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Show REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. 337 was discovered in the vicinity or on the mountain. Galleto grass in considerable abundance grows on the plain at its foot. From Indian Wttt*, Cai., to Lot Angelas, Cal.-The party left Indian Wells on the 14th of April, and made a dry camp near Backet's Well. This well has been entirely obliterated, and no water is found between Indian Wells and CarizoCreek. From this latter place the route leads through Vallecito, San Felipe, Warner's Valley, Oak Grove, Bergman's, Tenie-cula, Laguna Grande, Temeacal, down the Santa Ana Canon to Anaheim, and thence to Los Angeles, which place was reached on the 7th day of May. The road is tolerably good, except over the Carizo Creek Hill, VaUecito Hill, and through Vallecito Canon. From Indian Wells to Vallecito it is quite sandy. A little salt grass was found at Vallecito, but at Sau Felipe and westward good grass for the animals was obtained. Some ox* these valleys were very beautiful, being covered with wild llowers of different hues, which, mingling with the rich green of the flourishing grasses, made a pleasing picture for the eye. Water in abundance was fbnnd in these valleys, and of good quality, except at Vallecito. The passage through the Santa Ana Canon was rather difhcult, as the river had to be crossed seven times, a ad the stream was rapid, and bottom, in places, composed of dangerous quicksand. THE DIVERSION* OF THE RIVER. This subject will now be considered. The Colorado River from the mouth of the Grand Canon down to Chem-e-hue-vis Valley, just below the Needles, may be said to flow through a canon which occasionally widens into a narrow valley, as at the mouth of the Virgen, Las Vegas Wash, Cotton wood Island, and the valley from Hardy ville to the Needles. These valleys are separated by spnrs and ranges through which the river has cut its way, forming the Bowlder, Black, and Pyramid (Ives) Canons, and the canon of the Needles. Below the Needles we have the Cbem-e-hne-vis Valley, which is again separated from the Great Colorado Valley (Ives) by the Monument Range. T^e ranges between which the river flows are nearly 4,000 feet high at the great bend, the divide on the west side opposite Cottonwood Island being 3,'JOO feet, and that on the east side at Union Pass 3,K)0 feet; while the summit of the Sacramento Valley near Chloride is about 4,100 feet above sea-level. As we proceed southward the river ranges become sensibly lower. Thus the highest altitude of the trail over the Monument Kange is 2.300 feet, and the summit of the river range on the west side opposite Ehrenberg is i>34 feet. Beyond the ranges which inclose the river are other higher ranges with valleys between, whose altitudes are greater than that of the river. These topographical features can be plainly seen by referring to the map and profiles of the route. This being the case, it is evident that the river cannot be diverted from its present bed between the mouth of the Grand Canon and the head of the great Colorado Valley. In thin valley there is a large area which conld be made productive if irrigation were practicable. An effort in that direction has been made at the Indian reservation at old Camp Colorado, on the east bank of the river, above La 1'az. Here an irrigating-canal several miles long has been tried. From the information I received about it (I did not have an opjxirtunity to insect it) I learned that the soil was so porous and unstable that the banks were constantly undermined, causing them to cave in and till the canal. After repeated trials the projector had concluded to flume the entire caual, which can only be done at great cost where luuiWr is scarce and prices high. Even if irrigation were practicable, it would be necessary to build levees to prevent the river from overflow ing the bottom-lands and destroying the irrigat ing-canals and ditches The Great Colorado Valley is terminated at the* south by the Chocolate Hauge. through which the river passes, and emerges from the Purple Hill Pass into the wide valley, which extends to its mouth. Below the I'urple Hills there are no formidable mountain ranges on the west side of the river, except a short detached range, called the Cargo Muchacho, and Pilot Knob. The divide between these mountains is about 27tf feet, wnile the altitude of the water-surface at Fort Yuuia is 120 feet. A canal through this opening would therefore re-quire a cutting of nearly NX) feet, and, besides, would have to cut through the sand ndge west of Pilot Knob in order to gain lower ground more rapidly than by keening •o the north of the Hand-hills. Even in this case the length of the canal from Fort * unia to the point where the surface of the ground is of the same altitude as the water-•nrface at the latter place would be at least 30 miles long. These conclusions are arrived at from data obtained from the Texas Pacific Railroad surveys, and also from levels run by my party from Hanlotf* Ferry over the divide north of Pilot Knob. In order that the canal should be entirely within the California boundary, it must cross the divide to the north of Pilot Knob. This, as has already ?fc*U OWD> would necessitate a long, deep cutting, partly through rock, and a passage through the sand ridge. This passage could only be effected by means of a flume or tunnel, to protect it from filling up with sand. A canal from some point below the boundary would be more practicable and less expensive in construction and maintenance. A 22 c E |