THE COLORADO DESERT. 389 



verde," on account of the pale-green color of the branches. The blos- 

 soms are of a bright yellow, hang in long clusters all over the tree, 

 and are visited by great numbers of wild-bees for the honey they con- 

 tain. When in blossom there are no leaves on the trees, these coming 

 out afterward, small, awl-shaped bodies, almost invisible to the eye. 

 It would seem that the branches serve the purpose of leaves, and 

 probably contain the stomata, in the same way as do the trunks and 

 branches of the cacti. The Fouqueria spitiosa, the "ochotilla" of 

 the Mexicans, is one of the most remarkable of all the desert-plants. 

 The stem or trunk is very short, and branches into a number of long, 

 lithe, whip-like shoots, covered with curved spines an inch or so long. 

 The flowers are bright red, forming clusters at the ends of the shoots, 

 and are succeeded by oblong capsules filled with minute seeds. 



When the borders of the desert are reached, and we catch the first 

 glimpse of the Colorado River near Yuma, the eye rests with delight 

 upon the broad, rolling stream, and the banks lined with mesquite- 

 trees. No one can fully appreciate the beauty of forest vegetation 

 unless he has spent some time on a desert waste, where even water to 

 drink is scarce, and where vegetation of any consequence is unknown. 

 The mesquite-trees along the Colorado are quite large, and the Yuma 

 Indians find a considerable store of food in the beans. 



It is surprising to a stranger to see these Indians walking round 

 in the sun without any bead-covering except their hair, and nothing 

 whatever on their feet, with the sand hot enough to scorch the skin of 

 any one unaccustomed to it. They are not bothered with clothes, 

 the braves at all events, for their dress is often solely a breech-clout 

 about the waist, or occasionally a thin under-shirt in addition. Some 

 have finely-formed figures, straight as an arrow, and, with their 

 bronzed skin, look almost like statues when they pose. They are a 

 worthless set, however, and live upon what they steal or find on the 

 trees or take from the river. The squaws do the household work 

 and carry wood and water, while their lazy lords spend the time roam- 

 ing about or sleeping in their tents. 



The Colorado River at Yuma is a good-sized stream. The water 

 is very muddy, and, even when settled, has a milky tinge. It is, nev- 

 ertheless, very good to drink, being, in fact, the best in the country. 

 The stream is navigable for small steamers for about three hundred 

 and seventy-five miles above Yuma, but in low water the boats often 

 run aground on the sand-bars, and have to be stilted over them with 

 timbers. An old navigator said that sometimes it was necessary to 

 turn the bow down-stream, start the engine backward, and use the 

 paddle to dig a way over the shallow places ! 



Yuma itself is situated in a hollow, surrounded on three sides by 

 sand-hills. No breeze can cool the air, and the sun, beating down with 

 almost tropical fervor, often causes the thermometer to register 120 

 in the shade. Even at night it is hot, for the earth radiates the heat 



