USA > California > Amador County > History of Amador County, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 3
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* Farther to the east could be seen the course of the river where it formed the Big Cañon."
LAND PARTY ORGANIZED.
The exploring party returned to the steamboat and organized an expedition to explore the river on the south side towards the Rocky Mountains, and the boat was sent back to Fort Yuma. In a few days they struck the lofty plateau, through which the Colorado river with its numerous tributaries, or com- panion rivers, carry the waters formed from the melting snows of the Rocky Mountains. Scarcely any rain falls on this elevated plain, and the banks of the rivers remain as sharp as they were millions of years ago when the channels were first eroded. Cen- tury after century the work of deepening the channel goes on. Before the children of Israel went down in- to Egypt; before the building of the Pyramids; before the rude ancestors of the Egyptians found the Nile valley ; even before the Nile valley itself was formed the Colorado rivers had done the most of their work. It was out of the question to explore the river. They could only approach it at one point. Only the bird that could wing its way for hundreds of miles,
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
could make its way over these cavernous depths that marked the course of the river and all its branches. From elevated points they could see table-land, rising, base on base, height on height, with impassa- ble cañons between. As the limits of this work will permit only an abbreviated description of the inter- esting exploration, an account of one attempt to reach the river, giving nearly the author's own words, which cannot be condensed without doing injustice to the subject, will close the story of this expedition.
ONE SIGHT OF THE RIVER.
"Our altitude is very great. During the last march the ascent was continuous, and the barome- ter shows an elevation of nearly seven thousand feet. The Colorado is not far distant, and we must be opposite to the most stupendous part of the ' Big Canon.' The bluffs are in view, but the inter- vening country is cut up by side cañons and cross ravines, and no place has yet been found that pre-
* sents a favorable approach to the gigantic chasm, * * The snow-storm (this was in the Winter) had extended over but little arca, and the road, at first heavy, in a mile or two became dry and good. The pines disappeared and the cedars gradually dimin- ished. * *
* Each slope surmounted disclosed a new summit similar to that just passed, till the end of ten miles, when the highest part of the plateau was attained, and a sublime spectacle lay spread before us.
" Toward the north was the field of plateaus and cañons already mentioned, and shooting out from these a line of magnificent bluffs, extending eastward an enormous distance, marked the course of the cañon of the Little Colorado. Farther south, cighty miles distant, towered the vast pile of the San Fran- cisco mountain, its conieal summit covered with snow and sharply defined against the sky. Several other peaks were visible a little to the right, and half way between us and this cluster of mighty and venerable volcanos was the 'Red Butte,' described by Lieutenant Whipple (1853), standing in isolated prominence upon the level plain. * *
" The sun was oppressively warm, and every place whose appearance gave promise of water was searched, but without suecess. Ten miles conducted us to the head of a ravine, down which there was a well-beaten Indian trail. There was every prospect therefore that we were approaching a settlement, similar to that of the Hualpais, on Diamond river. The descent was more rapid than the former had been, and in the course of a few miles we had gone down into the plateau one or two thousand feet, and the bluffs on either side had assumed stupendous proportions. Still no signs of habitations were vis- ible. The worn-out and thirsty beasts had begun to flag when we were brought to a stand-still by a fall one hundred feet deep in the bottom of the cañon. At the brink of the precipice was an overhanging ledge of rock, from which we could look down, as if into a well, upon the continuation of the gorge far below. The break reached completely across the ravine, and the side walls were nearly perpendicular. There was no egress in that direction, and it seemed a marvel that a trail should lead to a place where there was nothing to do but return. A closer inspec- tion showed that the trail still continued along the cañon, traversing horizontally the face of the right- hand bluff. A short distance of it seemed as though a mountain goat could scarcely keep its footing upon
