AND RETURN TO SAN FRANCISCO. 37 
which we were in search. The descent was here so 
steep that we were obliged to dismount from. our ani- 
mals and lead them down. Our progress was now 
necessarily rapid, and we soon reached the base of the 
mountain. Here we suddenly came upon four men, 
who had come out a few days before us from MacDo- 
nald’s to amuse themselves in hunting the grizzly bear. 
We reached this place at four o’clock, a distance of 
but sixteen miles, after a most fatiguing journey ; 
although the beauty and variety of the scenery well 
repaid us for the effort. As there was still a descent 
of five hundred feet to the stream, and a mile to the 
geysers, we determined to leave their examination till 
morning, and devote the remainder of the day to rest 
and the preparation of our dinner. 
As the hunters had nothing but bear’s meat in 
store, three of them took their rifles and went out to 
procure a deer for dinner. In less than an hour all 
returned, each bringing with him the hind quarters of 
. a fine deer, having been equally successful in their 
short hunt. While they were absent, our servant had 
made a fire, and got a kettle of boiling water ready 
- for making coffee. In ten minutes after their return, 
the venison and bear’s meat were roasting before the 
fire, and emitting the most appetizing odors. 
The method of preparing a fine game dinner with- 
out a single cooking utensil deserves to be mentioned. 
First, a number of sticks are cut about two feet in 
length, the size of one’s finger, divested of their bark, 
and sharpened at one end. These correspond to the 
spits in civilized roast-ovens. The meat is now cut up 
into pieces about three quarters of an inch in thickness 
AN 
