The Arizona sentinel., 1896-08-29

Fly G. Mullins, IL. |. in Los Angeles Ilmes.l
 The so-called Colorado Desert, in the extreme southeast corner of Cali fornia. is one of the most interesting, and probably the most important of the arid regions of the United States.
 It is that section of country lying between the Colorado River on the east and the Peninsula Mountains on the west. It is separated on the north east end from the more elevated Mo jave Desert. by-a serits of low rough mountains, which exterd from the San Beanardino range to the Gila River on into Sonora, Mex. This delta-shape plain lies for the most part below sea level, and has an area of nearly twelve million acres of laud--a territory in itself larger than that of some of the Eastern States. Part of this remark able plain, near SaltOn, is 300 feet be- low the sea level.
 It is conceded that the Gulf of Cali ornia once occupied this entire desert basin. The old sea shore lines are left at places distinctly marked and can be traced for many miles. These beach lines by actual measurement have been found to be even with the present level of the sea.
 If by "desert" we undestand a bar ren waste-a region destitute of all animal and vegetable life, then the Colorado desert is not correctly named. True, 1t is not an Eden, nor Is 1t a blasted Sahara. It is only partially known by few, and is yet a terra in- cognita to the masses of our people. The traveller trundling across the des- ert on the Southern Pacific Railroad, nearly blinded by the white light, and stif1ed blythe hot dust-gazing out from the car window, gets very inadequate and rather internal idea of this sec tion of the country. It is not as 1t looks to be. It 1t not dead plain. Much Of the land is rolling; is dotted with hills and is badly cut by arroyas and deep gulches.
 Within it's bounds are found groups of low cone-shapedI edImountains canyons, scattered hills, ravines, hog backs and buttes, dry salt lakes and few green oasis like spots with 6 rank vegetable growth.
 Except in the stream of the appall- ing sand dunes, which creep along in line parallel with and near to the railroad, the country generally Is GOV cred with sparse growth of mesquite, pale verde, pale ferre or iron wood, artemisia, grease wood, hackberry desert willow and cane, groves of yucca, galleta, bunch and wire grasses and great variety of cacti. Not often but sometimes the desert may be seen gaily bedecked with flowers.
 During ten-minute ride on horse back, few days after one of the flood ing rains which do sometimes fall, l gathered over thirty varieties of wild blossoms and some of them were strangely beautiful and fragrant. It semed as though the mighty Magician of Resurrection had waved his wand over the dead parched land. The desert rejoiced and instantly bloomed as the rose.
 The trees, shrubs, plants are, as rule, all covered with thorns for pro- lection, and have either large or pene trating roots, or trunks, curiously pre- pared for the storage of water.
 Rarely timid deer, or a pair o mountain sheep strayed from the hill may be surprised in the thickets o ironwood and artemisia; very often hungry coyote is seen in the distanc giving the jack rabbit 8 desperat race.
 Night is rendered hideous for tn 
 lonely camper by the barking and how ing of wolves and foxes, mingled wit the hooting of the desert owl; and fire } quently when stretched in his blanket on the ground under the stars he startled by the rattle and the hellis
 hiss of the rattlesnake.
 Snakes, lizards, scorpions, centi
 pedes, tarantulas, now and then a Gil
 monster, and thousands of hills ( stinging ants are found in all parts (
 the desert where there are any shelter
 ing rocks or any vegetation.
 This desert country is the habits
 of the tostude or land tortoise. Hul
 dreds of them may be found in the SC
 tion between Yuma and the foot of tl , Chuckawalla Mountains. They scoc
 out holes in the ground, and burro
 at the foot of some tree, or beneath
 clump of green shrubs. It is said th' 0 they live to be one hundred years ol
 They are strict vegetarians, and drir S water only.
 I saw one old fellow looking out fro
 his burrow beneath a huge cactu