St. Landry democrat., 1891-10-24
THE LAKE OF INK,
A MARVEL OF ARIZONA, THE
WONDERLAND OF AMERICA,
$500 Volcanoes of Black Mud-The
Marvellous Region Around COcOpall
The Earthquake Countrywide,
Green, Purple and Pink Mountains.

Nearly all Of the $500 Cocopah vol
canoes are situated near the east end of
the volcanic area which they occupy.
| Several large mounds, once living vol
canoes, are now quiet. Between these
hills Of lava, rock and debris, are a large
number OF living, active volcanoes.
} From the sides Of the hills, 80 to 200
feet above the surrounding waters, come
forth most beautiful springs Of clear
warm water, some so sour, others SO
sweet, SO bitter and so strongly alkaline
that no living being or animal can drink
it. These waters course down the hill
sides, laying Il coat Of white, pink, pur-
| pie, blue or green, made by the mineral
salts they contain, upon everything with
which they come in contact.
In the midst Of these hills is the Lake
OF Ink. There run into it scores OF
streams ofclear mineral hot water, others
that are warm and two that are cold,
says the Arizona Sentinel. The lake,
onefourth of mile in length by one
eighth wide, lies like a gem, set in these
hills, or these ancient volcanoes.
This hill is alive with volcanoes, even
down to the very edge of the lake. At
low water in Lake Pasqualitas it is d.
vided from the Lake Of Ink by narrow
ridge Of hard sulphurous clay, thrown up
| by the volcanoes, which have assisted in
making this bank. No less than sixty
volcanoes, mad, spiteful, noisy little
ones, line this ridge.
Here came the Indians for leagues and
gathered the rich vermilion pant, with
which they decorated themselves in
times of war in the ancient past, long,
long ago. On the west the volcanoes
stand as close together as they can be
! placed. For spaceof a quarter of a mile
| by nearly one-half mile the tread of the
i lone footman rings on the fragile crust,
till he stops through fear, balancing in
his mind whether to advance or retreat,
and while bordering as to what to do the
little kicker" the livelest, most wicked
| and spiteful of all the groups of volca-
noes, besmears him with its boiling hot
black mud.
| The black, ink-like water which fills
| the lake comes up to within three or four
inches of the level Of its shores. It's
| temperature near the edge is about 10
degrees, gradually growing warmer as
| you get down in it, and as you approach
the center Of the lake, on the surface
it is about $50 and at depth of $50 feet
it is PIG degrees Near the shore on the
east, south and west sides the water is
only four to six feet in depth for twenty
feet or more into the lake, where the shelf
breaks off perpendicularly, and there no
bottom has ever been found. To the
touch the water feels smooth and oily
The ashes and oil which cover the lake,
when its waters are quiet, are from one
half an inch to an inch thick. The water
in the lake is jet black, though it does not
color the skin of those who battle in it.
Under glass the coloring matter seems
to be minute black substance held in
suspension by the water, which adhercs
to white cloth immersed in the lake. To
the taste the water is warm, salt and bit
ter. To the bather the sensation on en-
tering the water is grand, exhilarating to
a wonderful degree, SO much so that a
bath Of ten or fifteen minutes makes one
feel as if he were under the influence of
the very best brandy. Millions Of bub-
bles formed by the escaping gases keep
the surface of the lake agitated at times
till it rolls, boils and foams as if ready to
break over it's banks and escape, and
again only in myriads of sparkling glo-
bulcs, gittering in the sunlight. When
ever the volcanoes rage with anger the
lake follows. and the sight of it's mad
dened waters is well worth seeing.
From time immemorial these waters
have been used by the different tribes of
Indians far and wide, at war, or in peace.
as the great all-healing remedy, following
bath in the hot mud Of the peaccable
volcanoes, for all fevers, rheumatism,
scrofula and ycnereal diseases. They
take the invalid and bury him, all but
his ears, eyes and mouth, in the hot
volcanic mud, for from twenty to thi=sy
minutes, then carry him covered with
mud, on blanket, the so OF 100 feet to
the edge of the lake, and put him into the
water, holding his head above it, for from
fifteen to thirty minutes, then rolling him
III his blanket, they carry him a few feet
away, to a shade Which they have pro-
vided, and lay him on the hot sulphurous
sand or rock, and there let him sweat.
They repeat this in the afternoon. At
night they move him to place where
the ground is not quite SO warm, and let
him sleep, and, if possible. where he can
breathe the gases Of vapors Of the neigh
boring volcanoes. The cures wrought
are perfectly wonderful, and could nos
be believed if not seen. A few white
men have been there and tried the rene
dies, and thus far without single failure.
The Indians also drink the hot water from
some Of the springs, but not from all.
Whenever, they approach this strange,
weird scene, this barren waste, even
when they come on their trips for salt,
which lies in great beds, a mile or so be-
yond they stop on the highest mound,
and with one hand shading the eyes
they screech and cry, with that fearful
yell Of "tra, ira, 10, la, hoop, va, lip, lip,
500, 90, 90, la," which makes your blood
run little faster in its channels, and
then they wait to see if the gods of the
desert are there to assist them. If all is
still, with naught but the half-smothered
groans, mutterings and underground
heayings Of these mysteries Of wonder
land" they turn sadly away, to come
again some other time. But it after the
third shrek or cry of theirs old Monarch
or some of his consorts answer with a
volume Of mud, thrown high in the air,
as a salute, then the Indians rush for
Al l. l.. e A.