1st.--Derosier did not get in during the night, and leaving him to
follow, as no grass remained here, we continued on over the uplands,
crossing many small streams, and camped again on the river, having made
six miles. Here we found the hillside covered (although lightly) with
fresh green grass; and from this time forward we found it always
improving and abundant.
We made a pleasant camp on the river hill, where were some beautiful
specimens of the chocolate-colored shrub, which were a foot in diameter
near the ground, and fifteen to twenty feet high. The opposite ridge
runs continuously along, unbroken by streams. We are rapidly descending
into the spring, and we are leaving our snowy region far behind; every
thing is getting green; butterflies are swarming; numerous bugs are
creeping out, wakened from their winter's sleep; and the forest flowers
are coming into bloom. Among those which appeared most numerously
to-day was _dodecatheon dentatum_.
We began to be uneasy at Derosier's absence, fearing he might have been
bewildered in the woods. Charles Towns, who had not yet recovered his
mind, went to swim in the river, as if it were summer, and the stream
placid, when it was a cold mountain torrent foaming among the rocks. We
were happy to see Derosier appear in the evening. He came in, and,
sitting down by the fire, began to tell us where he had been. He
imagined he had been gone several days, and thought we were still at
the camp where he had left us; and we were pained to see that his mind
was deranged. It appeared that he had been lost in the mountain, and
hunger and fatigue, joined to weakness of body and fear of perishing in
the mountains, had crazed him. The times were severe when stout men
lost their minds from extremity of suffering--when horses died--and
when mules and horses, ready to die of starvation, were killed for
food. Yet there was no murmuring or hesitation.
A short distance below our encampment the river mountains terminated in
precipices, and, after a fatiguing march of only a few miles, we
encamped on a bench where there were springs, and an abundance of the
freshest grass. In the mean time, Mr. Preuss continued on down the
river, and, unaware that we had encamped so early in the day, was lost.
When night arrived, and he did not come in, we began to understand what
had happened to him; but it was too late to make any search.
3d.--We followed Mr. Preuss' trail for a considerable distance along
the river, until we reached a place where he had descended to the
stream below and encamped. Here we shouted and fired guns, but received
no answer; and we concluded that he had pushed on down the stream. I
determined to keep out from the river, along which it was nearly
impracticable to travel with animals, until it should form a valley. At
every step the country improved in beauty; the pines were rapidly
disappearing, and oaks became the principal trees of the forest. Among
these, the prevailing tree was the evergreen oak, (which, by way of
distinction, we call the _live-oak_;) and with these occurred
frequently a new species of oak bearing a long slender acorn, from an
inch to an inch and a half in length, which we now began to see formed
the principal vegetable food of the inhabitants of this region. In a
short distance we crossed a little rivulet, where were two old huts,
and near by were heaps of acorn hulls. The ground round about was very
rich, covered with an exuberant sward of grass; and we sat down for a
while in the shade of the oaks, to let the animals feed. We repeated
our shouts for Mr. Preuss; and this time were gratified with an answer.
The voice grew rapidly nearer, ascending from the river; but when we
expected to see him emerge, it ceased entirely. We had called up some
straggling Indian--the first we had met, although for two days back we
had seen tracks--who, mistaking us for his fellows, had been only
undeceived on getting close up. It would have been pleasant to witness
his astonishment; he would not have been more frightened had some of
the old mountain spirits they are so much afraid of suddenly appeared
in his path. Ignorant of the character of these people, we had now an
additional cause of uneasiness in regard to Mr. Preuss; he had no arms
with him, and we began to think his chance doubtful. We followed on a
trail, still keeping out from the river, and descended to a very large
creek, dashing with great velocity over a pre-eminently rocky bed, and
among large boulders. The bed had sudden breaks, formed by deep holes
and ledges of rock running across. Even here, it deserves the name of
_Rock_ creek, which we gave to it. We succeeded in fording it, and
toiled about three thousand feet up the opposite hill. The mountains
now were getting sensibly lower; but still there is no valley on the
river, which presents steep and rocky banks; but here, several miles
from the river, the country is smooth and grassy; the forest has no
undergrowth; and in the open valleys of rivulets, or around
spring-heads, the low groves of live-oak give the appearance of
orchards in an old cultivated country. Occasionally we met deer, but
had not the necessary time for hunting. At one of these
orchard-grounds, we encamped about noon to make an effort for Mr.
