MUD-CREEK. 91 



time by land. The Commissioner, nineteen men, 

 and thirty- two laden mules, complete our party ; 

 the others, with some heavy baggage, are gone 

 by the steamer, to await our arrival. We cross 

 the Fall-River on a very creditable wooden 

 bridge, for which the modest sum of half a dollar, 

 (two shillings) was demanded for each animal, 

 packed or ridden. (This bridge, soon after, was 

 completely swept away by a heavy flood.) 

 Thirty-four bullocks, driven by two mounted 

 herders, formed a kind of rearguard. 



We made a twenty-mile march, and camped at 

 Mud Creek a dismal place, with little or no 

 wood, and very bad water. 



When tents are used, getting away in the 

 morning is always a tedious process; we start 

 about seven o'clock. For some distance we wind 

 through a series of rounded hills, covered thickly 

 with 'bunch-grass,' a most nutritious herbage; the 

 grass grows in tufts hence the name. Not a 

 shrub to be seen neither bird nor beast. De- 

 scend a basaltic gorge, like an immense canal cut 

 in the solid rock, and come suddenly on a swift 

 stream, named John Day's river ; this we ferried 

 in a kind of scow, hauled from side to side by a 

 rope. Again we had to pay two shillings a head 

 for mules and horses ; the bullocks swam it. 



