58 NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY SACRAMENTO VALLEY. 



short march to-day, as it was necessary to repair the pack saddles. "We accordingly travelled 

 only 5.8 miles, through a level, dusty country, and encamped on Feather river. 



j u ly 16. — After travelling over a very dusty, level road bordered by scattered oaks, we 

 encamped at Hamilton. The heat was very oppressive during the day. 



July 17. — The road to-day left Feather river, and struck across a dry, dusty plain, to Niel's 

 rancho, on Butte creek. The phenomenon of mirage was very distinctly seen during the 

 *early part of the march. We crossed Butte creek and Little Butte creek, about three miles beyond 

 it, and encamped on Chico creek. The country was flat and uninteresting. Near camp was 

 a rancheria of Digger Indians. Their huts were partly excavated in the ground, and roofed 

 over with sticks plastered with mud. When we visited them, at about sunset, the women were 

 sitting on top of their houses, engaged in shelling out grain which they had gleaned from the 

 neighboring fields. The men, nearly naked, were congregated in a large hut, gambling. A few 

 burning sticks in the centre of the group threw a flickering light over the scene. The game was 

 played by four men, who were seated in pairs, on opposite sides of the fire, while the background 

 was filled up with eager spectators. Before each party was a pile of straw. One couple continually 

 twisted up, and threw into the air, wisps of this straw, managing at the same time to conceal 

 in it two pieces of white wood or bone. The other couple anxiously watched their movements^ 

 keeping up a monotonous, guttural cry. Whenever they thought they had detected the locality 

 of the sticks, they clapped their hands violently, and their rivals immediately shook open the 

 suspected wisp. If the sticks were there, the successful guessers received them, and began in 

 their turn to throw them up ; if not, the first couple continued. The excitement occasioned 

 by this simple game was intense. The perspiration poured in streams down the naked bodies 

 of the players, and their eyes glared in the dim fire-light like those of demons. Their voices 

 were so hoarse as to be hardly articulate, and yet they kept on, without a moment's cessation. 

 They might well be excited, for, as I was informed, they stake everything, even their women 

 and children, on the result of the game. 



July 18. — To-day the road lay mostly over dusty plains, destitute of timber. Dry gullies, 

 which in the rainy season are undoubtedly the beds of streams of considerable size, were 

 numerous. We encamped on Deer creek. During the evening quite an excitement was 

 created by the report that a grizzly bear was in the bushes near us ; but the monster proved to 

 be only a burnt log. Grizzly bears are sometimes found in this part of the valley. 



July 19. — We travelled over a slightly undulating country to Antelope creek, where we 

 encamped. The road crossed several places where there were sudden descents, of about twenty 

 feet, from a plateau to a lower level ; and, in distances varying from a few yards to half a 

 mile, corresponding ascents again. These places did not resemble the beds of creeks. There 

 was but little timber near the road during most of the day's march. 



July 20. — This morning Lieut. Williamson gave me instructions to cross the Sacramento 

 river, at Ked Bluffs, with the instrument cart, and follow the ordinary route to Fort Beading ; 

 while he proceeded with the main party to examine the eastern bank. This I did, without any 

 incident worthy of note. The country, which was slightly undulating, and occasionally timbered, 

 differed in no important particulars from the portion of the valley traversed during the last few 

 days by the main party. The following description of Lieut. Williamson's route to the Fort 

 is compiled from his note book. 



"After following a road over the hills, for about ten miles, this morning, we discovered that 

 it led to a pinery among the mountains. We, therefore, turned nearly at right angles to our 