the slight indentation that appeared like a thread attached to the rocky wall, but a trial proved that the path, though narrow and dizzy, had been cut with some care into the surface of the cliff, and afforded a foot-hold, level and broad enough both for men and animals. I rode upon it first, and the rest of the party and the train followed-one by one-looking very much like a row of insects crawling upon the side of a building. We proceeded for nearly a mile along this singular pathway, which preserved its horizontal direction. 'The bottom of the cañon meanwhile had been rapidly descending, and there were two or three falls where it dropped a hundred feet at a time, thus greatly increasing the depth of the chasm. The change had taken place so gradu- ally that I was not sensible of it, till, glancing down the side of my mule, I found that he was walking within three inches of the edge of the brink of a sheer gulf a thousand fect deep; on the other side, nearly touching my knee, was an almost vertical wall rising to an enormous altitude. The sight made my head swim, and I dismounted and got ahead of the mule, a difficult and delicate operation, which I was thankful to have safely performed. A part of the men became so giddy that they were obliged to creep upon their hands and knees, being unable to walk or stand. In some places there was barely room to walk, and a slight deviation in a step would have precipitated onc into the frightful abyss. I was a good deal alarmed lest some obstacle should be encountered that would make it impossible to go ahead, for it was certainly impracticable to return. After an interval of uncomfortable suspense, the face of the rock made an angle, and just beyond the angle was a projection from the main wall with a surface fifteen or twenty yards square that would afford a foot-hold. The continuation of the wall was perfectly vertical, so that the trail could no longer follow it, and we found that the path descended the steep face of the cliff to the bottom of the cañon. It was a desperate road to traverse, but located with a good deal of skill, zigzaging down the precipice, and taking advantage of every crevice and fissure that could afford a foot-hold. It did not take long to discover that no mule could accomplish this descent, and nothing remained but to turn back. We were glad to have even this privilege in our power. The jaded brutes were collected upon the little summit, where they could be turned around, and then com- menced to return from the hazardous journey. The sun shone directly into the eañon, and the glare refleeted from the walls made the heat intolerable. The disappointed beasts, now two days without water, with glassy eyes and protruding tongues, plod- ded slowly along, uttering the most melancholy cries. The nearest water, of which we had any knowledge, was almost thirty miles distant. There was but one chance of saving the train, and after reaching an open portion of the ravine the packs and saddles were removed, and two or three Mexi- cans started for the lagoons, mounted upon the least exhausted animals and driving the others loose be- fore them. It was somewhat dangerous to detach them thus from the main party but there was no help for it. Some of the mules will give out before the night march is over, but the knowedge that they are on the road to water will enable the most of them to reach it in spite of their weariness and the length of the way.
"It was estimated that, at this point which was within a few miles of the main cañon, about one-half of the original plain had been eut away by the action of the river and its branches.
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BIG CANON OF THE COLORADO.
" A party was made up to explore the cañon. The distance to the preeipiee where the mules were turned baek was about five miles. The precipiee was de- scended without difficulty, though in one or two places the path traversed smooth, inelined plains that made the footing insecure and the erossing danger- ous. The bottom of the eañon which from the sum- mit looked smooth, was found to be covered with small hills thirty or forty feet high. Along the mid- dle of the eañon started another one with low walls at the starting point, which became lofty preeipices as the base of the new ravine sunk deeper and deeper into the earth. Along the bottom of this gorge we followed the trail, distinetly seen when the surface was not composed of rocks. Every few minutes low falls and ledges were met with, which we had to jump or slide down, till a formidable number of obstacles were to be met in returning. Like other eañons this was cireuitous, and at each turn we expected to find something new and startling. We were deeper in the bowels of the earth than we had ever been before, and surrounded by walls and tow- ers of such imposing dimensions that it would be useless to attempt deseribing them; but the effects of magnitude had begun to pall, and the walk from the foot of the precipiee was monotonously dull; no sign of life eould be diseerned above or below. At the end of thirteen miles from the precipiee an obstacle pre- sented itself that there seemed to be no possibility of overcoming. A stone slab, reaching from one side of the eañon to the other, terminated the plain which we were deseending. Looking over the edge it appeared that the next level was forty feet below. This time there was no trail along the side of the bluffs, for these were smooth and perpendicular. A spring of water rose from the cañon above and trickled over the precipiee, forming a beautiful caseade. It was supposed that the Indians must have come to this point merely to proeure water; but this theory was not satisfac- tory and we sat down to consider the situation.
