CHAPTER VIII. 
SAN BERNARDINO TO THE COLORADO DESERT-COLORADO DESERT 
TO CARRIZO CREEK AND WARNER’S VALLEY. 
San BERNARDINO OR SAN GORGONO PASS.—SALT ON THE BORDERS OF THE SANTA ANNA. WEAVER'S RANCHO.—SUMMIT. SAN 
GORGONO MOUNTAIN.-GRANITIC AND METAMORPH1C ROCKS.-ROCKS CUT BY DRIVING SAND.-PREVAILING WIND.-METAMOR- 
phic rocks.—Section.—Absence of vegetation.—Limestone.—Hot spring.—Palm tree.—Cactack®.—Drifting sand.— 
Barley field.—Deep well.—Sand hills.—Blue clay forming a hard surface.—Water-line on the rocks.—Calcare¬ 
ous INCRUSTATION.■—EVIDENCES OF AN ANCIENT LAKE.-SMALL SHELLS OF FRESH-WATER SPECIES.-COHUILLA INDIANS.-VIL¬ 
LAGES AND SPRINGS.-TRADITION OF A GREAT SHEET OF WATER COVERING THE VALLEY.-SALINE INCRUSTATIONS.-SOIL OF THE 
vicinity.—Springs.—Water-line, its elevation.—Thick calcareous incrustation.—View of the expanse of the 
desert.—Clearness of the air.—Shadows of the mountains.—Slope bordering the mountains.—Bottom of the ancient 
lake.—Ravines in the clay.—Outcrops of strata holding concretions.—Concretions.—Mirage.—Salt creek.—Shells.— 
Silicified wood. — Sand drifts.—Drift of volcanic rocks.—Horizontal strata of carrizo creek.—Agave.—Palm 
springs.—Vallecito.—Gneiss and mica slate.—Vegetation.—San felipe.—Indians.—Rain.—Warner’s pass.—Oak trees 
and grass.—Warm springs —Granite. 
November 12.—We left our camp near the mill in the valley of San Bernardino, and, crossing 
the Santa Anna river, proceeded eastward towards a wide pass in the mountains, which had not 
been explored. The river bottom of the Santa Anna was very broad at this point, and much of 
the surface was covered with u salt grass,” and in some places the earth was impregnated with 
salts, which formed thick crusts or coatings. The bed of the river is sandy, and a considerable 
deposit of sand is found along the stream on both hanks. We soon reached the ruins of the old 
church, or rancho, located on slightly elevated ground, and overlooking the whole valley towards 
• the east. 1 It is surrounded by a broad area of excellent farming land, and a row of old trees, set 
thickly together, extends in a straight line for three-quarters of a mile or more along the 
bank of an ascequia. The building is made of adobes, hut is now in ruins; a part of it, how¬ 
ever, is occupied as a farm-house and a granary. 
After procuring several thousand pounds of barley, we again travelled eastward. The ground 
from this point was gently ascending, and a part of the time we travelled along the bed of a 
small brook. We encamped in a wide grassy valley, without trees, with'in sight of a solitary 
house on a slight eminence, known as “ Young Weaver’s.” 
SAN BERNARDINO OR SAN GORGONO PASS. 
The Pass of San Bernardino 2 is about twenty-five miles east of the Mormon settlement of San 
Bernardino, and leads from that beautiful valley into the valley of the Colorado desert. By 
reference to the map, it will he seen that it crosses the mountains just south of San Bernardino 
mountain, at the angle formed by the meeting of the Bernardino Sierra with another chain 
which extends off towards the south, and forms the peninsula of Lower California, terminating 
1 This rancho belonged to the Mission of San Gabriel, and a church was erected upon it .—Be Mofras ii, 351. 
‘ I use the name San Bernardino in these descriptions in preference to San Gorgoho, because the pass is at the base of San 
Bernardino mountain, and leads into the valley of San Bernardino. The name thus serves to indicate its locality. 
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