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turhed by volcanic eruptions, except the
| presence of the mud springs; on_ the con-
trary, most of the rocks surrounding this
basin for fifty miles are granite, which is
unusual in a volcanic section of country.
What few rocks there are here, that are not
granite, show no appearance of volcanic
matter. Spurs of SanBernardino Mountains
have been onour left, up to this point, after
which they dwindle to small, isolated
sand hills, here and there.

Flowing Well—is the next station,
17.7 miles from Fink’s Springs. We have
risen, so that we are now only 45 feet below
sea level. At this station the Railroad
Company sank an artesian well 160 feet deep,
and got an abundance of water, through a
six-inch pipe, but it was too salt for use.
Six miles further, we pass TorRTUGA, a sig-
nal station, 183 feet altitude, and 6.1 miles
further-come to

Mammoth Tank—so named from a
natural water tank in the granite rocks on
the left, five miles distant, which holds 10,000
gallons, filled by rains, and nearly always
has waterinit. It is said there are several
hundred varieties of cactus on this desert,
and we are ready to admit the statement
without hunting further proof than what
can be seen from the car window. They
are here, of all sizes, shape and form.
Eleven miles further, we come to another
signal station called MesquirE, so named
because there is no mesquite near or in the
immediate vicinity. Next comes—13.8
miles—

Cactus—clevation, 396 feet, named for
a variety of cactus called “ ocotilla,” which
grows in great numbers, near.

To the east, from this station, can be
seen Chimney Peak—a conglomerate rock
—a huge cone, 160 feet in diameter, which
rises from the summit of some low hills,
700 feet in height, beyond which, 40 miles
away, can be seen the Castle Dome Moun-
tains. They are on the east side of the,
Colorado River, from the summit of which
rises Castle Dome, a granite column, 500
feet above the mountain range, which pre-
sents the appearance of a monster, square,
flat-roofed building, but which, in reality,
is a long, narrow column, when viewed
from a point to the southward of the Dome.

Mesquite, sage and grease-wood shrubs
are now to be seen on all sides. Directly
ahead is a tall, round butte, called Pilot
Knob, on the east side of which are located
some lead mines. Passing on 13.6 miles,

we come to a signal station, called Prior

 

CROFUTI’S NEW OVERLAND TOURIST

 

Kwon. Here our course changes a little
more to the eastward, and we soon come
in view of the Colorado River, with a
wide, sandy bottom covered with willows
and mesquite. From Pilot Knob itis 9.4
miles to Yuma, about five of which brings
to us the first view of the river, and the
next four to the west end of the bridge.
To the left, before crossing the bridge, is
Fort Yuma,a Government post, occupied

| by about one dozen “boys in blue.” It is

on a high butte, overlooking the surround-
ing country. To the right,on the opposite
side of the river, on a high bluff, is located
the Quartermaster’s Department. Cross-
ing the bridge, which has a draw for river
boats, and through a deep cut, we are at
the end of the road, in Arizona, and at

Wuma City—This is unlike any
city we have heretofore visited. It con-
tains a population of about 1,500, one-
fifth of whom are Americans, the balance
Spanish, Mexicans, and natives—Indians.
The buildings are all one story, high,
made of sod, adobe, or sun-dried brick,
the walls being from two to four feet thick,
with flat roofs. The roofs are made by a
layer of poles, covered with willows, some-
times a covering of cloth, or rawhide be-
neath them, and then covered with dirt to
a thickness of from one to two feet. On
all sides of these houses verandas project
from ten to twenty feet, built of poles, like
the roof, some with dirt, others with only
the brush. These verandas are built for
protection against the powerful rays of the
sun. In summer the heat is intense; often
the mercury marks 126, and once, some
years ago, we learn from a reliable author-
ity, it was 1380 degrees in the shade. As
might be supposed, snow and frost are un-
known in Yuma. In summer, the
American, Spanish and Mexican residents
wear as little clothing as possible, while
the native Indians’ covering will not ex-
ceed the size of a small pocket handker-
chief, adjusted in the mother Eve fashion,
with sometimes a long, trailing strip of
red material dangling from the rear belt,
@ la monkey.

In the hot weather, which is intense for
about eight months in the year, the people
sleep on the roofs of the houses, covered
by the drapery furnished by nature—
darkness.

Yuma, with all its varieties of citizens,
isa very orderly city. The great majority
of the people are Roman Catholics, that
denomination having the only church