be hundreds of large farms, and happy and prosperous homes. There are landings for freight at Hardyville, Camp Mohave, Aubrey, Colorado Reservation. Ehrenberg Castle Dome and Yuma. The average current at ordinary low water is less than four miles per hour. Against such current d stern-wheel steamer tow ing loaded barge will not make more than fifty miles per day, going up stream and running only in the daylight, which will usually be a necessity. Coming down stream the progress is more rapid. Constant navigation and improvement works will lessen the difficulties that now impede navigation. Above Fort MOhave there are no sand-bars and the current is Upper Missouri and Yellowstone rivers. The editor of the YUMA SENTINEL thus describes, in a recent issue, the river below Yuma:
 "The mouth of the Colorado River is fast becoming an unknown country, since the steamboats stopped running below Yuma But for it's belonging to Mexico, whose government affords no se- curity to life, no encouragement to indus try and no protection to property, that country would have long ago been filled up with settlers. The valley is wide, and composed entirely of rich alluvial soil. The soil is superb; the heat of summer Is tempered by breeZes from the gulf; the dry winds of the desert, lying on both sides of the valley, dissipate and oxydize all miasma arizing from decay of rank vegetation. A large part oft is subject to overflow. Extreme tides rise to a height of thirty-five feet; inc fresh water of the Colorado is backed up and floods the country for miles. For rice culture no better land can be found. Hemp grows wild in enormous fields subject to Occa- sional overflow. On the higher and the drier parts of the valley grow cotton, sugar-cane and tropical fruits, as we'll as cereals. For the sportsman this country is a paradlse The lagoons formed by the flooding water are filled with fowl. Fish abound in en1less variety, from the deli cious mullet to the monster jewish; hook net and harpcou can here find unceasin9 employment. Immense beds supply ex- cellent clans. At the lower part fresh water is comparatively scarce, though the Indians find it readily by digging out seepages along the banks of the sloughs Hot ard mineral springs are found quite near the coast A feature of the Colo rado near its mouth is the "bore." This name is given to a high wave, which daily comes rushing in like wall ol water. It is an effect of the tides, and has its parallel in few other rivers of the world. To small boats or even to steam boats, it brings peril, unless they be skill l fully handled Green turtle abound in the gulf, and occasionally some of these immense chelonians are captured neal the mouth of the river. From its isola ton this valley has many plants and forms of life peculiar to itself-L Hinton's Hand |