zuma Mountains; west to the great peak of the Baboquivori, and north and east into the heart of the neighboring mountains. This goes far beyond the boundaries of the ranch; but in Arizona, as in California, the possession of water is tantamount to the possession of the whole surrounding country. The title is held by the Arizona Mining Company, and is derived from Thomas and Ignatio Ortez, who perfected it as carly as 1802. It was surveyed by Lieutenant A. B. Gray, of the Boundary Commission, in 1859. Up to the abandonment of the Territory in 1861 it was in a progressive state of improvement under the auspices of the Company's agent. The reduction works of the Heintzelman mine were situated on this ranch for the convenience of wood, water, and pasturage, and were projected on a costly and extensive scale. Little now remains of them save the ruins of the mill and furnaces, the adobe store-houses and offices, and a dilapidated corral.

We camped in the old mill, and spent a couple of days very pleasantly in visiting the mines and exploring the gulches of the neighboring mountains. Game was abundant. Some of our escort, who were good shots, brought in several fat deer, and we lived in sumptuous style during our stay.

A couple of miles below the head-quarters is situated another mining establishment belonging to the same Company, and designed for the use of certain mines in the same vicinity-one of which we visited and found to present very favorable indications of lead and silver ore. Several buildings in a fair state of preservation comprise what is left of the hacienda; also a double corral for horses and cattle.

aroused in time to see thirty-nine valuable mules and several fine horses in full flight for the mountains. A party of five men was immediately dispatched in pursuit. The main body of the Apaches lay in ambush on the trail, and as soon as the pursuing party approached within a few paces, fired upon them, killing one, wounding another, and compelling the rest to fly for their lives. This was the last of the mules then belonging to the "Sonora Exploring and Mining Company;" which respectable body of capitalists will probably have to explore the mountains of Arizona a long time before they recover their property.

A still more adroit case of horse-stealing occurred in Sonora some years ago. A wealthy ranchero built a stone corral ten feet high, determined that the Apaches should never get possession of his stock. The gate was massive and iron-bound, and locked with a strong iron lock. One night a small band of these dextrous thieves climbed over the wall and lay down quietly under its shadow. At the usual time in the morning the vaqueros, unsuspicious of danger, unlocked the gate, swung it back to let the animals out as usual, and were profoundly astonished to see them dash forth in a stampede, five or six of them ridden by yelling devils of Apaches. Before they could fully realize the state of affairs there was not an Indian or an animal in sight; nor did the horses ever come in sight again. This is a well-authenticated incident, and has long been a favorite camp-story in Arizona.

From Arivaca we traveled through a broad open grazing country, over the proposed route to Libertad, on the Gulf of California. The first part of our journey, after passing the boundaTo this corral hangs a tale. When Arivaca ries of the Arivaca ranch, some five or six miles was occupied great precautions were taken to below the haciendas, lay along a series of footprevent the loss of stock by theft. The work hills to the left, with a fine pasture range to the animals were driven into the corral every even- right, extending to the Baboquivori Mountains. ing before dark. A small adobe house, in which No water is found in this tract of country, but it the vaqueros slept, stands opposite the entrance, is well wooded with mesquit, and the grass is with the door fronting the gate, so that it was excellent. The road continues through this supposed nothing could go in or out without valley till it strikes the rise of an extensive mesa attracting the attention of the guard. Watch to the right, over which it continues for twelve dogs were kept in order that the guard might be miles. A vast plain covered with small stones aroused in case he should happen to fall asleep and pebbles and a scanty growth of grass and during his watch, and the vaqueros were obliged cactus, bounded in the distance by rugged ranges to keep their door open. The bars of the gate of mountains, is all the traveler can depend upon were fastened with a heavy chain lashed around for enjoyment during the greater part of this them, so that the least movement would be like-day's journey. It becomes oppressively monotly to make a noise. Besides there were white onous after a few hours. Nothing possessed of men in several of the quarters, well armed and animal life is to be seen, save at very remote inalways on the qui vive. tervals, and then perhaps only a lonely rabbit or a distant herd of antelope. Even the smallest shrubs afford relief in this dreary wilderness of magnificent distances. The road winds, mile after mile, over the undulations of the mesa, turning to the right or to the left, like a great snake, often without any apparent reason save to measure the distance. Experience, however, taught us never to leave the main highway in Arizona; for in doing so the traveler is sure, sooner or later, to encounter an impracticable arroya or some impassable ridge of rocks.