Preuss. One man took his way along a spur leading into the river, in
hope to cross his trail; and another took our own back. Both were
volunteers; and to the successful man was promised a pair of
pistols--not as a reward, but as a token of gratitude for a service
which would free us all from much anxiety.
We had among our few animals a horse which was so much reduced, that,
with traveling, even the good grass could nor save him; and, having
nothing to eat, he was killed this afternoon. He was a good animal, and
had made the journey round from Fort Hall.
_Dodecatheon dentatum_ continued the characteristic plant in flower;
and the naked-looking shrub already mentioned continued characteristic,
beginning to put forth a small white blossom. At evening the men
returned, having seen or heard nothing of Mr. Preuss; and I determined
to make a hard push down the river the next morning and get ahead of
him.
4th.--We continued rapidly along on a broad plainly-beaten trail, the
mere traveling and breathing the delightful air being a positive
enjoyment. Our road led along a ridge inclining to the river, and the
air and the open grounds were fragrant with flowering shrubs; and in
the course of the morning we issued on an open spur, by which we
descended directly to the stream. Here the river issues suddenly from
the mountains, which hitherto had hemmed it closely in; these now
become softer, and change sensibly their character; and at this point
commences the most beautiful valley in which we had ever traveled. We
hurried to the river, on which we noticed a small sand beach, to which
Mr. Preuss would naturally have gone. We found no trace of him, but,
instead, were recent tracks of bare-footed Indians, and little piles of
muscle-shells, and old fires where they had roasted the fish. We
traveled on over the river grounds, which were undulating, and covered
with grass to the river brink. We halted to noon a few miles beyond,
always under the shade of the evergreen oaks, which formed open groves
on the bottoms.
Continuing our road in the afternoon, we ascended to the uplands, where
the river passes round a point of great beauty, and goes through very
remarkable dalles, in character resembling those of the Columbia.
Beyond, we again descended to the bottoms, where we found an Indian
village, consisting of two or three huts; we had come upon them
suddenly, and the people had evidently just run off. The huts were low
and slight, made like beehives in a picture, five or six feet high, and
near each was a crate, formed of interlaced branches and grass, in size
and shape like a very large hogshead. Each of these contained from six
to nine bushels. These were filled with the long acorns already
mentioned, and in the huts were several neatly-made baskets, containing
quantities of the acorns roasted. They were sweet and agreeably
flavored, and we supplied ourselves with about half a bushel, leaving
one of our shirts, a handkerchief, and some smaller articles, in
exchange. The river again entered for a space among the hills, and we
followed a trail leading across a bend through a handsome hollow
behind. Here, while engaged in trying to circumvent a deer, we
discovered some Indians on a hill several hundred yards ahead, and gave
them a shout, to which they responded by loud and rapid talking and
vehement gesticulation, but made no stop, hurrying up the mountain as
fast as their legs could carry them. We passed on, and again encamped
in a grassy grove.
The absence of Mr. Preuss gave me great concern; and, for a large
reward, Derosier volunteered to go back on the trail. I directed him to
search along the river, traveling upward for the space of a day and a
half, at which time I expected he would meet Mr. Fitzpatrick, whom I
requested to aid in the search; at all events, he was to go no farther,
but return to this camp, where a _cache_ of provisions was made for him.
Continuing the next day down the river, we discovered three squaws in a
little bottom, and surrounded them before they could make their escape.
They had large conical baskets, which they were engaged in filling with
a small leafy plant (_erodium cicutarium_) just now beginning to bloom,
and covering the ground like a sward of grass. These did not make any
lamentations, but appeared very much impressed with our appearance,
speaking to us only in a whisper, and offering us smaller baskets of
the plant, which they signified to us was good to eat, making signs
also that it was to be cooked by the fire. We drew out a little cold
horse-meat, and the squaws made signs to us that the men had gone out
after deer, and that we could have some by waiting till they came in.
We observed that the horses ate with great avidity the herb which they
had been gathering; and here also, for the first time, we saw Indians
eat the common grass--one of the squaws pulling several tufts, and
eating it with apparent relish. Seeing our surprise, she pointed to the
horses; but we could not well understand what she meant, except,
perhaps, that what was good for the one was good for the other.
