j cm — ~~ 50 | ~ 
; seen the squaws gathering on the Rio de los Americanos. By t the inhabit- 
ants of the valley, it is highly esteemed for fattening cattle, which appear 
nsiderable extent the “want of grass. 
e eSirous, as far as possible, without delay, to inelude in our examination 
2 an San Joaquin river, I returned this morning down the Stanislaus for 17 
J es, and ‘again encamped without having found a fording place. After 
4 followigngit for 8 miles further the next morning and finding ourselves in 
_~ the vicinity of the San Joaquin, encamped in a handsome oak grove, and, 
ra cattle beingkilled, we ferried over our baggage in their skins. Here 
as her who probably had not much idea of where he was going, 
4 and began to be alarmed at the ma a eg which we were eae ane 
ri nich doubtless saves the crops below. 
Ist of April, we made 10 miles across a prairie . without tinnbeae 
3 when we were stopped a ain by another large river, which is called the 
Rio a Merced, (Fiver of our Lady of Mercy.) Here the country had 
* lost its chatlicter of extreme fertilityythe soil having become more sandy 
and light 5 but, for several days past, its beauty had been iner essed by the 
eiaeait animation of animal life ; and now, it is crowded th bands of 
elk and wild horses ; and along the rivers are frequent fresh oacks of griz- 
zly beat, which are unusually numerous in this country. 
ur route had been along the timber Gp the San Joaquio, generally about 
_8 miles distant, over a high prairie. 
In one of the bands se an seen to- -day, there were sic 200 ; but the 
__ larger bands, both of th 
_~ side of the river, which, for that reason, I avoided crossing. Thad been 
: - + Taicngs below, that the droves of wild horses'were almost invariably found 
. on the western bank of the river; ; and the danger of losing our animals- 
_' among them, together with the wish of adding to our reconnoissance the 
© pte cs streams which run down from the Sierra, decided me to travel 
eastern bank. 
—The day was occupied in building a boat, and ferrying our 
age across the river ; and we encamped on the bank. A large fishing. 
white head and tail, was slowly sailing along, looking ghee sa 
and there were some pretty birds in the timber, with partridges, 
§, a »se-innumerable in the neighbor e r 
_— is of the latter bird at Helvetia ,*seattered about in floc! 
be 
Bo & 
8 
t elecbaee. them 
ose touched several times the ‘San Joaquin river—here 
tes ream, with a slight current, apd dg deep. 
e sa 
«Jtre ed the Missourssin eat with occasional points of w om 
_ aly its banks ie si eep were a kind of sandy clay ; a hi width | 
_ appeared to be ae y*yards. “In the bott6ms are frequent posts, 
wace. our approach dis : 4 multitudes of . weildeigy, principally 
geese 
timb “< | fre uently Started elk ; and large bands were 
the day, with ante ~ Wad pita Id horses. The low ae and» 
bk + c « os 
4 = he very fond of it. Here, where the soil begins tu be sandy, it supplies - 
en 
and wild horses, are generally found on the other — 
# 
grass on the a a — Car ride by 
Se 