With all these precautions a band of four or five Apaches came one night and attempted to cut through the wall by sawing a gap in it with their hair riatas; but finding the material too hard they chose the alternative of making an attempt on the gate. To get the bars down without making a noise, they carefully unfastened the chain, and taking it link by link in their serapes as they moved it, actually succeeded in effecting an opening without even arousing the dogs. The Mexicans in charge were barely

Col

onel Ferguson had passed over this route nearly | body with rifle-balls and arrows, impaled with a year before, and we had the advantage of his lances, and hung by the heels to a tree with a wagon track, which was still comparatively fresh. slow fire under one's head may be all very well This is another peculiarity of the country-the as an adventure, but I am willing to let other extraordinary length of time which even the people enjoy all the reputation that may attach slightest indentation in the ground lasts where to it. the climate is so dry and equable. We saw wagon and mule-tracks which had been made, to the knowledge of some of our party, more than three years before.

Descending from the mesa, as we approached the mountain-range on the right, we entered a beautiful little valley, in which the grass was wonderfully luxuriant; but as usual there was no sign of water. The country is well wooded in this vicinity, abounding in fine specimens of cumero, a tree resembling the hackleberry, and occasionally groves of oak on the hill-sides. Five miles through the bed of the valley brought us to a sign-board on the road-side, upon which we found written in Spanish and English:

"WATER 1 MILE."

On referring to Colonel Ferguson's report, we ascertained that the water was to be found at certain seasons about a mile up a cañon to the right, the entrance of which was marked by a cumero-tree. This camp is known as Zazabe, and is distant twenty-four miles from Arizona.

A day's travel in Arizona is generally determined by the watering-places. We usually managed to make from twenty to twenty-five miles, but in some places were compelled to make forty or fifty, watering at the last place and dry-camping for the night. Whenever it became necessary to make a long stretch we started in the afternoon, traveled till midnight, camped till daylight, and then made the rest of the journada by noon.

Poso-Verde, or Green Wells, was our next encampment after leaving Zazabe. We followed the route to Altar till it intersects the wagonroad from Saric to Fresnal, passing on the way a deserted Indian village and some curious basaltic formations. Twelve miles below the point of the Baboquivori range of mountains we struck the road to Fresnal, which carried us back almost in an acute angle. There was no reason that we could perceive why we should not cut across by the Tucalote trail, except that we were not on a tour of discovery, and could not afford time to experiment in short cuts. Nothing wor

In full view to the east, between the Altar and Magdalena roads, lies the group of mount-thy of note occurred during this day's journey. ains called the Arizuma, in which the richest discovery of native silver known in the history of mining was made more than a century ago by the Spaniards. We had passed within fifteen or twenty miles of this famous mine on our way down into Sonora, and were now camped on the western side within about the same distance. It was with extreme reluctance that we were compelled to abandon the idea of visiting this interesting place. Our animals were much reduced in flesh, and our supplies of forage and provisions would be exhausted before we could complete our projected tour through the Cahuabia and the Papagoria.

