4S4 EXPLORATIONS ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN OF UTAH. 



visions have entirely tailed: save the few remaining horses of our cavallada, there 

 was not much prospect of obtaining fresh supplies. To have killed these would have 

 been to deprive us of the means of transportation of our effects and the results of the 

 expedition, in case we are not joined by Captain Fremont in this place. A party of 

 Indiana visited our camp, from whom we traded a colt. The hunters brought in a few 

 smah deer, the meat extremely poor. A small piece of vension, with as much cold 

 water as one could drink, furnished breakfast, dinner, and supper in one. We became 

 reduced to acorns, and on this swinish food made our New-Year's feast This forms 

 the principal food of the natives, here and in the valley. Our camp is situated in a 

 beautiful valley, about six miles in length, and well-timbered with pine, cedars, and 

 cottnnwood, while the mountains which surround it are of the usual growth of the Sierra, 

 the majestic redwood, etc. The river is a bold stream, coming from the, northeast. 

 The Indians inhabiting this region are of the most degraded class, entirely naked, and 

 with scarcely a snthciency of food to sustain life. I was amused at coming suddenly 

 on a halt a dozen of these characters; being armed, they, probably having a dread of 

 pistols, immediately commenced crossing themselves in the most devout manner, at 

 the same time muttering- "Christiano, Christiano," the probable extent of their Spanish, 

 hoping to avert any evil intent we might have had toward them. 



Since leaving \\ alker's Lake we have traveled through a country having a few 

 pretty spots, but tor the most part a sandy waste, broken by short chains and isolated 

 mountains. Bunch-grass is found among most of the sand-hills. Water, save in the 

 rivers, is not to be had in anything like a sufficiency. Pifion and willow are the prin- 

 cipal timbers. From our camp of December 26, toward the south, as far as the eye 

 could reach, lay a continued plain of sand, relieved only by an occasional hill of 

 burnt rock rearing itself above the level, adding, if possible, to the desolation of the 

 scene, with no game, save now and then a hare, and perchance a stray goat 

 Lizards are here in abundance, and form the principal food of the hungry natives. 

 At our camp the weather has been extremely fine, warm, and sunshine. On the 13th 

 of January there was a severe storm of snow and sleet; a shower followed that soon 

 removed all appearance ot winter from the valley, but the mountains retained this, 

 their first winter covering. ' 



January 18, lS4fi.— Raised camp and traveled about five miles into the mountains, 

 stopping for the night at the hunters cam!), in a pretty valley; snow about two feet 

 deep. An abundance of the most beautiful timber, live-oak, pine, redwood, &c. 



January 19.-To-day we reached the summit ; snow 2J feet deep. From here we 

 had the first view of the much-wished-for Valley of California. It lay beneath us 

 bnght in the sunshine, gay and green, while about us everything was clothed in the 

 chilly garb of winter. 



On the 21st January we reached the valley ; our descent was rough and broken ; 

 the mountain well watered and densely timbered. Among the foot-hills are beautiful 

 groves of live and other oaks, clear from growth of underwood; the fine grass gives 

 the country the appearance of a well-kept park. We passed two Indian villages ; the 

 huts were built of tule or bulrush. The men entirely naked; the only covering the 

 women possessed was a kind of petticoat made of tule. The country is much cut up 



