Vol. XII, No. 4 



WASHINGTON 



April, 1901 



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THE OLD YUMA TRAIL 



By W J McGee, Vice-President of the National 

 Geographic Society 



THE distinctive part of the Old 

 Yuma Trail lies between So- 

 noyta (long. 112° 50') and 

 Sierra Gila (long. 114° 05'),. the south- 

 westernmost range of Arizona ; be- 

 tween these points it nearly coincides 

 with the international boundary. East 

 of the old-time Place of Corn there are 

 several tributary trails. The ancient 

 and modern pilgrimage-path leads west- 

 ward from Baboquivari Peak (long. 111° 

 40') to a capricious watering place at 

 the southern end of Santa Rosa Mount- 

 ains (long. 112° 30'), and thence on to 

 Sonoyta ; the early Mexican route led 

 through Magdalena and Santa Ana, and 

 thence through Altar and over the plains 

 to the Santa Rosa water ; the later 

 Mexican approach (afterward adopted 

 by many American pioneers) can be 

 traced through Fronteras to the old 

 mission of Tubac, and thence through 

 Arivaca and Sasabe to a practically per- 

 manent water at the southern end of 

 Sierra Baboquivari (Poso Verde), and 

 on over the plains now intersected by 

 the boundary to Santa Rosa and So- 

 noyta ; while an alternative American 



approach lies through the ancient city 

 of Tucson and by Coyote spring (at the 

 northern end of Sierra Baboquivari) to 

 the main trail anywhere east of Santa 

 Rosa, and thence to Sonoyta. From 

 this oasis westward there is but a single 

 way to Tinajas Altas, near the southern 

 end of Sierra Gila; but there the tracks 

 diverge, one distributary leading down 

 the northeastern side of the range to 

 Rio Gila, another through a neighboring 

 pass and thence directly northwestward 

 to Yuma, with a third (theoretically at 

 least ; the way is practically impass- 

 able save by well-equipped expeditions) 

 across the drifting sands stretching to 

 Rio Colorado at the point touched by 

 the Arizona-Sonora boundary. 



The Santo Domingo of today stands 

 on the site of the wooden cross erected 

 by the padres over two centuries ago. 

 It is a feudal Mexican village of the 

 type prevailing in the remoter districts. 

 Owned and governed (with constant 

 fealty to the distant but beloved Presi- 

 dente and the much-adored Carmencita, 

 who is to Mexico what Victoria was to 

 Britain) by Don Cipriano Ortega, it com- 



