Year: 1879

from previous observation, EOS,
sssses unusual features of the pic
turesque and sublime. Though the
fog concealed the mountainous out
lines, the rapid change which
came over the vegetation and other
aspects of the country through
which we were passing could not
escape the aullest observer. At
Whitewater, which is nearly at the


foot of the descent on the Desert
side, the train crossed the last run


ming water which was encountered


until 1t arrived at the bridge which
spans the Colorado river.


The Colorado Desert by moop-


light is picture which, once seen,


is not readily dismissed from ones


memory. 1t is certainly weird and


fanciful to the top of the bent OF
the most imaginative. AS though
by the waving of the sword of some


Harlequin of Nature, one is scarcely
on the Desert before oil signs OF
vegetation disappear. Even the
Mojave Desert is fertile by compar-
ison with its twin brother On the


Mojave there is at least an abund-


ance of cactus and greasewood.


Long before the eXcursionist thinks


of retiring to his couch he enters


on q scene which may be described
as the abomination OF dssolation.
The prophet must have had just


such a picture in his minds eye
when he uttered the words, "with


desolation is the land made desc


late" One passes through long
stretches in which there is appar-
emily no living thing breathing or


bush stirring.


In one respect the Colorado Des-
ert was disappointing. We had
supposed that, when one had fairly
entered upon it, one would gaze on


much such q flat illimitable eX-


panse as is presented by the ocean


when sight of land has been lost
On the contrary, the two noun.


tain ranges which form the San
Gorgonio Pass widen out, leaving
tremendous expanse of desolation,


but they are never entirely lost
sight of. On the one side they run
into what is known as the Voican,


Julian and Cocopah ranges, the lat
ter extending into Lower Califor-
mia; and, on the other, they keep
the train company, at g considera-
BILE remove, until the Castle Dome


and PIcacho loom UP on the left and
the Colorado bottoms show up from


the right.


1t is too well established to ad-


NIT of any controversy that the


Colorado Desert has been an ocean


bed. Immense stretches of beach


like sand are spread out III


every direction, looking as if
they had been creased and


corrugated by the winds, which
there often attain the violence of a
simeon. At rare intervals they


bank up the sand on the track, and
q train once, under the charge of
Conductor Sippy, ran into the
treacherous stuff. Sometimes the
plain.like uniformity of the Desert
was varied by our passing
through high banks Of sand;
at others sand hills quite
one thousand feet high out
line themselves in the distance.
For one hundred and two miles
from the Colorado river there is no


water to be had, every drop Of it


being packed in tank cars. At one
stage Of the Desert trip the train


passes over q track which is over
two hundred and fifty-six feet be-
low the level of the ocean.


If one rises shortly after day.
light the but.es which align the
right bank of the Colorado begin to
outline themselves. The Desert it.
self is much as one left 1t on going
to bed, with the exception that,
here and there, clumps of what is
commonly called "whip" cactus
are to be seen. Accurate botanists
do not consent to have this plant
called cactus at all. 1t brightens
up the dreary landscape wonderful
ly, however, called by whatsoever
name, being Of bright green, and
crowned by a brilliant red flower.


The propriety of the naming of
Castle Dome will approve itself to
any one at the first glance. 1t is a
striking freak of nature and extorts
admiration from the spectator, as
does the Plcacho. Foothills, COW
cred with small, chocolate colored
stones, really broken masses of
lava, next come into view, and, in
a few minutes more, the cotton
woods and sycamores and dense
underground of the Colorado bot.
tom fill up the Landscape and in
troduce the passenger to the Colo
RADIO river and Yuma. The junction
of the Colorado and the Gila Is eff
fected few hundred yards above
the railway bridge leading
into the town, and the united
volume of their waters
makes o very considerable river