iil 
219 c1v4 7 
seeds and roots. Although this wasa time of the year when the fish have: 
not yet become fat, they were excellent, and we could only imagine what 
they are at the proper season. ese Indians were very fat, and appeared 
to live an easy and happy life. They crowded into the camp more than 
was consistent with our safety, retaining always their arms; and, as they 
made some unsatisfactory demonstrations, they were given to understand ; 
that they would not be permitted to come armed into the camp ; and strong 
guards were kept with the horses. Strict vigilance was maintained among 
the people, and one-third at a time were kept on guard during the night. 
There is no reason to doubt that these dispositions, uniformly preserved, 
conducted our party securely through Indians famed for treachery. 
In ane mean time, such a salmon-trout feast as is seldom seen was going 
on in our camp; and every variety of manner in which fish could be pre- 
Ms age iried, and roasted in the ashes—was put into requisition ; 
and every few minutes an Indian would be seen running off to spear a 
fresh one. Whether these Indians had seen whites before, we could not 
be certain; but they were evidently in communication with others who 
had, as one of them had some brass buttons, and we noticed several other 
articles of civilized manufacture. We could obtain from them but little 
information respecting the country. Th ey made on the ground a drawin 
of the river, which they represented as issuing from another lake in the 
mountains three or four days distant, in a direction a little west of south; 
beyond which, they drew a mountain ; and further still, two rivers ; on one 
of which they told us that people like ourselves travelled. Whether they 
alluded to the settlements on the Sacramento, or to a party from the Unit- 
ed States which had crossed the Sierra about three degrees to the south- 
ward, a few years since, I am unable te determine. 
tried unsuccessfully to prevail on some of them to guide us for a eine 
days on the road, but they only looked at each other and laughe 
The latitude of our encampment, which may be considered the mouth 
of the inlet, is 39° 51' 13” by our observations. 
tifat stream, which we naturally called the Salmon Trout river. Lar, 
trails led up on either side ; the stream was handsomely timbered with large 
cottonwoods ; and the waters were very clear and pure. We were travelling 
er 
number of dams which the Indians had constructed to catch fish. After, 
having made about 18 miles, we encamped under some large cottonwoods 
on the river bottom, where there was tolerabl ass. 
January 17.—This morning we left the river, which here issues from the 
mountains on the west. With every stream I now expected to see the great 
uenaventura; and Carson hurried eagerly to search, on every one we 
reached, for beaver cuttings, which he always maintained we should find 
only on waters that ran to the Pacifie ; and the absence of such signs was” 
to him a sure indication that the water had no outlet from the great basin. — 
We followed the Indian trail through atolerably level country, with small — 
sage bushes, which brought us, after 20 miles journey, to anothe er oa; 
stream, Embesnd with cottonwood, and flowing also out of the mountains, 
but runni ireetly to the eastward. 
On the way we surprised a family of Indians in the hills; but: dein 
vis op Wet ental eobeueplaity ; and the woman ‘was so "terrified, and 
