154 
yo be able to catch a sufficient number of | 
our wild animals to relieve those previously 
| “Under the shade of the oaks, along the 
oticed erodium 
| river, I noti cicutarium in bloom 
i or inches high. This is the plant 
\ which we had seen the squaws gathering on 
\ the Ri los Americanos. Byt abit 
ants of the valley, it is psd — bow 
fattening » whi 
fond of it. Here, where ae soil begins es 
be ae it _— to a considerable extent 
the want of 
ar as ene without delay, 
to include in anne on the San Jo 
quin river, this —- down the 
Stanislaus foc 17 17 miles, an i 
fo 
ing ourselves in the vicinity 
| jan Joaquin, encamped in a hand- 
i e oak grove, and, several cattle being 
| Killed, we ferried over our in their 
- Here our Indian boy, who probably 
: had not _— idea of where he was going, 
' and began to be alarmed at the many streams 
which we were rapidly putting between him 
and the v wre _ 
hi oe took a sudden 
ing them across 
them go without — effort. 
Here we had several days of warm and plea- 
sant rain, which doubtless fated the crops 
On ae Ist of April, we made 10 miles 
without timber, when we 
mal life ; and now, it is chdiaen with bands 
of elk and wild wild horses ; and along the rivers 
are frequent fres tracks of | grizz ly bear, 
which are ethan numerous in this coun- 
try. 
Our route had been along the timber of the 
San Joaquin, generally about 8 miles distant, 
rie. 
bands of elk seen to-day, 
there were about 200; but the —_ rs 
both of these and wild horses, are nerally 
Sema on the other side of the river, which, 
- that had 
CAPT. FREMONT’S NARRATIVE. 
pire 
oom, | ing a boat, and ferrying ou 
[1844 
sance the numerous streams which ron down 
aos - etre decided me to travel up the 
The e day was atl in build- 
r baggage across 
bank. 
the river; and we enca 
A large fishing eagle, with 
- | tail, ag slowly sailing along, looking after 
salmon ; and there were some 
the a ig with partridges. 
innumerable in the neig hborhood 
struck wit 
ealing g n the prairie ; 
orseman would ride by > hen 30 y: 
without eee them 
A —To-day we touched several 
times ihe “San Joaquin river—here a fine- 
lookin 
i 
ks, where steep, 
were a res of sandy clay 5 ; its average wi 
appeared to be about e ighty yards. In the 
bottoms are frequent ponds, where our ap- 
proach disturbed multitndes of wild fowl, 
Cen g stream, about five 
eis from its ara On the e prairie border- 
ing the San Joaquin bottoms, te oceu 
during the day ne little gras in i 
lace was a and wth of 
ae the eat beng rear re _— bare 
and hi!‘ocks, much of 
riant vegeta- 
ped was ak abana of | 
grass and pea y 
The foliage of 1 the oak is getting Garett 
that the pi = 
everything, exce 
; a pes: a a 
little cool, shows that 
vancing ; and are we 
ae 
4.—Commenced to rain at da ligt’ 
but ie off brightly at sunrise. 
the river without any difficulty, oe ne 
tinued u San J Elk bgt run 
reached tas river 
Here the country 
trees have entirely 
. att ‘are replaced : 
ual to it in 7 By 
Five ie about a hundred set in 
branching “eer interspe’ 
At this it appears § 
«ata but its mB 
