128 ELDORADO 



by a grove of young pines just below the timber 

 line. Here we camped for the night. Making an early 

 start in the morning we continued our course, follow- 

 ing a little stream that flowed from the lake, soon 

 reaching the head of a rocky, thickly wooded canyon, 

 where all trace of our trail suddenly disappeared ; it 

 very likely having been made by Indians, prospectors 

 or bears. 



In making the descent into the canyon we were com- 

 pelled to steady our animals down the smooth and 

 shelving declivity of rocks, their feet long since having 

 become well worn and shoeless. Looking back we de- 

 clared if we were obliged to retrace our steps they 

 could not make the ascent up the steep incline. We 

 continued down the stream that was constantly becom- 

 ing enlarged by melting snows and flowing springs. 

 We learned later that this was the source of the Ameri- 

 can river, on which gold was discovered in 1848. 



After continuing a short distance further down the 

 canyon to where the sides began to be steep and high 

 and trending to the north, we decided our wisest and 

 safest course was to turn due south, the direction in 

 which we knew the main course of travel lay. Ac- 

 cordingly, with much difficulty on leaving the stream 

 we climbed to the more elevated open pine timber and 

 made our camp for the night just as the sun was dis- 

 appearing in the west. We had filled our canteens be- 

 fore leaving the canyon, but no water and but littk 

 grass could be had for our horses that night. The fol- 

 lowing morning we pursued a southerly course, travel- 

 ing through a forest of magnificent pine and redwood 

 of wonderful size and height, and as straight as the 

 mast of a ship. 