We encamped in the evening on the shore of the river, at a place where
the associated beauties of scenery made so strong an impression on us
that we gave it the name of the Beautiful Camp. The undulating river
shore was shaded with the live-oaks, which formed a continuous grove
over the country, and the same grassy sward extended to the edge of the
water, and we made our fires near some large granite masses which were
lying among the trees. We had seen several of the acorn _caches_ during
the day, and here there were two which were very large, containing
each, probably, ten bushels. Towards evening we heard a weak shout
among the hills behind, and had the pleasure to see Mr. Preuss
descending towards the camp. Like ourselves, he had traveled to-day 25
miles, but had seen nothing of Derosier. Knowing, on the day he was
lost, that I was determined to keep the river as much as possible, he
had not thought it necessary to follow the trail very closely, but
walked on, right and left, certain to find it somewhere along the
river, searching places to obtain good views of the country. Towards
sunset he climbed down towards the river to look for the camp; but,
finding no trail, concluded that we were behind, and walked back till
night came on, when, being very much fatigued, he collected drift-wood
and made a large fire among the rocks. The next day it became more
serious and he encamped again alone, thinking that we must have taken
some other course. To go back would have been madness in his weak and
starved condition, and onward towards the valley was his only hope,
always in expectation of reaching it soon. His principal means of
subsistence were a few roots, which the hunters call sweet onions,
having very little taste, but a good deal of nutriment, growing
generally in rocky ground, and requiring a good deal of labor to get,
as he had only a pocket-knife. Searching for these, he found a nest of
big ants, which he let run on his hand, and stripped them off in his
mouth; these had an agreeable acid taste. One of his greatest
privations was the want of tobacco; and a pleasant smoke at evening
would have been a relief which only a voyageur could appreciate. He
tried the dried leaves of the live-oak, knowing that those of other
oaks were sometimes used as a substitute; but these were too thick, and
would not do. On the 4th he made seven or eight miles, walking slowly
along the river, avoiding as much as possible to climb the hills. In
little pools he caught some of the smallest kind of frogs, which he
swallowed, not so much in the gratification of hunger, as in the hope
of obtaining some strength. Scattered along the river were old
fire-places, where the Indians had roasted muscles and acorns; but
though he searched diligently, he did not there succeed in finding
either. He had collected firewood for the night, when he heard, at some
distance from the river, the barking of what he thought were two dogs,
and walked in that direction as quickly as he was able, hoping to find
there some Indian hut, but met only two wolves; and, in his
disappointment, the gloom of the forest was doubled.
Traveling the next day feebly down the river, he found five or six
Indians at the huts of which we have spoken: some were painting
themselves black, and others roasting acorns. Being only one man, they
did not run off, but received him kindly, and gave him a welcome supply
of roasted acorns. He gave them his pocket-knife in return, and
stretched out his hand to one of the Indians, who did not appear to
comprehend the motion, but jumped back, as if he thought he was about
to lay hold of him. They seemed afraid of him, not certain as to what
he was.
Traveling on, he came to the place where we had found the squaws. Here
he found our fire still burning, and the tracks of the horses. The
sight gave him sudden hope and courage; and, following as fast as he
could, joined us at evening.
6th.--We continued on our road through the same surpassingly beautiful
country, entirely unequalled for the pasturage of stock by any thing we
had ever seen. Our horses had now become so strong that they were able
to carry us, and we traveled rapidly--over four miles an hour; four of
us riding every alternate hour. Every few hundred yards we came upon a
little band of deer; but we were too eager to reach the settlement,
which we momentarily expected to discover, to halt for any other than a
passing shot. In a few hours we reached a large fork, the northern
branch of the river, and equal in size to that which we had descended.
Together they formed a beautiful stream, 60 to 100 yards wide; which at
first, ignorant of the nature of the country through which that river
ran, we took to be the Sacramento.
