The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-06-23

Northeast of the Salado, which at this
{ point is ten miles from San Vicente, lies
/ the Los Cachos and Calentura valleys,
both of which contain ranches. We had
not time to make det0ur TO hunt them up,
but thought heaven pity the people upon
whom
NATURE HAS SMILED so GRACIoUsLY,
but who are so completely isolated from
their land as though they were located on
an island in mid-ocean. Five miles further
on is the Aqua Verdi c'Green1
water'D valley, perfectly. enclosed
and beautifully, level, tapering toward
mere gate for the admission Of ocean
breezes. From this valley eastward, too
and beyond the San Rafael, for at least
eight consecutive miles the hills are
covered with the magney plant (Azan
Americana, American also century"
plant, in such dense profusion that to
walk or ride between their spear-like
points would be impossible. Here is
another future scourse of wealth for the
Peninsula. springing wild by the wayside.
From it is made the national beverage,
pulque, and the favcrite intoxicant, mescal;
the pulp, after the liquor is extracted,
affords a good article of molasses; the
leaves dried and crushed, are about the
best paper pulp in the world; and from
this fibres, ropes, sacks, thread, etc. are
obtained. To encourage home manufacture
the Mexican government offers a cash
subsidy of $4,000 to every mill for the re-
duction of the magney when completed and
in operation.
This region is crossed by the valley
called San Rafael del sur (of the SOUTH,
which must not be COMPOUNDED with the
valley of the same name east of Ensenoda
at the Northern end of the peninsula. 1t
seems a pity that those who had the nam
ing of these places felt it their religious
duty to stick so closely to the nomencla-
ture of the Saints, the result beinga
wEARIsoME REPETITION THAT Is OFTEN
CONFUSING.
This Southern Rafael is very narrow
where the road runs, but widens out as it
nears the sea. A great river flows through
it, outlined by heavy growth of willows,
cottonwood and ycamores-blessed sight
after the treeless leagues we have ira
versed All along the roadside grow tall
palms, figs and the cultivated species of
prickly pear. The few people who live
here appear to be devoted to the manufac
ture of mescdl, and-probably for want of
any other marhet-to consume inordinate
quantities of it temselves.
From San Rafael to San Telmo a dist
ance of thirty-seven miles, the country is
similar to that just passed, except the last
ten miles, which leads through the rough
est of mountain gorges. Here we first
found the pitGhdyd fruit, which grows
in most sections of central and
South America, as well as in southern
Mexico, but nowhere in such perfection as
in Baia California, where it forms the prin-
cipal food of the natives. The branches of
the pitahaya start from a brink har lily
more than foot high, and grow parall Il
with each other in flute1 columns 10 tn
thickness of a mans arm and ten er twelve
feet long. These columns are thickly COW
cred with thOrns. as is also the fruit. The
latter, when ripe, is of a rich red or yellow
color, according to the variety. To the
natives the pitahaya season is the most JOY
full part of the year, and they spend the |
time travelling about hunting for the fruit !
This is gathered by means of pole, to |
which is attached a hook of bone or wood, |
with net to catch the fruit. In the south |
ern part of the peninsula the pitahaya sea !
son begins in June and lasts till late in
August: in the northern part it is later.
The lower valley of San Telmo Meto |
contains an old mission, around which |
clusters a settlement of fifty or sixty
MeXicans and Indians. Grapes and tunas
are raised here, and from both wine is |
made. The ruined mission has left few
traces here in the way of improved civil
lizatiOn. The Indians are about as de
graded as can well be imagined, and the
population in general leads most print
tive existence. FANNIE B. WARD.