Ex. Doc. No. 41. 99 



No one who h?s ever visited this country, and who is acquainted 

 with the character and value of slave lahor.in the United States^ 

 'would ever think of bringing his own slaves here with any view to 

 profit, much less wou-d he purchase slaves for such a purpose. 

 Their labor here, if they could be retained as slaves, among peons, 

 nearly of their own color, would never repay the cost of transport- 

 ation, much less the additional purchase money. 



I made many inquiries as to the character of the vast region o^ 

 country embraced in the triangle, formed by the Colorado of the 

 west, the Del Norte, and the Gila; and the information collected, 

 will, at some fu'ure time, be thrown into notes for the benefit of 

 future explorers, but are not given in this work, as I profess to 

 'Write 6nly of what I saw. 



From all that I learn, the country does not differ, materially, in 

 its physical character from New Mexico, except, perhaps, being less 

 denuded of soil and vegetation. The sources of the Salinas^ the 

 San Francisco, Azul, San Carlos, and Prierte, tributaries of the 

 Gila, take their rise in it. About their head w^aters, and occasion- 

 ally along their courses, are presented sections of land capable of 

 irrigation. 



The whole extent, except on the margin of streams, is said to be 

 destitute of forest trees. The Apaches, a very numerous race, and 

 the Navajoes, are the chief occupants, but there are m^nv minor 



Dands, who, unlike the Apaches and Navajoes, are not nomadic, 

 but have fixed habitations/ Amongst the most remarkable of these 

 are the Soones, most of whom are said to be Albinos. The latter 

 cultivate the soil, and live in peace with their more numerous and 

 savage neighbors. : 



Departing from the ford of the Colorado in the direction of So- 

 ^^''^^ there is a fearful desert to encounter. Alta, a small town, 

 With a Mexican garrison, is the nearest settlement. 



All accounts concur in representing the journey as one of ex- 

 treme hardship, and even peril. The distance is not exactly known, 

 oui It IS variously represented at from four to seven day's journey, 

 ■t^erfeons ..ound for Sonora from California, who do not mind a cir- 

 cuitous route, should ascend the Gila as far as the Pimos village, 

 and thence penetrate the province by way of Tucsoon. 

 " J^ovemher 25.— At the ford, the Colorado is 1,500 feet wide, and 

 flows at the late of a mile and a half per hour. Its greatest depth 

 "» the channel, at the ford where we crossed, is four feet, 'i he 

 anks are low, not more than four feet high, and, judging from in- 

 ications, S( metimes, though not frequently, overflowed. Its gen- 

 eral appearance at this point is much like that of the Arkansas, 

 with Its turbid waters and many shifting sand islands, 

 wh K ^^^^ ^^ entered at the lower extremity of the plateau upon 

 • \^] . ^^ encamped, and leads down the river, crossing three sand 

 Hnds, which we sketched, but as they are constantly shift, ng, 

 perhaps afford no guide to the traveller, and may even lead 

 ina into error. They are therefore not furnished. The ford is 

 arrow and circuitous, and a few feet to the right or left sets a 

 rse afloat. This happened to my own horse. 



