The Arizona sentinel., 1891-07-18
TIE DESERT SEA.
NAVEGAT'z0N 9PENED.
First Boat Through Rapids. Falls mad WhirlpOOEs@-A Great River from tEHe
 Colorado fO Sa2eOa.

l ton FGpeulIIOH aG OalCOn III eaieIy
 Tuesday night in their frail skiff, has
 awakened a still deeper interest in
 the new inland sea and the great river
 which has cut its way from the
 Alamo and Indian Wells basin into
 that at Salton. It forever settles the
 fanciful, twilight thories that the
 water came from the Gulf of Cali
 fornia, Salt Lake, San Diego Bay or Los Angeles harbor. No one &C.,
 quainted with the desert, ever for a
 moment doubted that the water came from the overflow of the Colorado.
 Patton's expedition has forever set
 tied that point of discussion. No
 one thought that when their little
 craft swung into the current Thurs
 day noon, that Tuesday night would
 find Commodore Patton in Salton.
 But so it was. The party went down
 the Colorado to Hall Hanlon's, atop
 ped and took aboard Col. Joseph s.
 Carter, the old sea dog of the desert,
 and then let go their lines, put on
 steam, and, soon found themselves at
 Algodones, eight miles from Han
 Ions, the first point where the river
 overfows it's banks to the west. Talk ing the northermost channel, they set out for Alamo Mucho via Mar
 tinez, Cooks, the Rajadura, Seven Wells and Burke's or Gardeners.
 Picking up an Indian to assist them,
 they sped on the wings of the water,
 through brush, mesquite groves, arrow
 weed, Calita and drift-wood until
 they reached Gardner's lake, where
 the swift running stream shot off to
 the south, which Col. Carter well
 knew, was not their course, so they
 left the beautiful stream, and sped
 across the country again more or less
 covered with heavy undergrowth.
 Soon their favorite river came back,
 and they were in the great current at
 Alamo Mucho. The poor Indian had, in the meantime, been bitten by rattle snake, for which he was very thankful, and left for home via the Telegraph mesa. The rapid roaring river soon carried the Examiners ex ploring party down to the rim, r miles, and through it they went with lightning speed. The great stream was cutting right and left, tearing down the banks and hurling the clay, sand, mud and shale down the river, as if anxious to ill the Salton basin with mud rather than water. Away to the west runs the turbid waters until almost to Indian Wells, then as if dlsgusted with the rim of the des. ert, round about, they turn to the east as if bound to return to Yuma. After going back 20 miles or more, again they turn to the north and put for the railroad. Ten miles gives them enough, and back to the west and south west, through lake after lake, until they are again opposite of Indian Wells, and almost within reach of the channel they had passed through ten hours before, when again away goes Patton's river, this time bound for Salton sure. Winding here and there midst clay and sand 1 hills, through lakes, over sand rips, | down through rapids, and high walled 1 now and then over falls, and through chutes, did the excited | party speed their way, till Salton lake was reached, when down through | that they flew until the north wind | pitched in to give them @ trial. Not | being able to reach Salton on account of the wind they landed five miles south of there and Commodore Pat ton walked down to the city of Salt.
 When just opposite of Flowing Wells. while yet in the river, they spied Engineer Swaine ard his party | or the bank with their team and l wagon. The halted, exchanged salu- tations, when the little craft again | shot out into the current, while En- gineer Swaine took farewell shot at | them with his "Kodac." The trip settles the great question as to the origin of the water, now filling up the desert which lies below the level of l the sea. It comes from the Colorado, | just as the SENTINEL said. Thus sue cessfully ends the first trip by water from Yuma to Salton.
 Antonio Contreras, IT,, went to San Bernardino, Cal, Tuesday, to