464 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



limestone formations, were found, and all the usual curiosities of a lime- 

 stone cave ; but what surprised all of us most was the discovery of sev- 

 eral bones, partly coated with a limstone petrifaction. Whether they 

 were human bones or otherwise we could not tell, but no one could 

 help reflecting on the awful death that the creature, whether man or 

 beast, to whom the bones belonged, must have endured, under the com- 

 bined horrors of solitude, darkness, thirst, and starvation ; nor could 

 we help indulging in curious, though profitless, speculations as to the 

 circumstances which led this hapless creature on to its terrible end. 

 After spending about an hour and a half in exploring the cave, without 

 finding an outlet, the explorers cut the letters U. S. F. 0. in the rock, and 

 filled a sack with the curiosities they had collected, which was fastened to 

 the end of a rope, and pulled up by those outside. Then commenced the 

 difficult and dangerous ascent. All three reached the top safely, though 

 nearly exhausted ; and, after retracing our steps to where we could once 

 more see the welcome light of day, the party cheered the explorers, 

 fired a salute, and returned to the camp. 



The recreations in summer evenings usually consisted in boxing, 

 wrestling, running, jumping, bathing, and target-shooting with rifles, 

 revolvers, or Indian bows and arrows, and other similar outdoor amuse- 

 ments. Occasionally a gold-fever would strike the camp, and parties 

 would hunt for gold around the house, but never with any paying re- 

 turns, though considerable gold-dust was collected altogether. 



Our table this year was well supplied. Possibly relying upon the 

 general protection afforded by the presence of so many white men at our 

 camp, one of the neighboring ranchmen did what had never been at- 

 tempted before on the McCloud, namely, to drive a flock of sheep into the 

 Indian country on the east side of the river. Hitherto this land had 

 always been given up to the Indians for pasture for their horses, and 

 when the sheep came, destroying every blade of grass, and leaving a 

 desolate waste for their horses, the Indians resented it, as well they 

 might. It certainly seemed cruel in the extreme, but, agreeably to the 

 maxim that there is no great loss without some small gain, our camp 

 was kept in capital mutton (it has not its superior in the world) from 

 the sheep which brought such calamity upon the original owners of the 

 soil. Besides the mutton, which was regarded as the principal luxury 

 of our table, we had for fresh meats, venison, and occasionally, but not 

 often, beef; and for cured meat, ham and bacon. Salmon and trout, 

 of course, we had in abundance, and they were, each in its season, ex- 

 cellent. Of fresh vegetables, we had potatoes, onions, and tomatoes in 

 abundance, with some turnips, green corn, and string beans. Baked 

 beans were on the table at every meal. 



The camp was kept well supplied with fruit, especially grapes, apples, 

 and peaches, through the kindness of one of our neighbors, Mr. Clinton 

 Johnson, who would take no return for his generous supplies, except 



