Imperial Valley press., 1928-02-06

With a band of gold hungry adj
venturers swarming along the decks
of his three stout old Spanish
ships, Captain fernando Alareon,
! after sailing up the western coast
| of the Mexican mainland, found his
course northward barred by q low,
flat shore line.
1t was an autumn evening in the
year 1910. The captain had reached
the head of the Gulf of California.
He was surprised and disappoint-
ed. His Spanish maps enormously
had shown the land now known as
Lower California to be an island.
AS his flagship wallowed in the
heavy seas, he scanned the barren
land ahead. At last, through the
gathering dusk, he caught sight of
what appeared to be an arm of the
gulf extending far inland. THIS
body of water, on. closer scrutiny,
proved to be a great river pouring
its silt-laden cargo into the sea.
Alarcon had discovered the Colo
RADIO River. And ever since that
far distant day the Colorado has
figured conspicuously, sometime
tragically, always dramatically, In
the history of southwest America.
When Alarcon discovered the
Colorado river he was not particu-
larlv interested in rivers, per Sc:
he was searching for water route
that would take him to the Seven
Cities of Cibola.
Cortez, Conqueror of Mexico, had
heard that somewhere to the
north lay a region of fabulous
wealth. In the center of this mar.
velous country, twas said, stood
the Seven Cities. their houses built
of solid gold, their streets paved
with precious jewels.
His war chests once filled with
gold and gems stripped from the
temples of the Aztecs, Cortez had
gambled away a fortune in financ>
ing expeditions to search ouc and
sack the mythical Seven Cities.
Mendoza, who succeeded Cortez as
the head of the Spanish regime in
Mexico, chose to continue the hunt
for promised riches. Accordingly,
he dispatched two armed parties to
the north, one by land and one by
sea.
At the head of the land party he
placed Francisco Coronado. Coro-
nado never found the Seven Cities,
but he gained everlasting fame as
one of the greatest explorers and
pathfinders in the southwest.
Follows Rivers Course
AlarcOn was chosen to command
the second band of explorers, who
were to proceed by water. When AL
arcon reached the head of the Gulf
, of California and discovered the
! Colorado River emptying into the
sea. he decided at once to follow its
course inland.
In the water of this turbulent
stream he saw only patch which
he hoped would lead him to the
portals of his El Dorado. 1t is
hardly possible that this doughty
navigator, 400 years ago, visioned
the river itself as it really is-a
SouICt VI WEALTH. 1di SlCdlCI IMAM
the boldest Ccnquistador ever
dreamed of possessing.
After guiding his ships short
distance above the mouth of the
Colorado, the shallow and treacEer-
Gus stream forced him to seek an
/ chorage. He manned three small
boats and valiantly proceeded
along the unknown, uncharted
course. From field nolcs made by
The Spanish navigator il is indicat-
ed that lie finally reached a point
On the river nea: the site of the
present town of Needles. There he
turned back, drifteI downstream to
us waiting ships ant sailed home
1ard empty-handed.
In any even Alarcon was the
discoyerer and the First white navi-
gator of the Colorado. Fruitlessly
searching for gold and Jewels, he
stumbled upon what we now realize