"Mr. Egloffstein lay down by the side of the ereek, and projeeting his head over the ledge to watch the easeade discovered a solution to the mystery. Below the shelving roek, and hidden by it and the fall, stood a crazy-looking ladder, made of rough sticks bound together with thongs of bark. It was almost per- pendieular and rested upon a bed of angular stones. The rounds had become rotten from the ineessant flow of the water. Mr. Egloffstein, anxious to have the first view of what was below, serambled over the rock and got his feet upon the first round. Being a solid weight, he was too much for the insecure fabrie, which commeneed giving away. One side fortunately stood firm, and holding on to this with a tight grip he made a precipitate descent. The other side and all the rounds broke loose and accompanied him to the bottom in a general erash, effectually eutting off the communication. Leaving us to devise means of getting him back he ran to the bend to explore. The bottom of the canon had been reached. He found that he was at the edge of a stream ten or fifteen yards wide fringed with cottonwoods and willows. The walls of the cañon spread out for a short distance leaving room for a narrow belt of bottom-land on which were fields of corn and a few seattered huts. It was impossible to follow the stream to its union with the main river, which was not far off. Nor could a situation be found where a complete view of the great eañon might be obtained; at one spot the top could be seen, at another the bottom. Measurements were taken which showed the walls of the cañon to be over six thousand feet in height."
Notwithstanding all the efforts backed by money and government the great eañon was not entered, at least from the side. The parties safely made their way out of the chasm, and resumed their journey towards Fort Defianec, finding on their way the towns of stone houses which the early Spanish ex- plorers saw and which had sinee remained unknown and mostly forgotten.
FIRST EXPLORATION-UNWILLING VENTURE.
Some of my readers may inquire whether this eañon has never been explored ? Twiee only of which any reeord has been found. Some time in the sixties, three men, prospeeting on the head-waters of the river in the Colorado Territory, fell into a diffi- culty with the Indians. Two succeeded in reaching their boats, and eseaped by rowing swiftly down the stream, the swift eurrent and bold banks facilitating their flight. When they had gone so far as to feel seeure from pursuit, and took time to consider the situation, they found themselves floating in a stream, so swift as to prevent their return, even if they desired it, and with banks so preeipitous as to make eseape in that direction impossible. The stream beeame swifter and the banks or walls of the eañon higher every hour.
THEY CONSIDER TIIE SITUATION.
A eouneil of war was held, and all evidenee at- tainable was considered. The questions put forth in one of Addison's essays a hundred and fifty years ago, " Where am I? What sort of place do I in- habit ?" seemed particularly applicable to the situa- tion. As to the first question, they could only say, we are in " Uncle Sam's " dominion, and as to the last, it is a " hell of a place." One of them remem- bered of hearing some old trappers, while sitting around a eamp fire near Salt Lake, tell a story of a great river that was lost in a range of mountains and flowed hundreds of miles under ground. An- other said that it did not flow under ground, but in a narrow channel thousands of feet in depth, so deep that daylight never reached the bottom. None of them, however, had ever seen the river under these eireumstanees. The Indians believed, some of them at least, that the deep gorge led to Heaven, and others thought it led to Hell ! It was certain that the route to the blessed regions would not go through any such country as they were passing ; and as to the latter plaee, had not Beeeher knocked the bottom out of it? So they coneluded to go on ; in faet, there was no other alternative. About the third day they heard a great roaring of falling water, and before they had time to consider were plunged over a cat- aract, that proved not a very high one, for though the boat was smashed, they saved their lives by swimming to an island at the foot of the falls, and were able to save most of their provisions. They now constructed a raft of dry, cotton-wood logs, which they found lodged high up on the island, and continued their voyage.
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
DEATII OF ONE OF THE PARTIES.
Falls and rapids being now frequent, and the plunges often throwing them off their craft, they imprudently lashed themselves to it. Passing the next cataract the raft was upset, and one of the two was lost. The survivor found himself on the raft, now bottom side up, though entirely ignorant as to how he succeeded in disengaging himself while under the water.
Day after day, week after week, until the weeks beeame months, he floated down the river, en coun- tering many obstacles but eseaping with his life. The river was destitute of fish or animals, but in places he found the mesquite bean which would sus- tain life. Months afterward a soldier at Fort Col- ville saw a log floating in the river appearing to have come out of the cañon. The unusual circumstanee eaused him to turn a telescope upon it. "My God !" said he, "there is a man on that log ! ! " A boat was dispatched, and the man was brought ashore, nearly famished, speechless, naked, and his body cov- ered with sores. After some nourish ment had been taken, he was able to say that he had come through the great cañon. The man recovered, and for many years afterward drove a stage in Arizona.
EXPLORATION UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SMITHSO- NIAN INSTITUTE.
