The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-15
DEAD WORLD.
Don MOrteIIio Is Hidden
Away in 1t.
THEY GET TURTLES THERE.
What a Man Found Amid the Desc
late and Unknown Wastes of
Lower California.


Orleans. started from La Paz. Lower Cali
fornia, to explore those portions of Baja
California little visited by travellers from
the outside world.
Mr.. Hum phreys is in this city, en- route
to the Worlds Fair. He gives some inter-
esting details of the country from which
he has only recently returned. land
which he pronounces wild, weird and
strangely unnatural."
The country in the vicinity Of Magda-
lena Bay was visited by the party in the
early part Of January, and a trip of 100
miles made into the interior. There,
strange to saw, was found the home of one
Don Jesus MOrtelli0 i'll comparatively
fertile valley, for in this vale wherein re-
sides the isolated rancher exists the only
flowing spring of water known along the
western coast of the peninsula south of
Santa Rosalla or north Of Magdalena
harDOr.
about Magdalena Bay" commenced
MI Humphreys, ''is -encrcled q crescent
shaped beach, gistening with salt dep0s-
its which extend from quarter to half a
mile inland. Back of these deposits, w hich
come to the surface of the low ground like
banks of drfted snow. is a range of sand
hills which gradually rise to n chain OF
rocky, bleak and v0lcanlc-lo Oking noun
tains. At the point where we landed is a
lagoon of salt water, separated from the
ocean by narrow strip nf land and con-
nected with the sea by marshy water
way.
I'm this inlet millions of wild fowl
abound, that rise at the approach of an
intruder in clouds which actually darken
the sun. Turtles in thousands baSk in the
hot salt and sands of its marginal rim. but
there appears to be no signs OF fish in its
waters. We passed around this lakelet,
over the sandhills and up the steep face oil
the precipice, ii natural road leading in a
winding course rp the font of the almost
perpendicular rocks, which something like
those of the valley of UuascO, Chile. rise
in step-like plains. one above the other.
ION reaching the top of these heights no
more strangely beautiful scene than that
about Us could be imagined. TO the west
ward our tiny schooner was riding grace
fully at anchor in shining sea of silver,
while between the vessel and the sandhillS
lay the lagoon trimmed with the pure white
eXpanse OF salt, giving the view the i'm
preston of an Arctic landscape in a sum-
mer cline. Eastward tie scene was vastly
different-masses of rocks in broken con-
fusion. level plateaus upon which not a
leaf of verdure tones the mountony of the
brown, bare ground nor lends bit of life
or color 10 the dead surroundings,
queerly-shaped mountains with broken
tops and others with needle-like pinnacles
shelf-like piles of granite like different
sized tunnels on grOceryman's counter.
and narrow valleys seemed TO commence
nowhere and ended in indistinct ndenta-
tions crossed and recrossed by rough seams
and rocks.
ION reaching the top of the second range
OF mountains we were surprised to fed
ourselves looking into valley, beautiful
Us paradise compared with It's hOmely en-
vironments. On It's western slope field
OF plowed ground was laid off In a neat
square above which a straight ditch with
silyery thread of water flowing through it
reminded us oil the irrigating systems in
the San Joaquin Valley.
Quite a large number of palms and
other tropical trees were planted at the
base OF the hills. To the south a cluster
of white adobe houses. half sheltered by
trailing vines and encroaching cacti.
proved conclusiyely that the valley was in
habited.
Don Mortellio was found to be man
of education, we'll read and an excellent
scholar OF English He invited US into his
casa, treated us to a glass of delicious wine
and gave US his history without hesitation.
The gentleman has lived twelve wears in
the valley. which he calls Vallecito.
Prior to his coming to Bal California he
was interested in mining i'll California aud
Mexico, but was not altogether successful
in his operations.
the Don, which may account for his hav-
ing selected that isolated SPOT for his home.
He was married in Ell Paso i'll 1873 to q
pretty American girl named Miss Edna
GarrltsOn, but his sweet wife died six
months after her honeymoon. Don Nor
telli0, who has explored many almost in
accessible regions of Mexican California,
knew of the existence of the Vallecito
Springs. With q half dozen trusted fol-
lowers he made his home in the resort,
creating the only oasis within radius of
hundred miles.
"A number Of natives from La Paz and
Santa R0salia settled on land close by,
forming the little settlement, which is. rs
the Don expresses It, many miles from
nowhere
Occasionally schooner for salt or
Turtles visits Magdaena Bay and Don
Although NallecltO raises sufficient
cereals and fruits TO support its inhab;-
iants. all O. her articles of food have 10 be
brought over the mountains. long and
almost Impossible journey, or by the YES
sells mentioned.
Turtle hunters visit Magdelena Bay
during the early part of every year.
These wanderers are the only people who
know much about the existence of the
D0n's oasis among the blank rocks and
lands of the central peninsula.
Among the inhabitants of Vallecito are
DuUlDeI VI DOllNeS Oh Da1a California,
who have never travelled or lived in
more civilized country than this land of
the coyote. They are perfectly thrftlesS,
spending most Of their lives sprawled out
in the broiling sun, asleep, or getting
drunk when mescal is obtainable from the
turlle-hunters.
North of Valecito Is a barren sand
plain, which stretches for several miles
north and east. This region is productive
OF remarkable atmOspheric phenomena.
At twilight great shafts of red light seem
to drop from the skies to the burning
sands beneath. The edge of the plain
shmmers in the dying light like a far
away rralrie fire. Curious yapors seem to
rise like incense and hang In purple clouds
above the ground, From every side the
scene changes.
AS seen from tho west the plain ap-
pears dark green, like a stretch of lawn.
From the south it assumes its natural bar
rem aspect, while from the east il becomes
marvel Of glorious colors and silvery
mirages.
From Cape st. Lucas north. for over
200 miles, Lower California is dead MS the
mountains of the moon. The drear silence
OF BaJa California night is profoundly
and grandly impressive.
The stars shine in the cloudless sky
with piercing eHulgence and the milky
way trails across the heavens like bridal
veil. more distinct in its misty outlines
tnan from any other spot on earth. Ii is
grand place for an astronomical Observa-
tory were II possible to maintain one there.
The awful impressiveness of lonely sur
roundings and noiseless emptiness Of earth
and heavens fill one with horror, and in
my opinion lengthy stay In those dreary
soliiudes would result in insanity.
There Is mystery about the Valecito
Springs. No rain has fallen in the vicin-
Ivy for six years. and although the flow Of
the springs is not great and not capable of
lrrlgatlng any more land than is at present
under cultivation in the valley, it is steady
and does not seem to diminish. There is
positively no water along the southern ex-
tremity Of the Lower Californian coast.
The country is rich in mineral deposits, but
these can never be worked
Gold is in my notion plentiful, but it is
locked up in the breasts of the grim
heights of the interior and guarded by
stretches OF moistless wastes where no
man could ever hope to live.
Nearly the whole peninsula of Lower
California is dead world in itself, silent
and dumb reminder of what this mundane
sphere will be in eons of ages 10 come