We continued down the right bank of the river, traveling for a while
over a wooded upland, where we had the delight to discover tracks of
cattle. To the southwest was visible a black column of smoke, which we
had frequently noticed in descending, arising from the fires we had
seen from the top of the Sierra. From the upland we descended into
broad groves on the river, consisting of the evergreen, and a new
species of a white-oak, with a large tufted top, and three to six feet
in diameter. Among these was no brushwood; and the grassy surface gave
to it the appearance of parks in an old-settled country. Following the
tracks of the horses and cattle, in search of people, we discovered a
small village of Indians. Some of these had on shirts of civilized
manufacture, but were otherwise naked, and we could understand nothing
from them: they appeared entirely astonished at seeing us.
We made an acorn meal at noon, and hurried on; the valley being gay
with flowers, and some of the banks being absolutely golden with the
Californian poppy, (_eschescholtzia crocea_.) Here the grass was smooth
and green, and the groves very open; the large oaks throwing a broad
shade among sunny spots. Shortly afterwards we gave a shout at the
appearance, on a little bluff, of a neatly-built _adobe_ house, with
glass windows. We rode up, but, to our disappointment, found only
Indians. There was no appearance of cultivation, and we could see no
cattle; and we supposed the place had been abandoned. We now pressed on
more eagerly than ever: the river swept round a large bend to the
right; the hills lowered down entirely; and, gradually entering a broad
valley, we came unexpectedly into a large Indian village, where the
people looked clean, and wore cotton shirts and various other articles
of dress. They immediately crowded around us, and we had the
inexpressible delight to find one who spoke a little indifferent
Spanish, but who at first confounded us by saying there were no whites
in the country; but just then a well-dressed Indian came up, and made
his salutations in very well-spoken Spanish. In answer to our
inquiries, he informed us that we were upon the _Rio de los
Americanos_, (the river of the Americans,) and that it joined the
Sacramento river about ten miles below. Never did a name sound more
sweetly! We felt ourselves among our countrymen; for the name of
_American_, in these distant parts, is applied to the citizens of the
United States. To our eager inquiries he answered, "I am a _vaquero_
(cowherd) in the service of Capt. Sutter, and the people of this
_rancheria_ work for him." Our evident satisfaction made him
communicative; and he went on to say that Capt. Sutter was a very rich
man, and always glad to see his country people. We asked for his house.
He answered, that it was just over the hill before us; and offered, if
we would wait a moment, to take his horse and conduct us to it. We
readily accepted this civil offer. In a short distance we came in sight
of the fort; and, passing on the way the house of a settler on the
opposite side, (a Mr. Sinclair,) we forded the river; and in a few
miles were met, a short distance from the fort, by Capt. Sutter
himself. He gave us a most frank and cordial reception--conducted us
immediately to his residence--and under his hospitable roof we had a
night of rest, enjoyment, and refreshment, which none but ourselves
could appreciate. But the party left in the mountains, with Mr.
Fitzpatrick, were to be attended to; and the next morning, supplied
with fresh horses and provisions, I hurried off to meet them. On the
second day we met, a few miles below the forks of the Rio de los
Americanos; and a more forlorn and pitiable sight than they presented,
cannot well be imagined. They were all on foot--each man, weak and
emaciated, leading a horse or mule as weak and emaciated as themselves.
They had experienced great difficulty in descending the mountains, made
slippery by rains and melting snows, and many horses fell over
precipices, and were killed; and with some were lost the _packs_ they
carried. Among these, was a mule with the plants which we had collected
since leaving Fort Hall, along a line of 2,000 miles' travel. Out of 67
horses and mules, with which we commenced crossing the Sierra, only 33
reached the valley of the Sacramento, and they only in a condition to
be led along. Mr. Fitzpatrick and his party, traveling more slowly, had
been able to make some little exertion at hunting, and had killed a few
deer. The scanty supply was a great relief to them; for several had
been made sick by the strange and unwholesome food which the
preservation of life compelled them to use. We stopped and encamped as
soon as we met; and a repast of good beef, excellent bread, and
delicious salmon, which I had brought along, was their first relief
from the sufferings of the Sierra, and their first introduction to the
luxuries of the Sacramento. It required all our philosophy and
forbearance to prevent _plenty_ from becoming as hurtful to us now, as
_scarcity_ had been before.
The next day, March 8th, we encamped at the junction of the two rivers,
the Sacramento and Americanos; and thus found the whole party in the
beautiful valley of the Sacramento. It was a convenient place for the
camp; and, among other things, was within reach of the wood necessary
to make the pack-saddles, which we should need on our long journey
home, from which we were farther distant now than we were four months
before, when from the Dalles of the Columbia we so cheerfully took up
the homeward line of march.
