CHAPTER XXXV.

ARIZONA TERRITORY.

Area and population-Climate-Soil-Mountains-Rivers-Forests -Mines - Mining-Minerals-Settlement-Civilization-Railroads-Indians.

THE Territory of Arizona is situated in the semitropical region lying directly east of California and west of Mexico, and is bounded on the south by the Republic of Mexico, east by New Mexico, north by Utah, and west by the Colorado river, which forms the boundary between the extreme southeastern corner of California and the northwestern part of Arizona.

This Territory, which embraces an area of 126,140 square miles, was acquired from the Republic of Mexico by the conquest of California, and the “Gadsden Purchase;" and by act of Congress of the 24th of February, 1863, was organized with a territorial government, with the capital at Tucson.

In 1870, the population of this Territory, exclusive of Indians, was but 9,658; of whom but 3,849 were native born, and 5,809 were foreigners. The preponderance of foreigners is owing to the fact of the large numbers of Mexicans in the country. There were at this period but twenty-six colored people and twenty Chinese in this Territory.

The climate of Arizona is exceedingly dry in its western division, and in the section adjoining the River Colorado; and in many portions of the interior the heat of summer is intense, it often reaching one hun

dred and twenty degrees in the shade, at which it will continue for many days in succession. Winter in these quarters is almost unknown, and, except upon the high mountains, snow never falls; but in the northern and eastern portion of the Territory the mountains are clad with snow perpetually; throughout the valleys and low hills snow and frost are unknown, and the climate of the Territory may be called perpetual summer. The rainfall in the western part of Arizona does not exceed four inches per annum; but, throughout the central and eastern division, sufficient rain falls for agricultural purposes.

The physical character of the country is rugged in the extreme, and large areas of mountain and alkaline deserts are unfit for cultivation. In many portions large grazing-ranges exist, and there are innumerable rich and fertile valleys, well adapted to agricultural pursuits, and where many of the tropical and all the semi-tropical fruits grow abundantly.

Owing to the sparse population and the continuous excitement in the Territory about mines, but little has been done in developing the agricultural resources of the country; but the richness of the soil, the wide and excellent pasture-ranges, and the mildness of the climate, all tend to make this Territory a very desirable field for the immigrant and the employment of labor and capital.

Many portions of the country are but poorly watered; but vast areas are supplied with abundance of water from the innumerable branches of the Colorado and Gila, the two principal rivers in the Territory. The Gila, flowing from east to west in a vast body, empties

into the Colorado near a point where the boundary of California, Arizona, and the Republic of Mexico join on the Colorado. From this point, both the Gila and Colorado rivers flow in one mighty current to the Gulf of California, and through these waters reach the Pacific

ocean.

The Colorado river, having its source in the Rocky mountains, courses southwestward through Wyoming, Utah, and the northwest corner of Arizona, forming the western boundary of the latter Territory. This vast river (often interrupted in its course of more than one thousand miles from its source to the sea) is navigable for steamers of large size for a considerable distance from the Gulf of California, and upon its upper waters to steamers of light draught.

Forests of considerable extent exist in many parts of the country, and the scenery is generally picturesque, many of the hill-sides being covered with a dense growth of small trees; so that, amidst forests, dashing cascades, bald mountains, and snow-clad peaks, many sections of Arizona present unsurpassed scenes of natural beauty.

As yet the great resources of this Territory are undeveloped. The hardy miner has, however, established the fact that mines of gold, silver, copper, lead, and iron of great extent and richness abound throughout the whole country. Not only are these metals found in the bowels of the earth, but mountains of lead, copper, iron, sulphur, and salt rear their heads, confronting the explorer on every side, and impressing him with the vast wealth of this almost unexplored region, destined to become at some future period the centre of