ARRIVAL AT SACRAMENTO CITY. 
129 
some of them we could go around, others we were compelled to 
wade through. The entire plain was dotted with covered wagons 
that had been loaded with provisions for the interior, but, in 
trying to cross, the teams had “mired” and the wagons been 
abandoned. 
‘ On arriving within sight of the ferry, we came to the margin of a 
lagoon that stretched away to the? river, leaving us no alternative 
but to wade; the practicability of this could only be learned by 
sounding. This was not a time for deliberation, and taking my 
blankets, &c., on my shoulder, I waded in; after wading to my 
neck it grew more shallow, and my companion followed. We 
reached the ferry boat and were soon on the opposite bank 
of the river. 
We were now within sight of Sacramento City, and as it was 
Sunday our first attention was bestowed upon our toilet. We 
sat down on the bank of the river, pulled off our boots, poured 
the water out of them, wrung out our socks, and after replacing 
these we took off our caps, brushed up our hair, imagined that 
our moustache curled, (we could not tell, for the river was too 
muddy to reflect our faces,) adjusted the skirt of our flannel, 
then throwing our chest out, with our head at an angle of about 
23°, we stood in for the city, passing in at the head of J. street, 
which we found in fine navigable order, the water extending to 
the door-sills on either side. 
