e continuing westward by a gradual rise over delightful plains to
the divide between that and the Sonoita or Clover creek, and along the
latter, until it loses itself in the porous earth, a mile from the
Santa Cruz river, and by the broad valley of that stream to Tubac."

* * * * * * * *

Of the line of Gray's exploration from the Rio San Pedro, he says:

"It passes through the most desirable region, with the hills and
mountains for forty miles, containing inexhaustible quantities of
timber. We noticed tall cedar and oaks of every description; one kind
more interesting than the others, being a white oak from twenty to
forty feet in the body. Pine and spruce, with superior white ash and
walnut, were found, and the most gigantic cotton-woods, particularly on
the Sonoita. * * * * "The mountains in the neighborhood are filled with
minerals, and the precious metals are said to abound. The famous
Planchas de Plata and Arizona silver mines, which the Count Raouset de
Boulbon attempted to take possession of, are in this section of
country, not many miles below the present limits, and at several of the
old ranchos and deserted mining villages which we visited, were found
the argentiferous galena ore and gold. The Sierra Santa Rita runs along
to the east of the Santa Cruz valley, and forms a part of this
interesting region. It is very high and bold, filled with fertile
valleys and flowing rivulets, and covered with a dense growth of
timber. I saw much of this district, when here in 1851, on the survey
of the boundary."

* * * * * * * *

The country bordering immediately the head of the Gulf of California,
through which Gray was probably the first to penetrate, lies adjacent
to the proposed Arizona Territory, but not a part of the same, being a
portion of the State of Sonora. He thus describes that section:

"The Indians represent rich Placers existing throughout this region,
and large numbers of them had lately come in with considerable
quantities of the dust. They were trading it for trifles to the
Mexicans. I got some specimens of it which was the same as the
California Gold. This was not the time of year (June) for them to work
the mines, but in the fall, after the rain has commenced. The greatest
drawback to the profitable working of the Placers of this district, is
the scarcity of water. If artesian wells succeed, there is little doubt
that it will create an important change. West from Tuseon and Tubac,
towards the