The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-19

sandhills look like great snowdrifts. with
here and there CLEAN of color. contin-
uaily they give forth rustling sound, as
the tiny spheres are shifted by the winds.
slowly rolling onward.
In some parts of the desert. here and
there. water boils up from springs, which
are surrounded by circular hillocks of car
Donate OF lime from four to eight feet in
nelgnt, the material of which has been de-
posted from the flowing fluid The latter
Is 50 highly charged with gas that it is very
diffcult to keep corks in bottles flied with
IT, LII seems queer to find in such Desc
late country real soda-water fountains sup
piieo by nature. Syrups are not offered to
oroer, unfortunately. The lime deposited
on the rocky shores was contributed by
such springs as these, bubbling up from
what was then the bottom of the lake.
Inc atmosphere of the desert is so clear,
owing to the absence of moisture. that
small objects at great distance seem
close at hand. All sorts of illusions de-
ceive the eye. A man far away on the
PLAIN assumes gigantic stature Ranges
OF nils take on wonderful effects of color
rose, violet and yellow. The phenome-
non OF the mirage is developed on gigan-
rise into view, and vast lakes of clear water
invite the traveller to turn aside for refresh
ment.
The northern portion of the desert is
paved with the most wonderful pebbles in
the world--in many parts so exquisitely
laid as TO defy successful imitation by the
most skilled worker in mosaic flooring.
These pebbles are made of porphyry,
agates, carnelian, quartz crystals, garnets,
chrysolite and other such beautiful ma
terlals. They are packed together so that
the surface composed of them is like a
floor, and they look as if pressed into it
with roller. As a rule they are of nearly
uniform size, and each one is polished
brilliantly as if oiled and rubbed. Most of
them are perfect spheres, and the rehec-
ton from them of the suns rays is gor-
geous beyond description. Each convex
surface gives back ray of light, and the
ground for miles seems as if literally paved
with gems. Thus the whole surface of the
plain Is combination of myriads of re-
Electors, each pebble being so highly
polished that it is like mirror, and It is
believed that the lakes of the desert
mirage are produced by this means. The
pebbles are polished by the loose sand.
which is blown hither and thither
Everybody knows, without looking at
the map, how Lower California runs south
from the Pacific coast like sort of tail.
separated from the United States-for it
is a part of Mexico, as some people
are not aware-by long arm of the sea
called the gulf of California. Once upon
time the gulf extended in a northward
direction 800 miles beyond its present
inland limit. Into this northerly extern
sion the great Colorado river emptied
millions of tons of detritus annually, until
the deposit accumulated in quantity suf-
ficient to shut off the upper part of the
gulf, which was thus transformed into
lake. To begin with, of course, it was a
salt lake, but it gradually became fresh
through the influx of water from the Col
orado. Thereupon fresh-water fishes,
mo.lusks, and other creatures not of the
brine were developed in it, and in this
way it happens that the dry bottom today
is covered with their fossil remains.
However. the Colorado. like other rivers,
has been steadily diminishing in volume