HUMBOLDT RIVER, CARSON LAKE, AND OWENS RIVER AND LAKE. 485 



by gullies. The weather is warm like spring, the young grass and some few (towers 

 just nutting forth. Notice a small blue flower particularly verv abundant. 



Crossing several small streams that find their way into the'great Tulare Lake, we 

 encamped, on the evening of the 26th of January, on a fine bold stream.* The whole 

 country is well watered, and capable of high cultivation. Oaks and willows in 

 abundance. The river f heads in the Sierra Nevada, running in a west, a little south, 

 and then in a southerly direction. Walker thinking to make a cut-off at the bend, we 

 were obliged to spend a most uncomfortable night at some holes of water, amid a storm 

 of cold rain, with no fuel save a few willows. 



January 28. — After searching in vain for the river, we camped, at 1) o'clock at 

 night, among the foot-hills of the Coast range, without grass, water, or fire, having 

 traveled through immense fields of old tule, the horses sinking at almost every step as 

 deep as their bellies; having to be hauled out only to sink again, owimr to the loose 

 rotten soil. This has been the most tedious day we have had since we entered the 

 valley, and particularly trying to our animals in their present weak state. Cloudy and 

 rainy all day. 



January 29. — Leaving our miserable camp of last night early this morning, we 

 struck a northerly course, passing a large dry creek timbered with cottonwood, over 

 a plain destitute of vegetation (the grass and shrubbery having been destroyed by the 

 wild horses), we made camp on a large slough. J Manuel, to-day, killed a fat wild 

 horse — as acceptable a thing as could have happened, as we were out of meat, and had 

 been so for two days. / 



January 30. — Continuing down the slough for four or five miles, we struck a bold 

 stream — the San Joaquin. It is heavily timbered with Oak and willow. Wild horses 

 and elk begin to show themselves. 



February 1. — Jim Connor and Wetowa (two Delawares) tracked a large grizzly 

 bear to his thicket. The wdiole camp prepared themselves for the attack: after 

 much difficulty, he was killed. This animal was one of the largest size; he must have 

 weighed at least 900 pounds. This acquisition to our larder enlivened the spirits of 

 the men, and mirth abounded at the various camp-fires that night ; the song and joke, 

 the accompaniments of plenty in the wilderness, could be heard everywhere. 



Continuing up the valley toward Suter's fort, on the 6th we arrived and made 

 camp on the Calaveras, a tributary of the San Joaquin. Messrs. Fabbol and Walker 

 started on ahead to hear if they could obtain any tidings of Captain Fremont. They 

 returned again in the evening in company with Big Fallen, an old mountaineer, known 

 more commonly by the sobriquet of "Le Gros." From him we learned that the cap- 

 tain was at the pueblo of San Jose* with the rest of his camp. The next morning 

 Fallen and Walker started for the pueblo to give him intelligence of our whereabouts, 

 while we would return to the crossing of the San Joaquin to await further orders. 

 Yesterday Jim Secondi (a Delaware) killed another bear, the counterpart of the one 

 killed on the 1st instant. 



* The Eio Reyes, or Lake Fork. 



t Walker mistook this river for the South Fork of the San Joaquin. 



t This slough, at high water, connects the waters of the San Joaquin with the great Tulare Lake. 



