Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-16
A Trip to the Colorado
Delta Region.
An Account of the Wonders to
Be Found There.
Features of the Journey Recently
Made by Colonel Allen.
wonderful Lakes in Land of Mystery
A New Watercourse Dis
covered-An Interest
ing Account.

IL. N. Allcu duu pai ey iOUuihSN> 49,
surveying and exploring expedition
through the western part OF Lower
California last Tuesday, says the Yuma
Sentinel.
As the four boats passed the United
States custom house, just below the
railroad bridge, the national colors fell
and rose in graceful salute to the return
ing explorers.
Colonel Allen left Yuma September
18th, with party numbering sixteen
men in four staunch rowboats. The OBJ
iective point was the Cocopah country
in Lower California, where the colonel
had been ordered to 60 by the federal
authorities of the Mexican republic, he
being licensed civil engineer of that
country. The survey he was instructed
to make was of the Gonzales concession,
which is about 100000 acres in extent
and embraces within its boundaries
mineral, timber, agricultural and
pastoral land. After an uneventful
Journey of two days down the
Colorado, Hardy's was reached and
that branch of the river was followed
until Lake Mejor was entered, camp was
struck and preparations for active work
begun. Indians with supplies were sent
out to establish outside camps; on the
10th day of September the survey was
commenced under great disadvantages,
as the heat was very great, averaging
lis during the day and at night the
thermometer never registered less than
95 degrees. As the survey progressed
it became necessary to have water
brought from Lake Jullu,ee, the nearest
available body of fresh water. Twenty
Indians were employed to carry the
necessary water for the party, the cost
of which service required an expendi-
ture of $25 per day. The Indians car
ried the water in leather bottles and
canteens, over the Cocopah range, and
were kept very busy supplying the sur
veyor with sufficiency of the precious
fluid.
The first point of much note reached
was the great sulphur mountain, and
we'll it is named. A peak standing in
side break of the great mountains which
are on every side, this peak, sentinal-
like, stands prominent in golden color
ing of native sulphur. Without one bit
of exaggeration this peak is one solid
mountain of pure sulphur. 1t stands
from its base fully 150 feet high and on
it's sides great blocks of the yellow min
eral, tons in weight, are found right and
left. Great care was taken that none of
the party were allowed to smoke, as the
sulphur is so pure that spark of fire
would set it blazing. This wonderful
deposit of sulphur is embraced in the
concession granted to Senator Gonzales
of Mexico.
Below the sulphur mountain thou
sands of acres of alum were found. Two
miles north of the alum deposit an inn
mense tract of inter was discovered.
The material found is very pure, and
from the close proximity to tide-water
will prove of great value to its owners.
By the middle of October further ex-
plorations were made and several inter-
esting discoveries made, not so much in
the way of valuable finds as curious
phenomena. Lake Jululee, for instance,
which formerly was filled with salt
water, had become sweet and fresh,
probably from the great overflow of the
Colorado last spring. The lake had also
become much larger body than when
visited last year. From lake five
miles long to one-half OF mile wide it
had, through the earthquake upheaval
of last July, been transformed into a
beautiful sheet of water twelve miles
wide and twenty-five miles long. The
depth of water was also greatly in
creased, but the members OF the finny
tribe therein seem to be greatly
diminished in numbers. From the
shores of Lake Jtiiulee the vol
canoes can be seen in all
their desolation and periods of activity.
With sudden roar and burst of smoke,
these curious mysteries of nature sud
denly grow active, throwing out and up
into the air great masses of mud, rock
and soap-like substance-red in color.
The erupGions of different volcanoes con-
tinue night and day. The great Chief
and Gianta volcanoes, descriptions Of
which have already been published,
were visited, and examined with much
trepidation, as the country adjacent to
them is of decidedly unstable charac-
ter; frequently the sulphur-like crust
would break beneath the foot and jets
of steam menacingly burst out, causing,
to say the least, much alarm to the
explorers. After taking a number of
views of the volcano country, Colonel
Allen returned to Lake Jullule and
started for Mejor lake, one of the most
beautiful sheets of water in America.
Preparations were then made for the
journey homeward.
Leaving Mejor lake and entering New
river, Colonel Allen made the interest
ing discovery that a large stream was
flowing towards the desert. The in
trepid explorer thereupon concluded to
trv and mako the raturn trIn to Yuma
by water and still not go on the Color
ado river at all. Before leaving that in
teresting locality, however, Colonel AL
the so-called lake of ink-a body of
water which is blackened by the sui
phur and iron which it contains.
The hot springs were also examined,
after which the trip homeward was re-
sumed. Leaving New river, Colonel AL
len, much against the wisheso of his men,
followed stream running desertward.
After several days. journey the MEM
bers of the party, one and all, became
aware of the unpleasant fact that they
were lost. For four days this uncer-
tainty continued, but at last
the Carga Muchacho mountains
were seen in the distance and the
explorers knew they were only about
twenty-five miles from Yuma, and that
they had accomplished something never
done before, and that was travelling
from Lake Mejor to just below Hanlon's
by water, and yet not go on the Colo
RADIO river. A few miles from Hanlon's
ranch, some work was done cutting
away brush which for time obstructed
the waterway. After passing through