The Government of the United States during these years had enough business on hand without attending to expeditions in the cause of science, for, so far, the river had no value. But the Smithsonian Institute undertook the exploration of the river. Lieutenant Powell, an eminent scientist and explorer, was sent out to gather all the information about it that was possible. The transcontinental railroad now made the matter easier. He interviewed the trappers and hunters at Salt Lake and Fort Bridger; visited Arizona, and heard all that the stage-driver could re- member, and went East to make preparations for the descent of the river. The seientifie publie were now aroused, and many were anxious to accompany the expedition. Several boats were made in water-tight compartments, so contrived as to float though they might be stove. Provisions, instruments and all nee- essary artieles were inelosed in water-tight, rubber bags. On the 24th of May, 1869, he left the line of the Union Pacific Railroad at the Green River Sta- tion. Those who love to read of the grand, the pietur- esque, the terrible, will find their satisfaction in reading " Powell's Explorations of the Colorado Canon." The limits of this book will only permit a short account of the trip which was full of dangers as well as pleasure. They passed safely down the upper waters. Some hundred miles below the starting-point, the labor commenced. Sometimes the river would zig- zag between metamorphie slates and granite spurs, making a channel like a line of saw teeth ; then it would leave the granite and eut a vast amphitheatre in the sandstone, miles aeross and thousands of feet
high. Towers, domes, eastles, minarets, and all the forms of ancient and modern architecture seemed anticipated. Even sculpture was not forgotten, for in many places gigantic figures seemed to be guard- ing the great canon, and threatening to overwhelm all who should dare to invade the ancient solitude. For months the party continued their voyage. Not- withstanding their ample preparations, it was nearly a failure. They lost their boats and most of their provisions, as well as their scientific instruments. They were uncertain whether the canon was three, four, or five hundred miles long. When nearly through it was proposed to leave the river and try to ascend its banks. It was urged that more rapids on the junction of the granite and slate would end the expedition. Part of the men determined to try to scale the walls. They were given a part of the seant provisions, and also a copy of the records of the trip. . Both parties bid each other " good- bye," with the firm belief that the other was destined to certain destruction. Powell remained with the party to continue down the river, hoping that if he perished some record of their trip would be picked up on the lower river or the Gulf of Cal- ifornia. His judgment proved the best. August 30th he emerged from the eañon, in somewhat better plight than the stage-driver did, having witnessed undoubtedly the greatest wonder of the world. Nothing was heard of the other party for years. A prospeetor brought the news that they sealed the walls of the eañon, but were soon afterwards killed by the Indians, being mistaken for a party of white men who had committed an outrage on an Indian woman
GEOLOGY AND CLIMATE.
The Colorado river drains a territory of three hundred thousand square miles. A portion of this, eight hundred miles in extent, resting on the Roeky Mountains, is fed by snows, and has numerous rivers which, with all their branches, form eañons-one leading into another and all finally merging into the grand gorge, six thousand feet deep and three hund- red miles long. The lower part of the Colorado for one thousand miles runs through an almost rainless country. There is no wearing away of the banks into the rounded, graceful forms so usual in the vicinities of rivers. The channels of the rivers being so deep the country is thoroughly drained of water, and very few springs emerge from the surface. The soil is consequently destitute of vegetation. There are evidenees, however, of an extensive alluvial deposit, of a time when the river meandered through fertile plains like the Mississippi. The elephant, the mas- todon, and their contemporaries wandered in herds over suitable pastures where now desolation reigns.
It is difficult to estimate the influenee which this strange system of rivers has exerted over California. Had not the carly explorers when in scareh of gold met this obstruction, our mines would have been discovered and worked, and California would have
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LITH. BRITTON & REY, S. F.
Dearge 26 work.
THOMPSONI & WEST, FUB. OAKLAND . CAL
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PERMANENT OCCUPATION OF CALIFORNIA.
been cursed with the blight that has covered all the Spanish possessions. It was reserved for a more vigorous race to develop.
The climatie influence is also great. It is now be- lieved that our dry, desicating north winds find their way from the Arizona deserts, and that the partieles of red dust with which our summer atmos- phere is loaded. is finely-pulverized Arizona soil.
CHAPTER III.
