Home » categories » rare book library » Jackson. California Gold Rush Album.
This chapter is tagged (labeled) with: 

Ch. 6: Isthmus and Mexico

Ch. 6: Isthmus and Mexico Page of 246 Ch. 6: Isthmus and Mexico Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
Isthmus and Mexico 131
At the left is Audubon's picture of what he called "the extraordinary little town of Jesus Maria."
It was a tiny village where gold and silver were mined; the ore was crushed in an arrastre powered by two mountain torrents which joined together just beyond the place. Audubon found the Mexican miners "half-civilized"; a thing not too re­markable in view of the ten days' travel over rocky roads which intervened be­tween Jesus Maria and the nearest town.
The rest of the adventure is easily told. The town of Altar was reached on Sep­tember 9. Audubon's party then crossed a "desert-like plain or prairie for many miles." After four days of the desert, they came to a tumble-down rancho where a cow was purchased and her flesh distributed among the men. Thereafter, for the twenty leagues which lay be­tween that place and the Pima villages, there was only bread—and water when they could find it. Lizards, rattlesnakes and toads were the sum of animal life en­countered. The pack animals suffered for want of grass. It was only after two weeks of wandering that "we came unexpectedly upon the wagon trail of the Gila route and an exclamation of joy came from almost every one." On page 93 we have already seen the condition in which Audubon's men reached the Gila.
From the Pima villages to San Diego, Audubon and his men shared in the misfor­tunes that were common to all emigrants by the Gila route.
Ch. 6: Isthmus and Mexico Page of 246 Ch. 6: Isthmus and Mexico
Suggested Illustrations
Other Chapters you may find useful
Other Books on this topic
bullet Tag
This Page