KEPORT AND JOURNAL, ih 



yourself passing along the north side of the South Fork of the American River, and a 



more roaring, rushing, cataract mountain-stream I never beheld. Indeed, the views 

 along this stream, and at the Slippery Ford, are superbly magnificent. The mountain! 

 at Slippery Ford, 6 miles from Johnston's Pass, are a mass of granite from bottom to 

 top. Major Dodge and myself would ever and anon stop to contemplate and discourse 

 upon the beauty of the prospect. Indeed, my ride to-day can never be effaced from 

 my mind. 



Mr. Thompson showed me stumps, or broken-off trees, that he looked down upon 

 last winter and spring when he carried the mail across the mountains on snow-shoes. 

 This corroborates his statement that the depth was as much as 10 feet. He said he 

 found a man in Lake Valley, last winter, that for l'J days had remained at one spot, 

 not able to move on account of his feet having become frozen. All this time he lived 

 on a little flour. 



At half-past 5 reach Barry's, where we stop for the night; by the way we have 

 come (Daggett's trail) 33 miles from Genoa. Judge Child, of Genoa, and Mr. 

 Thompson, also put up here. The soil, after crossing First range of the Sierra, is 

 generally of a reddish hue, and is a sort of arenaceous loam. The valley of the South 

 Fork of the American below Slippery Ford is called Strawberry Valley, on account of 

 its being prolific of this fruit. 



Mr. Thompson showed me how he walked on his snow-shoes last winter. They 

 are smooth pieces of board from 6 to 8 feet long, (3 inches broad at forepart, 4 at 

 middle, and less at ends, the forepart slightly turned up like a sleigh-runner. A little 

 in front of the middle portion a strap or thong is nailed across, in which he slips his 

 toes, then there is a cleat nailed across, against which the heel of his shoe strikes or 

 pushes. He then gently lifts the shoe, and at the same time pushing it along with his 

 foot, causes himself to slide first with one shoe and then with- the other. He has at the 

 same time a stick against which, as he goes down hill, he supports himself, and wdiich 

 he uses also as a break. He says he has a standing bet with any one that, let him 

 select his ground along a side-hill, he will travel a mile a minute ; that he sometimes 

 passes over precipices of 10 feet, and would land at a distance of 20 feet, and still 

 stand upright. When a child in Norway he used, with other boys, to practice this kind 

 of leap, and thus made himself an expert. 



I notice that the telegraph-line along the road over the mountains is, in many 

 instances, supported by living trees as posts. Also noticed a number of coils of wire 

 lying along the road, which are intended to be used in extending it from Genoa toward 

 Camp Floyd and Great Salt Lake City. 



June 14, Barry's, on South Fork of American Hirer, Sierra Nevada.— Bunks erected 

 for travelers at this stopping-place, and blankets and comforters for bed-clothes. The 

 luxury of sheets not yet gone into. House of split clapboards, and quite rude, but 

 yet a fair mountain-house in a new country, and table quite good. 



Renewed journey at 10 minutes before 6. Met a four-horse comfortable-looking 

 stage going over to Genoa, to run between that place and the new gold-mines on the 

 Rio Ida, the East Fork of Walker's River, 90 miles from Genoa. These placers were dis- 

 covered in the fall of 1858, and are pronounced very rich. The gold is said to be 



