Ex. Doc. No. 41. 105 



cation of the elevation of the range^ and^ incleedj the barometric 

 reading was hut an indifferent index of the height of the pass, as 

 the day was stormy. We are still to look for the glowing pictures 

 drawn of California. As yet, barrenness and desolation hold their 

 reign. We longed to stumble upon the rancherias, with their flocks 

 of fat sheep and cattle. Meat of horses, may be very palatable 

 when fat, but ours are poor and tough, and it is hard to satisfy the 

 cravings of hunger with such indifferent food. 



Early in the day's march, w^e met tw^o Indians, a man and wo- 

 man; they could give us no information of what was passing on the 

 western side of the mountains. They continued on with the ut- 

 most indifference, exhibiting no signs of fear or astonishment at this 

 sudden apparition of ragged blue-coats. They had fine athletic 

 figures, but were prematurely wrinkled from poverty and exposure 

 to cold. 



December 2 and 3, — We commenced to ascend another ^^divide," 

 ^nd as we approached the summit the narrow valley leading to it 

 '^as covered with timber and long grass- On both sides, the ever- 

 green oak grew luxuriantly, and, for the first time since leaving the 

 states, we saw what would even there be called large trees- 

 Emerging from these, we s?tw in the distance the beautiful valley 

 of the Aqua Caliente, waving with yellow grass, where we expect- 

 ed to find the rancheria owned by an American named Warner. 



As we passed, crows and wolves were seen in numbers. 



Leaving the valley, we ascended the hills to the north covered 

 '^ith mezquite, estafiat, &c. Our progress w-as slow and painful; 

 ■^e thought Warner's rancheria never would open on our eager 

 sight, when suddenly it burst upon our view at the foot of the hill. 

 ^* e were mistaken for Indians, and soon were seen horsemen at 

 lull speed, leading off cattle and horses to the mountains. We 

 Jiuickened our pace to arrest this proceeding. The rancheria was 

 ^charge of a young fellow from New Hampshire, named Marshall, 

 j^e ascertained from him, that his employer was a prisoner to the 

 Americans in San Diego, that the Mexicans were still in possession 

 Jjthe whole of the country except that port, San Francisco, and- 

 Monterey; that we were near the heart of the enemy's stronghold, 

 whence he drew his supplies of men, cattle and horses, and that 

 ^^ were now in possession of the great pass to Senora, by which 

 ^^ expected to retreat, if defeated, to send his prisoners if success- 

 ^|o and to commmnnicate with Mexico. 



Ao appease hunsrer, how^ever, \vas the first consideration. Seven 



ot - o ? 7 . _ 



^y men eat, at one single m,eal, a fat full grown sheep. Our 

 camp ^as pitched on the road to the Pueblo, leading a little north 

 J*t West. To the south, dow^n the valley of the Aqua Caliente, lay 

 ^ road to San Diego. Above us w^as Mr. Warner's backwoods, 



inerican looking house, built of adobe and covered with a thatched 



^f- Around, were the thatched huts of the more than half naked 



^dians, who are held in a sort of serfdom by the master of the 



^ncheria. I visited one or two of these huts, and found the in- 



Jl^ates living in great poverty. The thermometer was at 30% they 



^d no fires, and no coverings but sheepskins. They told me, that 



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