Poston and myself, being a few miles ahead of the escort, availed ourselves of the chance to go up the cañon alone in search of the water, thinking we might see a deer on the way. I saw two, and shot one of them; but it did not stop on that account. The trail was inarked by Apache tracks, apparently only a few days old. It was possible they were even then looking out for us. We found the water, as stated on the sign-board, about a mile from the cumero-tree. I must confess I kept a pretty sharp eye on the brush thickets and rocky fortresses that lined the sides of the cañon. Poston seemed rather to enjoy the prospect of losing his life than otherwise. I think he was reckless on account of a remark I had inadvertently made in camp the night before, that there would never be peace in Arizona or any where else until the whole human race was exterminated; and it was questionable if there would be then, for the animals would keep on fighting and killing one another. This thing of being shot through the

We arrived at the Poso-Verde about two P.M., and found it a good camping-place, rather scarce of wood, but pleasantly sheltered by the mountains. The Boundary Commission spent some weeks at this point recruiting their animals and making explorations in the vicinity. The water is contained in a sort of pit, or natural tank, and has rather a strong flavor of alkali, cornmanure, dead coyotes, Indian sign, and decayed vegetable matter. A few hundred yards from the well is an adobe fort built by the Papago Indians as a protection to their frontier village and grazing range. The remains of a few bacquals are all the evidences of habitation we saw at this point. In former years it was frequented a good deal by Apache bands, but the Papagoes generally came off victorious in the battles that ensued. At this time they rarely appear except in squads of three or four, who descend from the mountains at night and make sudden raids upon the Papago cattle. Captain José, our chief, evidently felt a good deal of pride in the prowess of his people, though I must do him the justice to say he was quite modest about it.

I took my rifle during the afternoon and rambled up the cañon in search of a deer. About two miles from the well there is a beautiful little valley encircled by rugged mountains. The oak groves which adorn the pastures have much the appearance of apple orchards in a civilized country. The valley abounds in game. In several places near the water-holes the deer tracks were so thick that they reminded me of a sheep corral. Strange to say I saw but one deer during my ramble, yet this is not an uncommon experience in Arizona. We all saw

acres of deer tracks and turkey tracks during our journey; but few of us saw the deer or the turkeys that made them. Game is exceedingly wild, and difficult to kill when shot. The tenacity of animal life is extraordinary. Indians must be riddled with balls before they can be killed. I know of a deer that ran half a mile without his liver and lights. As for quail they require about four ounces of duck-shot, and then they won't die easy. Several that I killed myself afterward made their escape into the bushes a fact that I boldly assert on the veracity of a hunter.

There was a Californian volunteer in our party, holding the position of high-private, who declared on his word and honor as a gentleman that he shot a large hare four times and carried away a leg every time, so that the body of the poor animal had nothing left on it but the ears and tail; yet with even such limited means of locomotion it actually escaped by whirling over on its ears and tail, though he ran after it as fast as he could. Another even more remarkable But I decline further revelations on the subject; and for additional information concerning the natural wonders of Arizona respectfully refer the reader to Buckskin Alick, a resident of San Xavier del Bac.

the intervening desert sooner than go to the trouble of digging wells for themselves and reducing the silver on the spot. There is no advantage in the way of wood or other supplies at Fresnal which could not be had by a little trouble at the Cahuabia.

I asked the Padrone, whom we found at work driving a blind horse around one of his arastras, why he went to the trouble of making trips to the Cahuabia mines and packing the ore twentyfive miles to reduce it when he could do it as well on the spot. His reply was, "Quien sabe?" I suggested to him that, from all I heard, water was as plenty in the ground there as it was here, and wood still more so. To this he answered: "Si Señor-quien sabe-quisas si-quisas noyo no sai." I ventured to hint that if the owners of the ore chose to prevent him from stealing it they could do so as well at Fresnal as they could at Cahuabia. "Si Señor," said the Padrone, “yo pienso co si—yo no sai—quisas si, quisas no-quien sabe. Yo son muy pauvera." This was all I could get out of him, and was as satisfactory as any thing I had ever derived from a Mexican thief. I think he was slightly rattled by the formidable appearance of our escort. Doubtless he thought we had come to raze the town, or seize the old blind horse that was at work in the arastra.