Captain Sutter emigrated to this country from the western part of
Missouri in 1838-39, and formed the first settlement in the valley, on
a large grant of land which he obtained from the Mexican Government. He
had, at first, some trouble with the Indians; but, by the occasional
exercise of well-timed authority, he has succeeded in converting them
into a peaceable and industrious people. The ditches around his
extensive wheat-fields; the making of the sun-dried bricks, of which
his fort is constructed; the ploughing, harrowing, and other
agricultural operations, are entirely the work of these Indians, for
which they receive a very moderate compensation--principally in shirts,
blankets, and other articles of clothing. In the same manner, on
application to the chief of a village, he readily obtains as many boys
and girls as he has any use for. There were at this time a number of
girls at the fort, in training for a future woolen factory; but they
were now all busily engaged in constantly watering the gardens, which
the unfavorable dryness of the season rendered necessary. The
occasional dryness of some seasons, I understood to be the only
complaint of the settlers in this fertile valley, as it sometimes
renders the crops uncertain. Mr. Sutter was about making arrangements
to irrigate his lands by means of the Rio de los Americanos. He had
this year sown, and altogether by Indian labor, three hundred fanegas
of wheat.
A few years since, the neighboring Russian establishment of Ross, being
about to withdraw from the country, sold to him a large number of
stock, with agricultural and other stores, with a number of pieces of
artillery and other munitions of war; for these, a regular yearly
payment is made in grain.
The fort is a quadrangular _adobe_ structure, mounting twelve pieces of
artillery, (two of them brass,) and capable of admitting a garrison of
a thousand men; this, at present, consists of forty Indians in
uniform--one of whom was always found on duty at the gate. As might
naturally be expected, the pieces are not in very good order. The
whites in the employment of Capt. Sutter, American, French, and German,
amount, perhaps, to thirty men. The inner wall is formed into
buildings, comprising the common quarters, with blacksmith and other
workshops; the dwelling-house, with a large distillery-house, and other
buildings, occupying more the centre of the area.
It is built upon a pond-like stream, at times a running creek
communicating with the Rio de los Americanos, which enters the
Sacramento about two miles below. The latter is here a noble river,
about three hundred yards broad, deep and tranquil, with several
fathoms of water in the channel, and its banks continuously timbered.
There were two vessels belonging to Capt. Sutter at anchor near the
landing--one a large two-masted lighter, and the other a schooner,
which was shortly to proceed on a voyage to Fort Vancouver for a cargo
of goods.
Since his arrival, several other persons, principally Americans, have
established themselves in the valley. Mr. Sinclair, from whom I
experienced much kindness during my stay, is settled a few miles
distant, on the Rio de los Americanos. Mr. Coudrois, a gentleman from
Germany, has established himself on Feather river, and is associated
with Capt. Sutter in agricultural pursuits. Among other improvements,
they are about to introduce the cultivation of rape-seed, (_brassica
rapus_,) which there is every reason to believe is admirably adapted to
the climate and soil. The lowest average produce of wheat, as far as we
can at present know, is thirty-five fanegas for one sown; but, as an
instance of its fertility, it may be mentioned that Señor Valejo
obtained, on a piece of ground where sheep had been pastured, 800
fanegas for eight sown. The produce being different in various places,
a very correct idea cannot be formed.
An impetus was given to the active little population by our arrival, as
we were in want of every thing. Mules, horses, and cattle, were to be
collected; the horse-mill was at work day and night, to make sufficient
flour; the blacksmith's shop was put in requisition for horse-shoes and
bridle-bits; and pack-saddles, ropes, and bridles, and all the other
little equipments of the camp, were again to be provided.
The delay thus occasioned was one of repose and enjoyment, which our
situation required, and, anxious as we were to resume our homeward
journey, was regretted by no one. In the mean time, I had the pleasure
to meet with Mr. Chiles, who was residing at a farm on the other side
of the river Sacramento, while engaged in the selection of a place for
a settlement, for which he had received the necessary grant of land
from the Mexican government.
