1833. 



KICH SOIL CATTLE. 



307 



miles further ; but in a direct line he was then not more than 

 twelve miles from the entrance. Along the banks on each 

 side, as he had advanced, both he and those with him, were 

 much struck by the richness of the alluvial land (caused doubt- 

 less by the river overflowing its low banks), and by the quan- 

 tities of drift-timber, which actually looked like the stores in 

 immense timber-yards. Among the drift-wood there were many 

 large and sound trees left several hundred yards from the 

 banks, therefore the periodical floods must be great. 



At Mr. Wickham's westernmost point "the river and the 

 country round had a beautiful appearance, as seen from a 

 rising ground on the south side — an excellent position for a 

 settlement." From this elevation the stream was traced to the 

 westward, running with a very serpentine course, through 

 level meadow land, covered with rich herbage. Several herds 

 of wild cattle were seen, and their traces were observed every 

 where in such numbers as to indicate a great abundance of 

 animals. 



Mr. Wickham returned on the 26th to the entrance, and 

 found that a store of fish had been salted by the cook, while 

 Mr. Stokes and others were going about, surveying the neigh- 

 bourhood. These fish were a kind of bass, nearly as good as 

 salmon. 



I have no doubt that this is a river whose existence has 

 been many years known by Spaniards, but of which the situa- 

 tion was intentionally concealed, on account of the lucrative 

 trade some individuals hoped to carry on by means of hides 

 and tallow obtained from the herds of wild cattle. The Spa- 

 niards used to anchor their vessels in Port San Jose, and 

 thence ride in large parties to the Chupat ; there they sur- 

 rounded numbers of cattle, and drove them across the peninsula 

 between San Jose and New Bay, where they slaughtered them 

 at leisure. Numbers were probably killed nearer the river ; 

 but all that could be driven, had doubtless the privilege of 

 conveying their own hides to the neighbourhood of their hun- 

 ters' ships. There was still living at the River Negro (in 1833) 

 an old man, who was one of the few individuals that escaped 