Fresnal contains some ten or a dozen rude adobe hovels, roofed and partially walled with the favorite building material of the country, oquitoia-a kind of hard, thorny cactus which grows on the deserts. We found here about twenty vagabond Sonoranians, who were en

Leaving our camp at the Poso-Verde, we entered upon the extensive region of country lying to the west of the Baboquivori, and stretching, with occasional interruptions of detached sierras, as far as the Gulf of California. This vast tract of territory is for the most part a gravelly desert, intersected at remote intervals with arroyas and patches of palo-verde, mesquit, suar-gaged in grinding and smelting the ores which ro, petaya, oquitoia, and choya-the shrubs and cacti usually found in the desert regions of AriWater exists only in the "tenagas," or natural tanks, formed at remote intervals in hollow basins by the action of the sun and rain; yet so scanty is the supply that men and animals have often been known to perish in attempting to cross this inhospitable region during the dry season.

zona.

they had stolen from the Cahuabia mines. The yield, according to their own account, was about $300 to the ton. I made a sketch of the grand old peak of the Baboquivori from this point. This is one of the most remarkable landmarks in Arizona, and is seen at the distance of sixty or eighty miles from the surrounding deserts.

We crossed the desert of the Papagoria the next day, and made an exploration of the CaA day's journey through the portion of the huabia district. The principal mines in this disPapagoria lying along the foot-hills of the Ba-trict are owned by the Cahuabia Mining Comboquivori brought us to the first of the inhabit-pany. From the report of Mr. Mainzer, a very ed rancherias, near which is the small Mexican town of Fresnal, a collection of adobe hovels built at this point within the past two years, on account of the convenience afforded by the Indian wells for the reduction of ores stolen from the Cahuabia mines. There are also some rich silver-bearing veins in the neighborhood, but they have not been developed to any considerable extent.

A curious feature in Arizona mining operations that frequently attracted my attention was here exemplified. The Cahuabia district is situated in a detached range of mountains, distant about twenty-five miles from Fresnal, and although a limited quantity of water exits there, which could be increased by a small amount of labor, the Mexicans steal the ore from abandoned or neglected mines, and pack it across

able practical engineer, it would appear that the silver lodes are among the richest in Arizona; and I can readily believe this to be the case from my own observation. I have seen nothing in Washoe or elsewhere that presents more favorable indications. Mr. Jaeger, our Fort Yuma friend "Don Diego," of whose history I gave a brief sketch in my first paper, owns the “Pecacho," a very rich lead, upon which considerable work has been done. A few Mexicans were engaged in getting out the ores at the time of our arrival. This mine was leased to a Mexican during the past two years, who, by the rudest system of working, managed to get about forty thousand dollars out of it, over and above expenses. I apprehend Don Diego is furnishing more silver to his Mexican friends out of the Pecacho than he is to himself. In the hands

of a company of capitalists who would properly | all the precious metals; but is as yet scarcely work the mine, I believe it would be a very prof-known beyond Tucson. No finer field for exitable investment; but Don Diego is one of ploration and enterprise exists south of the Gila. those eccentric men who considers himself rich as long as he has a large amount of property. Whether it pays himself or others is nothing to the point. He reminds me of a celebrated gentleman who is ambitious to own fifty millions of acres on the Colorado Desert-it would be such a magnificent piece of property!

Wood and water are scarce in the Cahuabia district, but grazing for animals is good during the greater part of the year. There would be no difficulty in procuring abundance of water by means of artesian wells; which, after all, must eventually be the salvation of Arizona.

Our sojourn was necessarily limited. Water was scarce, the grass nearly used up, and our forage entirely out. Provisions, too, were becoming scanty; and we had a long journey yet to make across the barren wastes of the Papagoria.

