434 HISTORY OP CALIFORNIA. 



that river and of the Tuolumne. These washings or 

 diggings have been among the richest and most pro 

 ductive* in California. 



They are situated within a circuit of some twelve 

 or fifteen miles, and are known as Jamestown, Wood's 

 Creek, Sonoranian Camp, Sullivan's Creek, Curtis's 

 Creek, French Creek, Carson's Creek, and Aiigelo 

 Creek. Some of these have become places of consi 

 derable business, particularly the Sonoranian Camp, 

 which presents the appearance of a city of canvas houses. 



Passing the Stanislaus River in the mountains, we 

 proceeded to Major Kingsbury's camp near the mouth 

 of the American River, crossing in our route the 

 Calaveras, Moquelume, Seco, and Cosumnes Rivers; 

 all of which have rich washings near their sources, 

 and on their bars and islands. From Major Kings 

 bury's camp we ascended the American River to Cul- 

 lamo Hills, where the first placer was discovered by 

 Captain Sutter's employees in the spring of 1848. 

 From Cullamo we crossed the country to Stockton, a 

 new town on an estero some distance above the mouth 

 of the San Joaquin, and thence proceeded to Colonel 

 Cazey's camp at the straits of Carquinnes ; returning 

 via San Francisco to Monterey, which place we 

 reached on the afternoon of the 9th instant. 



We found the country at this season dry and 

 parched by the sun, the heat of which became very 

 great the moment we crossed the coast range of moun 

 tains. The thermometer ranges as high as 113 Fah. 

 in the shade, and above 140 Fah. in tlie sun. A 

 great portion of the valley of the Joaquin is so barren 

 as scarcely to afford subsistence for our animals, and 

 can never be of much value for agricultural purposes. 

 There, however, is, some excellent land on the east 



