8 
BOTANY. 
Section VII. San Francisco Valley J— It is doubtful whether the name used to characterize 
this region is strictly proper. A part of the waters which flow southwardly into the San Fran¬ 
cisco river, (Rio Verde,) a tributary of the Gila, and another part flowing in a westwardly 
direction into the Rio Colorado, are embraced in what we call the San Francisco valley. Be¬ 
tween Leroux’s springs, situated at the southwestern base of the San Francisco mountain and 
Cactus Pass, the western limit of this division is a space of about one hundred and sixty miies, 
so interesting that a volume could easily be made of the materials which are collected in it, 
without exhausting the subject. In general terms, we could say it was well timbered, although 
there were large plains situated between the hills and mountains, nearly destitute of trees. 
Mounts San Francisco, Bill Williams, and Sitgreaves constitute the highest peaks of this 
region. They stand upon an elevated, somewhat broken plain, which is about 8,000 feet above 
the level of the sea. They are environed on the east and west by a large number of beatifully 
rounded volcanic hills, which, with the intervening forests and glades, give it the most inviting 
and romantic appearance we had probably seen on our route. Between this elevated plateau, 
extending some seventy-five miles west of Mount San Francisco, and a low range which we 
named the Aztec mountains, there is a wide valley, (about eighteen miles by the diagonal 
path in which we crossed it,) averaging some ten or fifteen miles in width. It is so densely 
covered with the best grama grass, that we named it “ Val de China.” This valley we were 
unable to explore except to a limited degree, for it extends northwest probably to the Colorado, 
and southeast to the Gila. 
Partridge and Pueblo creeks, uniting in this valley from different directions, form what we 
suppose must be an affluent of the Rio San Francisco, constituting one of its heads and 
draining the valley to the south. We explored it north about forty miles, where it retained 
its characteristic appearance, with the exception that there seemed to be less indications of 
water-courses in that direction. So our attention was turned further south as the only hope of 
getting an easy way to the Colorado. The hills bordering this valley, especially on the west, 
are densely covered with cedars, pines, spruces, oaks, &c., which are sufficiently abundant to 
serve all the purposes of agriculture, domestic economy, and railroads. Much of the timber is 
of the most valuable kind, consisting of the yellow pine of this country, (Finns brachyptera,) 
and the Oregon pine or Douglas spruce, (P. Douglasii,) the value of which will be more fully 
treated of hereafter. Besides Partridge creek, which enters this valley from the east, there is 
a beautiful little stream from the mountains west, entering from the opposite direction, a little 
further south. We named it Pueblo creek. The remains of broken pottery and the ruins of 
stone buildings and ancient fortifications that occur here give evidence that the country has 
once been inhabited by an intelligent, enterprising and warlike race of men. These remains 
exhibit marks of extreme antiquity. 
One of the highest peaks in this range, which we named Mount Hope, is situated fifteen or 
twenty miles south of our explorations. It appears to be the source of the moisture of this 
region, and no doubt waters many such little valleys as that of the Pueblo, although we had 
not time to explore in that direction as far as desired. 
The importance of this point is still further enhanced by the fact that from this place 
railroad timber, when needed, will have to be supplied westward as far as the Colorado Grande, 
which is distant, in a direct line, about one hundred miles ; but by the route we travelled, 
through the valley of the Santa Maria or Bill Williams’ fork, it is about one hundred and 
seventy miles. 
My opportunities for making botanical collections in this region were about as unfavorable 
as on the preceding part of our journey. We passed through it from the 8th to the 31st of 
January. In the valley west of Aztec Pass, and between it and Cactus Pass, (25th January,) 
was found the first spring plant in bloom. It is one of the umbilliferous tribe, with a spindle- 
1 The name of the mountain at the head of this valley is San Francisco. The stream is usually called Bio Verde. 