Leaving our camping-place at the old hacienda of the Cahuabia Mining Company, we struck across for the next watering-place on the route to San Xavier, called Coyote, where we overtook the escort and baggage-wagons, having sent them on to that point from Fresnal. This is a desolate little spot, under the shadow of the We visited the Bahia, a silver lode of extraor-mountains, with a pool of dirty water, the only dinary richness, belonging to the Cahuabia Min-attraction of the place. We distributed some ing Company. From some Mexicans who were few trinkets among the poor Indians living in helping themselves to the ore we learned that it the vicinity, and were kindly furnished in return yielded an average of $300 to $350 to the ton, with three eggs-all their village afforded. and occasionally they struck it in nearly a pure From the Coyote to San Xavier del Bac is a state. There are also very fine copper mines in stretch of forty-five miles without water. the vicinity. Mr. Hill d'Amit, who was a mem- starting late in the afternoon, after our animals ber of our party on the trip to Sonora, is large- had fed and quenched their thirst, we were enaly interested in one of these; and considers it bled to make a dry camp on the desert, some one of the best copper leads in the country-thirty miles distant, by twelve o'clock at night. quite equal to the celebrated Maricopa lead on the Gila. Difficulty of transportation is the great drawback to copper-mining in this part of Arizona. I am satisfied, from my own observation and from the concurrent testimony of others, that the Cahuabia is a mineral region of more than ordinary richness. It abounds in almost

By

Before reaching camp we met a party of three horsemen, one of whom proved to be our friend Hill d'Amit on the way from Tucson to the Cahuabia. They brought letters from home-the first I had received. Too impatient to wait for a fire I lingered behind the train and read my letters by moonlight, the only light then avail

able. A curious place to receive and read let- | most estimable gentleman, to whom we were ters from home-the desert of Papagoria!

indebted for the most generous attention on several occasions, furnished us with a team for our ambulance. Thus provided with all the necessaries of life, with Captain José as our Chief and Buckskin Alick as our Adjutant, we made per

nessed in that famous city. In due time we reached the Pimo villages.

On our arrival at San Xavier we called a gathering of the Papagoes from all the villages of the Papagoria, and had a grand time for the next two weeks, delivering to them the goods and agricultural implements purchased by the Gov-haps the grandest sortie out of Tucson ever witernment for their use. There was great rejoicing among the women over their fine calico dresses and fancy-colored beads, and the men seemed much pleased to receive their hoes, picks, and shovels. If the hymns of praise sung by these simple people for the health and happiness of Mr. Commissioner Dole do not favorably affect his standing in the next world, it will not be owing to the ingratitude of his red children, or to the lack of eloquent speeches made in his behalf by Poston and myself.

We lodged in the grand old Mission Church. The good Padre Messea greatly contributed to our comfort and happiness by his unceasing kindness; and we had no reason to regret the time we were obliged to spend at this interesting place.

Here I was compelled reluctantly to part from my good friend Poston, whose intelligent conversation and unremitting kindness had cheered and encouraged me through the entire tour. He was bound for the North on a political campaign, and I for my cottage home in Oakland, where my presence was rendered necessary by illness in my family. Mr. Allen kindly gave me a seat in his buggy as far as Fort Yuma. There I met an old friend, Mr. Ames, Superintendent of the Military Express, who had just arrived from Camp Drum. In the most generous manner he started on the return trip several days before his customary time, in order to furnish me with the means of conveyance home. We crossed the Colorado Desert and reached Los Angeles without serious accident, and in a few days more I was safely landed in San Francisco.

Sundry complimentary visits from our military friends stationed at Tubac resulted in the withdrawal of our escort and the seizure of our mulės. Left on foot, with but scanty means of subsistence, we were compelled to cast ourselves My impressions of Arizona may be summed upon the generosity of Captain José, who got us up in a few words. I believe it to be a Terrisome provisions, and agreed to escort us down tory wonderfully rich in minerals, but subject to the Pimo villages. By various adroit nego- to greater drawbacks than any of our territorial tiations Poston secured a couple of private mules possessions. It will be many years before its and a burro. Mr. J. B. Allen, of Tucson, a mineral resources can be fully and fairly devel