HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 217 



principal overland route to California, and have fol- 

 lowed the trail of the emigrant over all the difficul- 

 ties and obstacles which present themselves upon the 

 route. That there are portions of the journey which 

 are productive of considerable suffering, and which 

 demand stout hearts and strong constitutions to meet 

 them, is not to be doubted. But they are few com- 

 pared with the dangers to be encountered by deviat- 

 ing from the particular trail whose course we have 

 followed. The want of water is the principal source 

 of annoyance towards the lake part of the route, but 

 this occurs in few places. The longest distance to be 

 travelled without finding water, is about forty-five 

 miles — from the " Sink" of Mary's River to Truckee 

 River, and this may be prepared for. It is a matter 

 of great importance, that the delay upon the route 

 should be as little as possible. Great suffering and 

 many deaths have been caused by delaying too long 

 at different camping places. It should be made an 

 urgent duty to get over as much ground every day as 

 possible, and to keep in the old trail. 



The overland route which we have sketched, and 

 the route by way of Chagres and Panama, are the two 

 routes by which most of the California emigrations had 

 proceeded ; but there are others projected, and some 

 have been followed. Many persons have proceeded to 

 California through Mexico ; but the difficulty and 

 delay in the matter of passports, and the opposition 

 of the Mexicans to armed parties of another country 

 passing their territory, must prove w r eighty objections 

 to any such route. Another has been projected, and 

 will probably be opened. It is a route across the ter- 

 ritory of Nicaragua, in Central America. This will 

 be the shortest and most convenient route to the gold 



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