Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-06
A LAND OF VOLCANOES
Along the Lower Colorado River, in the
Land Of the Qoeopahs.
Called "Bad Mans HuHfing GrOund"-
taips in the State OF California.
California Letter to New York Times.

California Letter to New York Times
A few lines in the press dispatches Of the
daily newspapers the other day relative to
the present season Of unusual turbulence
among the little volcanoes along the Lower
Colorado river, in the land of the Cecopah
Indians. was the first intimation that thou
sands of American people had that land
of volcanoes exists within the domain of
Uncle Sam Indeed, there are compare
lively few Californians who have had an
idea that within the borders of their own
commonwealth there have been, through
countless ages, hundreds Of ceaselessly ac-
tive volcanoes and fire spitters." None
of these burning mountains, rs the Mexi-
cans and half-breed Indians know them is
SO large as Vesuvius to be sure, but fully
as active and more noisy and restless A
party Of notwithstanding travellers have
returned recently from trip down the
Colorado river from old Yuma to the Gulf
of California.
The exact situation of this region of vol
canoes Is about 200 miles southwest of
Yuma, and fourteen miles from where the
Colorado river flows into the Gulf of Cali
fornia The Cocopah and Yuma Indians
call the country Bad Mans Hunting
Ground" and not a redskin of any CT the
tribes in the southwest can ever be in
duced to even visit that region. All In
dams are superstitious. and those in Ari-
IONA and northern Mexico believe that the
hell itself. There are hundreds of legends
and stories among the Pimas, MaricOpahs
and Cocopahs about the horrible beings
that have. In ages past, come from among
the volcanoes. to the injury of tine Indians,
and of the spirits Of dead and wicked red
men that wander about down there in the
sulphurous atmosphere, only waiting an
opportunity to wreak vengeance upon some
unsuspecting savage.
The Impure Air.
$The air for miles around the valley of the
volcanoes is heavy with foul fumes, and
only persons of strong lungs and Threats
can stand the odors, even several miles
away, for more than a few hours. When
one has gone into the midst of the vol
canoes the smells are not only abominable
but very dangerous to any animal life, I'M
less there is a strong breeze blowing to
carry the sulphur-laden air away. There
are undoubted stories Of persons who have
ventured too far among the volcanoes,
where the air was calm and heavy with
the poison from the bowels of the earth,
and who have died In a few minutes. Sew
eral years ago Prof. Smedley Of Ontario
College fitted UP an apparatus whereby he
could carry rubber bag full of pure air,
while he was exploring among the liveliest
of the volcanoes. In some way his device
did not work when he had gone only 200
yards into the valley of the fire spitters,
and had he not been seen to stagger and
Iail ny several companions, VINO, at the
risk of their own lives, rushed in to his
rescue. he would have died in few min
utes. AS 1t was. the whole party vas Ill
for a week or more from the effects of in
haling the poison.
The first sight of the land of volcanoes is
one never to be forgotten. The feeling as
one gaZes over an area of thirty miles I'M
der the hot, burning sun of the. desert dot
ted everywhere by literally thousands of
hummecks and mounds, and blue smoke
curling up from countless numbers of these
and flames and particles Of molten lava
from others. is that here. indeed, is literal
inferno on earth. The mounds or volcanoes
are of all sizes-from that OF a hogshead up
to an e,ninence some $50 and 300 feet high
The majority of them are about 10 feet
high and are CD feet in circumference at
the greatest point. Most of these little vol
canoes are active, and when they are not
splitting forth vapors and lurid flames are
boiling and stewing within, very much as
steam engine about to raise its safety valve
The noise of several thousand volcanoes
seething, grumbling and bubbling is not an
unusual occurrence and fills the average
visitor IN the land of them with indeserib-
able sensations. =
A Dangerous Journey.
Bad Mans Hunting Ground is reached
only by boat from Yuma down the Colo
RADIO river. The journey can be made only
at a certain season in the year, and then it
is hazardous and requires expert naviga-
tioH Lie uduSer lies ia tue ITeacueTOuS
edGies and rapids of the Colorado, and then
the route is not certain one owing to the
unaccouiltable freak the little stream has
OF suddenly drying up when it is least ex-
pected. The best time of year to get into
this country is in May or the latter part of
April. because later in the season 1t gets
too uncomfortably hot down there If the
prospective traveller be a good boatman or
canoeist he might be perfectly safe in at
tempting the trip by the Colorado down to
Ibnl i'm inc
stream, which, thus early in the year, is
always dry. His craft he can safely leave
moored to the banks of the Colorado, for in
this country there are no rowing bands of
Indians or predatory boatmen to steal It.
There are probably not fifty human beings
in that whole region through any year. The
journey across the intervening thirty miles
of desert and mountain can be easily made
by following the dry bed of the little river.
which will bring one directly to the edge Of
the basin wherein lies, probably. the great
est natural wonder of this continent. 1t Is
well, though. before starting from the Colo
RADIO to provide ones self with gallon or
two of water, for there is absolutely none
until the volcanoes are reached.
The most unusual curiosity in this strange,
uncanny land by the Colorado river is what
the naturalists in California call a lake of
ink. Scientific journals have discussed time
and again what this lake of ink really Is.
1t is great pool of black writing ink
more than anything else. 1t is situated
just described, and lies flush with the
ground. 1t is about an acre in area. The
surface of the lake is coated with ashes
from the volcanoes to the thickness of
about half foot. and the explorer in those
parts who is not looking out for this freak
of nature would be very apt to walk into it.
Surveyors have found that the lake is some
800 yards deep in some places. and no bot
tom can be found in others. There is moth
ing but theory as to the source of the sup
ply for the lake, but no one seems to know
the component parts of the acre Of black
fluid. The Indians say it is composed of the
blood of bad Indians, who are suffering In
their hell amid the volcanoes. Samples of
the lake have been brought to Yuma and
Los Angeles for tests and examination. 1t
has been found good for common marking
purposes. Cotton goods that have been
soaked with the strange black fluid keep
their color for months, even when exposed
to the sun, and the goods have stiffness
that is somewhat like weak starch.