244 ELDORADO 



his comrades, who had been left there the preceding 

 year, started towards the Columbia. The winter was 

 now upon them in all its fury, and after several inef- 

 fectual attempts to cross the snow-clad Sierras north 

 of them, they gave up in despair, and returned once 

 more to the valley, having suffered terribly. 



After spending a short time at their old post on the 

 American river, above the present site of Sacramento 

 city, they determined to seek other quarters further 

 south, where game was plentiful, and finally located 

 their camp a few miles east of the Bay of San Fran- 

 cisco. The Jesuit Fathers being greatly alarmed at 

 the proximity of these hercticas Americanos to their 

 Indian flocks, sent a messenger to demand the 

 cause of their presence. Reduced to the most desper- 

 ate extremities, almost naked, and destitute of any pro- 

 vision, except the flesh of such game as they might 

 be able to kill. Smith sent the following letter to 

 Father Duran.then in charge of the Mission Santa 

 Clara : 



"Reverend Father: — I understand, through the me- 

 dium of one of your Christian Indians, that you are 

 anxious to know who we are, as some of the Indians 

 have been at the Mission and informed you that there 

 were certain white people in the country. We are 

 Americans, on our journev to the River Columbia. 

 We were at the Mission San Gabriel in Januarv last. 

 T went to San Diego and saw the General, and got a 

 passport from him to pass on to that place. T have 

 made several attempts to cross the mountains, but the 

 snows being so deep, I could not succeed in gettinp- 

 over. T returned to this place fit being the point to 