It will be remembered that we had parted near the frontier of the
states, and that he had subsequently descended the valley of Lewis's
fork, with a party of ten or twelve men, with the intention of crossing
the intermediate mountains to the waters of the Bay of San Francisco.
In the execution of this design, and aided by subsequent information,
he left the Columbia at the mouth of _Malheur_ river, and, making his
way to the head-waters of the Sacramento with a part of his company,
traveled down that river to the settlements of Nueva Helvetia. The
other party, to whom he had committed his wagons, and mill-irons, and
saws, took a course further to the south, and the wagons and their
contents were lost.
On the 22d we made a preparatory move, and encamped near the settlement
of Mr. Sinclair, on the left bank of the Rio de los Americanos. I had
discharged five of the party; Neal, the blacksmith, (an excellent
workman, and an unmarried man, who had done his duty faithfully, and
had been of very great service to me,) desired to remain, as strong
inducements were offered here to mechanics.
Although at considerable inconvenience to myself, his good conduct
induced me to comply with his request; and I obtained for him from
Capt. Sutter, a present compensation of two dollars and a half per
diem, with a promise that it should be increased to five, if he proved
as good a workman as had been represented. He was more particularly an
agricultural blacksmith. The other men were discharged with their own
consent.
While we remained at this place, Derosier, one of our best men, whose
steady good conduct had won my regard, wandered off from the camp, and
never returned to it again, nor has he since been heard of.
24th.--We resumed our journey with an ample stock of provisions and a
large cavalcade of animals, consisting of 130 horses and mules, and
about 30 head of cattle, five of which were milch-cows. Mr. Sutter
furnished us also with an Indian boy, who had been trained as a
_vaquero_, and who would be serviceable in managing our cavalcade,
great part of which were nearly as wild as buffalo, and who was,
besides, very anxious to go along with us. Our direct course home was
east, but the Sierra would force us south, above 500 miles of
traveling, to a pass at the head of the San Joaquin river. This pass,
reported to be good, was discovered by Mr. Joseph Walker, of whom I
have already spoken, and whose name it might therefore appropriately
bear. To reach it, our course lay along the valley of the San
Joaquin--the river on our right, and the lofty wall of the impassable
Sierra on the left. From that pass we were to move southeastwardly,
having the Sierra then on the right, and reach the "_Spanish trail_,"
deviously traced from one watering-place to another, which constituted
the route of the caravans from _Puebla de los Angelos_, near the coast
of the Pacific, to _Santa Fé_ of New Mexico. From the pass to this
trail was 150 miles. Following that trail through a desert, relieved by
some fertile plains indicated by the recurrence of the term _vegas_,
until it turned to the right to cross the Colorado, our course would be
northeast until we regained the latitude we had lost in arriving at
Eutah lake, and thence to the Rocky mountains at the head of the
Arkansas. This course of traveling, forced upon us by the structure of
the country, would occupy a computed distance of 2,000 miles before we
reached the head of the Arkansas--not a settlement to be seen upon
it--and the names of places along it, all being Spanish or Indian,
indicated that it had been but little trod by _American_ feet. Though
long, and not free from hardships, this route presented some points of
attraction, in tracing the Sierra Nevada--turning the Great Basin,
perhaps crossing its rim on the south--completely solving the problem
of any river, except the Colorado, from the Rocky mountains on that
part of our continent--and seeing the southern extremity of the Great
Salt lake, of which the northern part had been examined the year before.
Taking leave of Mr. Sutter, who, with several gentlemen, accompanied us
a few miles on our way, we traveled about 18 miles, and encamped on the
_Rio de los Cosumnes_, a stream receiving its name from the Indians who
live in its valley. Our road was through a level country, admirably
suited to cultivation, and covered with groves of oak-trees,
principally the evergreen-oak, and a large oak already mentioned, in
form like those of the white-oak. The weather, which here, at this
season, can easily be changed from the summer heat of the valley to the
frosty mornings and bright days nearer the mountains, continued
delightful for travelers, but unfavorable to the agriculturists, whose
crops of wheat began to wear a yellow tinge from want of rain.
