300 BOUNDARIES, DIVISIONS, RIVERS, CLIMATE, INDIANS, ETC. 



enhanced by a number of small lakes formed during the rainy season 

 on the levels, which are used by the careful agriculturists for the 

 irrigation of their farms. On the eastern boundary of the State, 

 the ridges of the Cordillera begin to rise, until they tower into 

 the massive mountains which form the Sierra Madre, among the 

 spurs of which many valuable metallic deposits have been discov- 

 ered. The fine and productive vallies of Bavispe, Oposura, Sonora 

 and Dolores are found in the neighborhood of this mountain country. 

 Sonora is divided into two Departments : 



1st. The Department of Arispe, with three cantons, viz : Arispe, 

 Oposura and Altar. 



2nd. The Department of Horcasitas, with three cantons, viz * 

 Horcasitas, Ostimuri, and Petic. 



The chief rivers are the Mayo, the boundary in the direction of 

 Sinaloa ; the Yaqui or Hiaqui ; the Rio Grande de Bavispe ; Opo- 

 sura ; Sonora ; Dolores ; Guayamas ; Rio de la Ascencion ; San 

 Ignacio ; Gila; San Francisco or Rio Azul; San Pedro; Santa 

 Maria and the Rio Colorado. 



The climate of Sonora is warm throughout the year ; but the 

 early spring is subject to remarkable and rapid changes of tempera- 

 ture, and to sudden variations of wind between the north and east. 

 From April to the end of September the thermometer ranges between 

 75° and 84° Fahrenheit. 



A large portion of Sonora is occupied by Indian tribes, some of 

 which are partially agricultural where they have been brought into 

 contact with the whites ; but the greater portion may be regarded as 

 belonging to the wild nomadic bands which have hitherto harassed 

 the northern settlements of Mexico. In the eastern part of the 

 State, on the banks of the Sonora and Oposura, and in the vicinity 

 of the town of Arispe and the mineral region of Nocasari, we find 

 large numbers of the Opatas. North of the Ascencion, and 

 stretching far inland from the coast, are the Pimos Altos, the most 

 northerly bands that have submitted to the influences of Christianity 

 or of partial civilization. The nomadic tribes in the north and 

 north-east of the State are Papayos or Papabi-Otawas, the Yumas, 

 the Cucapas or Cupachas, the Cajuenches, the Coanopas, the Apa- 

 ches Tontos, the Cocomaricopas, the Pimo Galenos, the Apache 

 Gilenos, Apache Mimbrenos, and Apache Chiricaguis. Of all these 

 wild and savage tribes, the Apaches are the most uncontrollable. 



The trade of Sonora is chiefly carried on at Guyamas, in latitude 

 27° 40' N. and 114° W. longitude from Paris, — one of the best har- 

 bors in West Mexico, in a healthy region, containing about 3,000 in- 



