5 California Art & Nature 6 



THE COLORADO DESERT. ber and water. Not so on the eastern 



declivity — the precipitous walls of rock, 



A vast triangular-depressed plain, hundreds, often thousands of feet in 



below the level of the sea for a large height, present small inducements for 



portion of its surface, with an ap- pi^^^^ growth, and the less precipitous 



proximate area of twelve million ^.^^^j^g ^j.^ ^^^ slightly less devoid of 



acres (about one-half of which lies botanical forms. 



in Mexican territory), and compara- jjj ^j^^ mighty chasms (or canyons), 



lively destitute of verdure or of am- eroded by the still active, tremendous 



mal life, is the great basin known as ^^rces of nature, the botanist finds 



the Colorado Desert. his richest harvest amid scenery 



This remarkable region lies bs- that for beauty and grandeur would 

 tween the peninsular range of moun- rival even the Yosemite. Surround- 

 tains and the Colorado river of the ed by walls three thousand feet or 

 west, extending from the San Gor- more high, the queenly Washinst n 

 gonio pass, at the base of the San palm (Washington flllfera) may b^ 

 Bernardino mountains, on the north, found in groves, growing with tropi- 

 to the shores of the Gulf of Califor- cal luxuriance beside quiet brooklets, 

 nia, on the south, and forms one of rivalling in beauty and novelty the 

 the most extensive and important giant Sequoia groves of California, 

 portions of the arid regions of the Despite the large areas totally bar- 

 United States. On the north and ren of vegetable life for the larger 

 northeast it is separated from the portion of the year, the absolute lack 

 more elevated plains of the Mohave of rain through long periods, whi h 

 desert by a low range of denuded may extend over three or more years 

 hills, extending from the San Bernar- of time, the Colorado desert posse ses 

 dino mountains to near the junction in seasons of precipitation a flora that 

 of the Gila and Colorado rivers. Simi- in variety and beauty of forms sur- 

 lar arid conditions exist on the east- passes that of the Atlantic states. In 

 ern borders of the Colorado river, in richness of variety and coloring, the 

 Arizona, and south in Sonera, and flora of California is probably unsur- 

 along the Gulf shores. passed, and the arid regions of tne 



From their rich chocolate-brown state are not one whit behind the 



color, the inhospitable barrier between more attractive western slopes. In 



the Colorado and the Mohave deserts springtime the stately lily of the des- 



is frequently indicated on maps as ert (Hesperocallis undulata) wastes 



the Chocolate mountains; but the its sweetness on the desert air; every 



range is better known to miners as dry and thorny bush produces its 



the Chuekawafla (Lizard) mountains, quota of beauty, and a wealth of bril- 



a peculiarly appropriate name, liant annuals spring into brief exist- 



from the great abundance and var- ance. 



lety of lizards, but probably given During June and July, 1888, the wri- 



from some fancied resemblance in the ter made his initial exploration in the 



outline of these hills to this nimble Colorado desert, the main object be- 



animal. ing the examination of various pros- 



The peninsula range of mountains, pects of gold, silver, lead and copper, 



with a varying altitude of four thou- which had been discovered in the 



sand to eleven thousand feet, rise in Chuckawalla mountains, for a gen 



precipitous abruptness from the tleman who was largely interested 



western borders of the plains. The in their development. A brief report 



crest of this mountain range forms on this region, named the Pacific min- 



a sharp and well-defined line of de- ing district, appeared in the tenth an- 



markation between the arid region nual report of the California state 



and the rich and fertile western slope, mineralogist. 1890 ("The Colorado Des- 



The summit is usually clothed with ert," by Charles Russell Orcutt. pages 



forests of oak and pine The western 899-919). 



slope is thickly overgrown with a va- Lyell says: — "Geology is the science 



rled vegetation, the valleys supplied which investigates the successive 



in a greater or less degree with tim- changes that have taken place in the 



