142 THE SIERRA NEVADA. 



north, and is called Sacramento. Towards 

 noon, after we had ascended it some miles, a 

 violent contrary wind forced us ashore; latitude 



The wind increasing every moment in strength, 

 we were obliged to give up for this day all 

 thoughts of making farther progress ; and re- 

 solving to pass the night here, pitched our tents 

 in a pleasant meadow on the west side of the 

 river. I then climbed a hill, to enjoy a more 

 extensive prospect; and observed that the 

 country to the west swelled into hills of a mo- 

 derate height, besprinkled with trees growing 

 singly. In the east and south-east the horizon 

 was bounded by icy mountains, the Sierra Ne- 

 vada, part of the immense chain which divides 

 America from north to south : they appeared 

 to be covered more than half-way down with 

 ice and snow. The distance of these moun- 

 tains from my present station could not be less 

 than forty miles. Between them and the river 

 the country is low, flat, thickly wooded, and 

 crossed by an infinite number of streams, which 

 divide the whole of it into islands. We had 

 not yet met a single Indian ; but the columns 



