142 A CALIFOKNIA TRAMP. 



which threw a bright glare over all, and boisterously deliberat- 

 ing on "affairs of great pith and moment." The fact of our 

 being on the culminating point of the ridge dividing the 

 waters flowing into the Pacific from those losing themselves 

 in the Great Basin, was enough to make our camp interesting, 

 while the rugged mountains surrounding us, and the idea of 

 having cast ourselves loose from the bonds of civilization to 

 traverse a region remarkable for its physical features, and the 

 dangers which await the traveler from Indian attack while 

 traversing it, added additional interest to the scene. 



I awoke in the morning with a rather peculiar sensation of 

 moisture about my face, and, upon opening my eyes, I was 

 made aware of the disagreeable fact that a snow-storm was 

 raging above us and robing the face of nature, as well as my 

 own, with a mantle of white. The blankets and heads of our 

 party were covered also, and it was amusing to see the sleepers 

 as they awoke from their heavy slumbers (so heavy that they 

 were unaware that Dame Nature in her generosity was furnish- 

 ing them with an additional coverlet) and brushed the spongy 

 element from their eyes, preparatory to gazing upon the outer 

 world. It was not a very agreeable predicament to be in, but 

 we philosophically arose and shook the accumulated snow from 

 our blankets, and stowing them in our wagons, we were 

 soon absorbed in our breakfast-cooking operations — operations 

 which were carried on in the face of great difficulties, for the 

 fast falling snow, which was accompanied by rain, had a great 

 tendency to extinguish our fires, and consequently our pa- 

 tience. We were detained until near noon by the storm and 

 the difficulty in finding our animals, which had scattered over 

 the neighboring hills, but we at last got under way and com- 

 menced our descent of the "Rim of the Basin." Passing down 

 a rough road, particularly dangerous to the wagons on account 

 of the numerous "jump-offs" we encountered, we at last 

 reached the head waters of the Santa Clara, a stream flowing 



