ELDORADO 211 



an independent country, with Pio Pico governor and 

 Castro general in chief. 



The third American expedition directed by Con- 

 gress, was under John C. Fremont, who started in the 

 early part of 1845, across the plans and the Rocky 

 Mountains to the Pacific with instructions to find the 

 best route to the mouth of the Columbia River. After 

 a most hazardous journey, he arrived — with his faithful 

 guide and escort, Kit Carson, and his men (six of 

 whom were Delaware Indians), the whole company 

 consisting of sixty-two men — within a hvmdred miles 

 of Monterey, where he halted and proceded in person 

 to the headquarters of General Castro, then in charge 

 of the territory. His object was to obtain for himself 

 and company a pass to go to the San Joaquin valley, 

 where hunting and pasture were abundant. He re- 

 ceived a verbal promise from the general that it would 

 be all right to go where he desired, and that on his word 

 of honor as a soldier he would not be molested. Three 

 days after Fremont's departure, General Castro raised 

 an army of three hundred native Californians, and sent 

 a dispatch to Fremont, notifying him to quit the coun- 

 try at once else he would march upon him and "put to 

 death his whole company." This treachery did not 

 surprise or frighten Fremont, who replied that he 

 would leave whenever he was ready and not before. 

 •He prepared for action by entrenching himself on 

 what was known as "Hank's Peak," about thirty miles 

 from Monterey, overlooking that city, where he raised 

 ihe American flag. The whole company was well 

 armed, each having a knife, a tomahawk, Iwo pis- 



