COLORADO AND GILA RIVERS — FORT YUMA. 103 



the boat carrying from fifty to sixty tons. This is a great saving, as the cost of transportation 

 of stores by trains across the desert is enormous. The navigation is pretty good, but, like all 

 streams of the same nature, the channel frequently changes, owing to the shifting sands and the 

 instability of its banks. The nature of the latter varies ; thirty miles above the junction, the 

 river is walled in by mountains throughout nearly its whole extent ; and fifteen miles lower down, 

 it passes for a short distance through the Santa Isabel range. From there to tlie salt marshes near 

 the mouth, except at the junction with the Gila^ the banks are alluvial, caving in and shifting 

 with every rise and fall ] they become very low and flat, and are overflowed for miles during 

 spring tides ; a heavy Jore then rushes in, swell upon swell, and renders it very dangerous for 

 small boats. The tides ascend for thirty-seven miles. The lowest depth of the channel is three 

 feet, its mean or average stage of water six, and its highest about twenty feet. During very 

 high freshets the water flows back for many miles through the arroyos or slouglis whicli intersect 

 the country : large lagunas or lakes are thus formed, such as the ^^Big Lagana," and ^*New 

 River" or ^^ Providence creek,'' found on the road from San Diego, and also TTardy's false 

 Colorado ; these remain filled for a long time — some nearly the entire year. Whenever they 

 occur a broad slough, north and west of the post, is filled, and completely isolates it from the 

 main land, communication being had only by means of boats. 



There are only three kinds of fish^ that are at all palatable, caught in the Colorado — the 

 hump-back, trout, and buifalo — all very soft and of a muddy flavor, full of small bones and of 

 most inferior (quality. 



Fort Yuma is well located for defence against the Indians ; the only point (Sierra Pricta) 

 commanding it is beyond the reach of arrows. It afi'ords a distant and fine view of the sur- 

 rounding country. In the very interesting report of Major Heintzelman, made to the com- 

 manding general of the Pacific department, in July, 1853, he says: *^ The post is on the site of a 

 Presidio established about seventy-seven years ago by the Spaniards. Padre Pedro Garces came 

 out here with a San Gabriel Indian, and reported this a favorable position for a mission. The 

 next year he and Padre Kino came out with troops and established a mission at the junction, 

 and Jose Maria Ortegas, son of Don Francisco Ortegas, captain and commandante of the expe- 

 dition of the discoverers of Alta California, founded the Presidio. The position is described 

 between the sierras of San Pedro and San Pablo. A little east of north from here, forty-five miles, 

 on the top of a ridge of barren mountains, is a detached rock, several hundred feet high, resem- 

 bling a dome, which may have given it the name of St. Peter; and in a direction west of north, 

 about eighteen miles distant, on another range of mountains, rises a solitary rock, five hundred 

 feet high, which we have called Chimney Peak, and which must have borne the other name." 



Our camp lay opposite the military post, on the left bank of the Colorado, between the 

 Plutonic ridge on the east, and a low^ range of sand and gravel hills, called the Yuma hills, on 

 the west ; these latter end abruptly at the water's edge, no trace of them being seen on the 

 opposite side, and extend south to the base of the Sierra Prieta. They were interesting from 

 the beautiful specimens of quartz found upon them, among which were fortification and moss 

 agates, chalcedony, jasper, and opals, and various fine pieces of petrifactions of mezquite, cotton- 

 w^ood, and indigenous plants, and one of palm-wood. Seven miles and a half by the river, below 

 the post, is another high, prominent, and isolated hill, called Pilot Knob, similar in general 

 appearance and formation to those spoken of. The boundary line from the initial point on the 



Pacific ocean runs tan 



the Colorado, a short distance below the south ferry. An iron monument formerly marked .the 



i 



