FROM THE KINGSTON SPRINGS TO SAN BERNARDINO. 179 



unknown to them and infested with bad Indians, to say noth- 

 ing of grizzlies. Poor fellows! We were powerless to aid 

 them, as we had scarcely enough of provisions to keep us 

 from starvation until our arrival in San Bernardino, and our 

 belts were buckled up to the last hole. 



The Southern Pacific Railroad follows the course of the 

 Mojave — pronounced Mohavey — and reaches the coast by the 

 same pass we went through — the Cajon. Before the descent 

 of this can be made, an elevation of three thousand feet must 

 be reached. This is the only available route through the San 

 Bernardino range of the Sierra Nevada. The Mojave sinks, 

 like many of the desert rivers, near the pass. 



Leaving this stream to our right, we proceeded the next 

 morning over a gradually ascending road, which led to the 

 summit of a precipitous range of hills running parallel to the 

 main Sierra. Along the top of a slanting ridge, whose pre- 

 cipitous sides led down to dangerous defiles, we descended 

 to the head of the Cajon Pass of the Sierra Nevada. This 

 ridge, which we christened the " Devil's Back-bone," arose at 

 an angle of forty-five degrees, and on account of its numerous 

 vertebrae was dangerous to our wagons. The yucca, which 

 had not intruded its disagreeable presence upon us for several 

 days, made its appearance on the surrounding hills, its 

 repulsive form rising to the height of twenty feet, with its 

 white trunk, and leaves like daggers. We encamped after 

 night in the upper end of the Cajon Pass, in a locality badly 

 infested by grizzlies, the whereabouts of which were made 

 manifest by the restlessness of our animals, Avhich were neigh- 

 ing, braying and scampering hither and thither throughout 

 the night. We spent the evening in polishing up the outer 

 man preparatory to again making our entrance to a civilized 

 region and among a civilized people, as ^ve expected to reach 

 San Bernardino the next day. Razors, scissors and soap were 

 freely administered to portions of the human form sadly 

 needing them, and these were soon followed by a change to 