The Exiles of Loreto-Father Tierra's Methods of Conversion - Death of Father Tierra-Arrest of the Jesuits-Midnight Parting-Permanent Occupation of California-Missions in Charge of Francisco Friars-Character of Father Junipero- Exploring Expeditions-Origin of the name of the Bay- Mission Dolores-Death of Father Junipero.
IT was the custom of the Spanish Government to send out a certain number of Christian missionaries with each expedition, whether for discovery or con- quest. When the conquerors took possession of a new territory, in the name of the King of Spain, the accompanying Fathers also claimed it for the spirit- ual empire of the Holy Church, and in this manner California became, at once, the possession of both Church and State, by right of discovery and con- quest.
As before stated, California was discovered in 1534, by an expedition which Cortez had caused to be fitted out in the inland seas of Tehuantepec. From that time, during a period of one hundred and fifty years, some twenty maritime expeditions sailed successively from the shores of New Spain to the coast of California, with the object of perfecting its conquest; but none of them obtained any satis- factory result, beyond an imperfect knowledge of the geographical situation of the country. The barren aspect of the coast, and the nakedness and poverty of the savages, who lived in grottoes, caves, and holes in the ground, clearly indicated that they had scarcely advanced beyond the primitive condition of man, and discouraged the adventurers, who were in search of another country like Mexieo, abounding in natural wealth, and the appliances of a rude civilization. After the expenditure of immense sums of both pub- lic and private wealth, the permanent settlement of California was despaired of. The Spanish Govern- ment would advance no more money, private enter- prise was turned in another direction, and it was decided to give over the, so far, fruitless experiment to the Fathers of the church. Many attempts had been made to Christianize the natives of the Pacific coast. Cortez is said to have had several ecclesias- tics in his train, though there is no account of their having attempted to convert the natives, or even of landing among them. The first recorded attempt was made about the beginning of the year 1596 by four San Francisco friars, who came with Vis- caiño's expedition. During their stay of two months at La Paz, they visited many of the Indians, who thought them children of the sun, and treated them 3
very kindly. Three Carmelite friars also eame with Viscaiño's third expedition in 1602, two Jesuit mis- sionaries in 1648, two Franeiscans in 1688, and three Jesuits in 1683, the latter with the expedition of Admiral Otondo. The celebrated Father Kühno was one who came with the latter expedition. Once, when attempting to explain the doctrine of the res- urreetion to the savages, he was at loss for a word to express his meaning. He put some flies under the water until they appeared to be dead, and then exposed them to the rays of the sun, when they revived. The Indians cried out in astonish- ment, "I bimuhueite ! I bimuhueite !" which the Fathers understood as "they have come to life," the expression he wanted, and applied it to the resurrec- tion of the Redeemer.
No substantial success was, however, achieved until about 1675. Then appeared the heroic apostle of California civilization, Father John Salva Tierra, of the Society of Jesus, commonly called Jesuits.
Father Tierra, the founder, and afterwards visita- dore of the missions of California, was a native of Milan, born of noble parentage and Spanish ances- try, in 1644. Having completed his education at Parma, he joined the order of Jesuits, and went as a missionary to Mexico in 1675. He was robust in health, exceedingly handsome in person, resolute of will, highly talented, and full of religious zeal. For several years he conducted the missions of Sonora successfully, when he was recalled to Mexico in con- sequence of his great ability and singular virtues, and was employed in the chief offices of the provin- ces. After ten years of ineffectual solicitation, he obtained permission of the Viceroy to go to Cali- fornia, for the purpose of converting the inhabitants, on condition that the possession of land should be taken in the name of the King of Spain, without his being called on to contribute anything towards the expenses of the expedition. Tierra associated with himself the Jesuit Father, Juan Ugarte, a native of Honduras. On the 10th of October, 1697, they sailed from the port of Yaqui, in Sonora, for Lower California, and, after encountering a disastrous storm, and suffering partial shipwreck on the gulf, landed, on the 19th of that month, at San Bruno, at Saint Dennis bay. Not finding that place suitable for their purpose, the Fathers removed to St. Dyon- issius, afterwards named Loreto, and there set up the sign of civilization and Christianity on its lonely shore. Thus Loreto, on the east side of the penin- sula, in latitude 25° 35' north of the equator, may be considered the Plymouth Rock of the Pacific coast. This historic and memorable expedition consisted of only two ships and nine men, being a corporal, five private soldiers, three Indians, the captain of the vessel, and the two Fathers.
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