LASSOING. 
65 
their energies, straining every nerve, the earth fairly quaking 
beneath their hoofs. The horses, as they near, display as much 
enthusiasm as their riders, and seem to scorn the very earth. 
They are now upon them. The herd, frantic and dismayed, be¬ 
gin to scatter. The horse now sees his victim and bounds with 
the most reckless impetuosity. The horseman, now rising in his 
saddle, throws his weight into the left stirrup, and with his right 
hand swings the lasso until the coil is sufficiently open, when 
it flies with the velocity and precision of an arrow, taking effect 
around the horns or neck of the victim. The horse, understand¬ 
ing the business, now slackens his speed, and prepares for the 
first shock, by taking a bracing position. The victim strait¬ 
ens the lasso, bounds into the air, and falls to the ground. The 
horseman dismounts, keeping his left foot in the stirrup, to help 
counteract the frantic throes of the victim which is now lacer¬ 
ated by balls from his pistols. Sometimes in its phrenzy of mad¬ 
ness the victim rushes upon his pursuers, causing a precipitate 
retreat, and not unfrequently both horse and rider fall victims 
to their own temerity. 
As our team had not yet arrived, we walked on one mile to 
Grime’s fort, a similar structure, and I believe the owner is a 
claimant of Sutter 8 s claim. We walked on to the river, pre¬ 
pared ourselves and waded through. On the opposite side, as 
we ascended the bank, we found ourselves on the margin of a 
plain, stretching away as far as the eye could reach, with noth¬ 
ing but an occasional oak to relieve the monotony. On the 
bank, a short distance above, is a rancho, to which'belongs the 
ferry, used only during high water. This rancho belongs to the 
Sutter estate. There are several thousand head of cattle and 
horses belonging to it, and about two hundred head of Indians. 
The soil has the appearance of being extremely fertile, but at 
this time vegetation was parched with drought. Sutter claims 
most of the country drained by the Sacramento and its branches, 
which is all, of any agricultural value, in the north part of the 
State. 
Our team soon came up, and our driver informed us that it 
was ten miles to the next water, consequently we were obliged 
to encamp on the bank of the river, notwithstanding it was only 
3 o’clock, p. m. We had averaged one mile per hour. I loaded 
5 
