58 THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY.—PARTY DISBANDED. 
of it. The course of Hat creek, which enters it at its head, could nowhere be traced, and it is 
probable that it occasionally disappears among the open rocks of the valley, and again reap- 
pears when no longer finding a subterranean passage. Our course continued along the bluff, 
which is broken by deep ravines, and is the same that Mr. Egloffstein encountered in crossing 
to the west from Black Butte creek on the 10th instant, and by which we hoped to reach that 
stream, as it was supposed to be an affluent of Canoe creek, and it was near night when we 
reached the base of the mountains south and west of our former camp on that stream without 
finding it, or, indeed, any but the most trifling amounts of water in springy places; and as the 
country to the north, to the line we followed in our trip to the mouth of Fall river, was over- 
looked by us all day, and we could nowhere discover any indication of a stream, we came to the 
conclusion that, like most of the streams we have seen in these mountains, Black Butte creek 
sinks in some of the grassy plains before reaching the river. We were therefore obliged to turn 
eastward to find a suitable camp, and were soon overtaken by night in a dense forest, obstructed - 
by a thick undergrowth, ledges of rocks, and fallen timber. But I determined, notwithstand- 
ing these difficulties, and that there was no trail—the stars being visible, however, through the 
pines—to proceed to our former camp on Black Butte creek. But as I could not see the ground, 
even when on foot, I owed my determination entirely to the confidence I had in my mule to 
conduct the party safely through. I gave her a loose rein, only occasionally bringing her back 
to the proper course when forced from it by insurmountable obstacles, and the men set up a 
merry song to enable them to follow each other; but it was not until 11 o'clock at night that we 
emerged safely from the forest at our former camp, after a most laborious ride of 35 miles upon 
which we were engaged for fifteen hours. We had failed, however, in finding a route by which 
to descend with a railroad from this point to the mouth of Canoe creek, having traversed a 
rough, broken country, and encountered abrupt descents, which we could s idee no means of 
avoiding. 
From this point we returned to Fort Reading, re-examining the most difficult parts of Noble’s 
Pass to the west, the result of which is embraced in the report already given of that pass, where 
we arrived on di 26th of July, and were kindly received by our friends. Fort Reading is in 
latitude 40° 30/ 02", and by the course of the river about 300 miles from the sea, but only 
200 or 220 by the direct course of the valley, and, as indicated by our barometers, 674 feet above 
it. The valley of the Sacramento is here from ten to fifteen miles wide, but is more or less 
occupied by the foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada on the east, and of the Coast range on the west, 
and these hills occasionally extend in bluffs, of sixty and a hundred feet in height, quite to the 
river banks; but they become much less frequent as we descend, and eventually entirely disap- 
pear near the river, and the valley becomes wider, more open, and level. It is occupied in 
various parts, throughout its whole extent, by extensive farms and flourishing settlements, and 
is well known to be finely adapted to the construction of a railway. 
Having thus connected my line of survey with this valley by the most practicable route, as 
required by your instructions, 1 at once disbanded my party, and reported to you in person, in 
this city, on the 12th of September. 
