JOHN C. FREMONT. 197 



say Fremont and his men, that they have ever 

 passed. At sunset the party stopped to sup with 

 the friendly Captain Dana, and at nine at night San 

 Luis Obispo was reached, the home of Don Jesus, 

 and where an affecting reception awaited Lieutenant- 

 Colonel Fremont, in consequence of an incident 

 which occurred there that history will one day 



i 



record ; and he was detained till ten o'clock in the 

 morning, receiving the visits of the inhabitants, 

 (mothers and children included,) taking a breakfast 

 of honor, and waiting for a relief of fresh horses to 

 be brought in from the surrounding country. Here 

 the nine horses from Los Angeles were left and 



o 



eight others taken in their place, and a Spanish boy 

 added to the party to assist in managing the loose 

 horses. 



"Proceeding at the usual gait till eight at night, 

 and having made some seventy miles, Don Jesus, 

 who had spent the night before with his family and 

 friends, and probably with but little sleep, became 

 fatigued, and proposed a halt for a few hours. It 

 was in the valley of the Salinas ('salt river,' called 

 Buena Ventura in the old maps) and the haunt of 

 marauding Indians. For safety during their repose 

 the party turned off the trace, issued through a 

 canon into a thick wood, and lay down, the horses 

 being put to grass at a short distance, with the 



17* 



