Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-07-19
DESERT OF COCOPAH.
four Years. Experiences of Two Daring
Gold Miners.

pOu may nave wrought place more
terrible than Cocopah desert of Lower
California, but if so it is unmarked by
the trail of mortal. A desert from
which Dante might have added to the
horrors of his "Inferno" level OF
gray death, feared of man and forgot
ten of its creator; region separated
from the seething caldron below by a
thin crust of sand, through which the
fumes and heat from the ebb and flow
OF fire seem plainly apparent.
As starting point for desert trip
find Campo, village in Southern
California near the Mexican boundry
and about go miles back of the coast
line. Twenty miles south of that, as
an initial point, run line of 100 miles
southeast until it touches the gulf
coast line. Between that line and the
gulf lies the famous Cocopah desert
with its range of mountains-a terri
tory about 100 miles square, but as
little known as the interior of Africa.
An innocent looking little spot on the
map, but on the surface of what it
represents lie bleaching the bones of
many men, both white and red. You
will note that it is not marked with
the zigzag lines which generally de.
note watercourses, nor is it marked
with the shaded lines representing
mountains. Whyp Simply because
as yet there has been no corps of engi-
neers with sufficient hardihood to
attempt its survey. There are maps of
the region, but they are scared on the
brains of less than half a dozen hardy
prospectors.
Standing on the line you have drawn
and looking eastward you may see the
outlines of range of low mountains
distant, with water 40 possibly 80
miles. Without water eternity in
tervenes between you and that range
of hills rising darkly purple through
the shlmmering heat. That stretch of
40 of so miles is the worst part OF the
CocOpah desert-a wide stretch of arid,
sterile, sandy plain lying far below
the level of the sea absolutely devoid
of vegetation and life in any form.
Too hot and dry for even the lizard
and horned TODD, the heat radiates
from the sand and rocks with scorch-
ing effect, blistering the skin.
Forty or sixty miles is not great
distance, you say, and ought to be
covered in less than twenty four hours.
Other good men have thought the
same and tried it. Their bones scat
tered about on the sand afford proof
of their error, Every year for nearly
half a century that desert has claimed
its victims singly and in groups.
Yearly since the Argonauts drifted
South from the gold fields in the center
of California men have started for the
CocOpahs and never returned.
Once having reached the mountains,
you are not saved from death by
thirst. There are but two or three
places in all that range on the west
side where water fit to drink may be
found. There are strange phenom-
ena in that region, however, which are
worthy of a scientific exploration. At
the foot of the mountains, on the west,
is lake known as the Laguna Salado.
1t is probably eight miles in length
and from one to two miles in width,
lying parallel with the range. The
water is very salt and has tides like
the oceans. Its shores are fringed
with a marine vegetation, and it is
evident that the lake is fed from the
gulf of California, but the gulf is more
than go mills away, and range of
mountains intervenes.
What lures men to that locality and
tempt them to cross those burning
sands? Gold.
OF the hundreds that have tried to
reach these mountains, that Ell Dorado
of much ore, there are but pitiful
few that have ever returned. Among
the latter are j. M. Brown and Jacob
Crawford, two old time miners.
-Four years ago they ''outfitted" at the
little village of Campo and started for
COcopah country. Two years later,
gaunt, thin and hollow eyed, they drift
ed into the little Mexican town OF
Ensenada, some go miles down the
coast Their belts were full of gold,
however, and after resting they refit.
ted and disappeared. From that time
nothing was heard of them until
Monday, when they arrived in this
city. lt.
When they started for the desert, in
addition to the usual supply of pro
visions and necessary prospecting
tools, they had made four canteens ol
zinc, each of six gallons capacity and
SO constructed as to fit the backs of
their burros. On the back of each
burro was also a five gallon keg. Theil
way led them south from Campo tc
Tajo, some thirty miles south of the
Mexican line. From there they wen
down the Canon de la Palmas, ant
nine miles brought them to the edge
of the desert. They decided to steer
straight for what appeared low pas
in the Cocopah range and one tha
could not be mistaken. One night tn,
canteens and keg were filled at th,
spring 81 miles up the canon, and thu