25th.--We traveled for 28 miles over the same delightful country as
yesterday, and halted in a beautiful bottom at the ford of the _Rio de
los Mukelemnes_, receiving its name from another Indian tribe living on
the river. The bottoms on the stream are broad, rich, and extremely
fertile, and the uplands are shaded with oak groves. A showy _lupinus_,
of extraordinary beauty, growing four to five feet in height, and
covered with spikes in bloom, adorned the banks of the river, and
filled the air with a light and grateful perfume.
On the 26th we halted at the _Arroyo de las Calaveras_, (Skull creek,)
a tributary to the San Joaquin--the previous two streams entering the
bay between the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers. This place is
beautiful, with open groves of oak, and a grassy sward beneath, with
many plants in bloom, some varieties of which seem to love the shade of
the trees, and grow there in close small fields. Near the river, and
replacing the grass, are great quantities of _ammole_, (soap plant,)
the leaves of which are used in California for making, among other
things, mats for saddle-cloths. A vine with a small white flower,
(_melothria?_) called here _la yerba buena_, and which, from its
abundance, gives name to an island and town in the bay, was to-day very
frequent on our road--sometimes running on the ground or climbing the
trees.
27th.--To-day we traveled steadily and rapidly up the valley; for, with
our wild animals, any other gait was impossible, and making about five
miles an hour. During the earlier part of the day, our ride had been
over a very level prairie, or rather a succession of long stretches of
prairie, separated by lines and groves of oak timber, growing along dry
gullies, which are filled with water in seasons of rain; and, perhaps,
also, by the melting snows. Over much of this extent, the vegetation
was sparse; the surface showing plainly the action of water, which, in
the season of flood, the Joaquin spreads over the valley. About one
o'clock we came again among innumerable flowers; and a few miles
further, fields of the beautiful blue-flowering _lupine_, which seems
to love the neighborhood of water, indicated that we were approaching a
stream. We here found this beautiful shrub in thickets, some of them
being 12 feet in height. Occasionally three or four plants were
clustered together, forming a grand bouquet, about 90 feet in
circumference, and 10 feet high; the whole summit covered with spikes
of flowers, the perfume of which is very sweet and grateful. A lover of
natural beauty can imagine with what pleasure we rode among these
flowering groves, which filled the air with a light and delicate
fragrance. We continued our road for about a half a mile, interspersed
through an open grove of live-oaks, which, in form, were the most
symmetrical and beautiful we had yet seen in this country. The ends of
their branches rested on the ground, forming somewhat more than a half
sphere of very full and regular figure, with leaves apparently smaller
than usual.
The Californian poppy, of a rich orange color, was numerous to-day. Elk
and several bands of antelope made their appearance.
Our road was now one continued enjoyment; and it was pleasant riding
among this assemblage of green pastures with varied flowers and
scattered groves, and out of the warm green spring to look at the rocky
and snowy peaks where lately we had suffered so much. Emerging from the
timber, we came suddenly upon the Stanislaus river, where we hoped to
find a ford, but the stream was flowing by, dark and deep, swollen by
the mountain snows; its general breadth was about 50 yards.
We traveled about five miles up the river, and encamped without being
able to find a ford. Here we made a large _coral_, in order to be able
to catch a sufficient number of our wild animals to relieve those
previously packed.
Under the shade of the oaks, along the river, I noticed _erodium
cicutarium_ in bloom, eight or ten inches high. This is the plant which
we had seen the squaws gathering on the Rio de los Americanos. By the
inhabitants of the valley it is highly esteemed for fattening cattle,
which appear to be very fond of it. Here, where the soil begins to be
sandy, it supplies to a considerable extent the want of grass.
Desirous, as far as possible, without delay, to include in our
examination the San Joaquin river, I returned this morning down the
Stanislaus for 17 miles, and again encamped without having found a
fording-place. After following it for eight miles further the next
morning, and finding ourselves in the vicinity of the San Joaquin,
encamped in a handsome oak grove, and, several cattle being killed, we
ferried over our baggage in their skins. Here our Indian boy, who
probably had not much idea of where he was going, and began to be
alarmed at the many streams which we were rapidly putting between him
and the village, deserted.
Thirteen head of cattle took a sudden fright, while we were driving
them across the river, and galloped off. I remained a day in the
endeavor to recover them; but, finding they had taken the trail back to
the fort, let them go without further effort. Here we had several days
of warm and pleasant rain, which doubtless saved the crops below.