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Show 316 PERSONAL ADVENTURES discovery of imtnense quantities of the precious metals within its limits; its area is about 120,000 square n1iles. The part which lies to the east of the Colorado is separated by the Anahuhu range frorn New Mexico; being bounded on the west by the Colorado ; on the 11orth by the Bear mountains, which divide it fron1 Oregon; an.d on the south by the Gila. The only account as yet r~ceived of the centre of this portion is that derived frorn a few travellers and the trappers of Santa Fe, who describe it as being covered with broken rnountain ranges, with srnall and confined valleys, boa~ting of but little arable land. If we are to form our couclu~ions from the Jifferent state1neuts that have reached us from these sources, it would seem that this section is ,vholly unfit for the purposes of occupation or settlement, being con1posed of elevated and barren table-lands, destitute of water, and presenting, by way of vegetation, only the wild sage and squash. The few ponds of water that are to be Inet with are in general salt; and even the waters of the Colorado are said IN CALIFORNIA. 317 to be of a brackish or slimy taste. A few feeble streams flo'v in different directions from the great mountains which, in many place~, traverse this region. These streams are separated sornetimes hy plains, and sometimes by mountains, \vithout water and without vegetation, ann tnay be called deserts, as they contribute nothing towards the maintenance of animal life. In recrard to the central portion, its general 0 features are those of a ~emi-desert; its northern portion forming a "Great Basin," the extent of ,vhich is now a~certained to be 4 00 miles from east to west, by 2.10 miles from north to south; it is bounded on the south by a range of mountains, between the parallels of 37° and 38° N., extenoing from the Californian to the W ahsatch range. From this range streams flow north and south; the former lose themselves in the dreary waste, the latter unite with the "\Vaters of the Colorado. The country lying to the south of it is imperfectly known ; but it is believed to resemble the southern part of the first section. • |