CHAPTER III. 
NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY-ROUTE OE THE MAIN COMMAND. 
Preparations.—Organization and outfit of party.—Suisun valley.—Putos creek.—Cache creek.—Sacramento river.-^- 
Featiier river.— Marysville.—Mirage.—Digger Indians.—Their huts—Their mode of gambling.—Grizzly bears.— Two 
routes examined from antelope creek to fort reading.—Fort reading.—Officers there.—The escort.—Barometer left 
WITH DR. HAMMOND.-GUIDE EMPLOYED.—START.—DISAGREEABLE CAMP.-McCUMBER’S FLAT.-NOBLE’S PASS.—VlEW FROM SUMMIT.- 
Lost creek.—Cold.—Indian signs.—Canoe creek—Pumice-stone.—Pedregal of trap rock.—:Accident to chronometers.— 
Difficult travelling.—Precipice.—Prairie with springs.—Pit river Indians.—Their habits.—Their bows and arrows.— 
Indian trail.—Large river gushing from the rocks —Exploration by lieut. Williamson.—Pit river.—Lieut. Sheridan.— 
Exploration of lower canon of pit river.—Lieut, hood’s return.—Stoneman’s ridge.—Route between the canons.—Fire in 
camp.—Upper canon of pit river.—Cart broken.—Indians.—Their mode of kindling a fire.—Their love of tobacco.—Their 
ornaments.—Lieut. Williamson’s notes on the canon.—Grass valley.—Pits dug by Indians.—Exploration in advance by 
Lieut. Williamson.—Spring branch.—Baked antelope’s head.—Sage plain.—Wright lake.—Rhett lake.—Emigrant road.— 
Lost river.— No fuel.—Party from yreka.—Division of the party.—Natural bridge.—Rattlesnake under a blanket.— 
Upper klamath lake.—Indian signs—Snakes—Fire in camp.—Arrival of lieut. Williamson.—Route near eastern shore 
of lake.—Bald eagle3.—Accident.—Klamath river.—Canon.—Fog.—Klamath marsh.—Indians.—Their rancherias.— 
Their canoes.— TnEiR graves.—Grave of a chief —Piles of stones.—Intercourse with the Indians.—Their horses.— 
Partial vocabulary of their language.—Crossing of klamath river —Divide between klamath marsh and des chutes 
river.—Water holes.—Pumice.—Des chutes river. — Two trails.—Trout.—Old wagon trail.—Difficulty in taking 
ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS.—SICKNESS. DIVISION OF PARTY.—ICE IN CAMP.—INGENIOUS METHOD OF REPAIRING CHRONOMETER.— 
Gold seekers from umpqua valley.—Orders from lieut. iyilliamson.—Branch of des chutes river.—Rafting of stream.— 
Entrance of great canon.—Rapid.—Junction with lieut. Williamson’s party.—Rain.—Snow peaks in sight.—Why-chus 
creek.—Camp near “ forks of the Indian trail.”—Berries.—Division of the party.—Sketch of subsequent operations. 
On May 5th, 1855, Lieut. Williamson, with the civilian assistants and myself, sailed from 
New York, and on May 30 arrived at San Francisco. Here he organized the surveying party. 
On July 9, 1855, the command was in depot camp, near Benicia, and ready to commence field 
work on the following day. 
The party consisted of Lieut. R. S. Williamson, Topographical Engineers, in charge of the 
expedition, with myself for his principal assistant; Dr. J. S. Newherry, geologist and botanist, 
Mr. H. C. Eillehrown, assistant engineer; Dr. E. Sterling, physician and naturalist; Mr. 
C. D. Anderson, computer; and Mr. John Young, draughtsman. There were also eighteen men, 
under the immediate supervision of Mr. Charles Coleman, the pack master. 
As much of the survey was to he made in a mountainous, unexplored region, Lieut. William¬ 
son decided to transport all the supplies hy a pack train. The only vehicle was a light 
two-wheeled cart, designed solely to carry the instruments. These consisted of two Gambey 
sextants, two artificial horizons, four box chronometers, three prismatic compasses, one sur¬ 
veyor’s chain and pins, one odometer, four Green’s cistern barometers, with a case of extra 
unfilled tubes, four thermometers, two reconnoitring glasses, one aneroid barometer, and 
several smaller instruments. 
July 10.—We left camp about noon. The road, at first, led over low rolling hills to the 
marshy edge of Suisun hay. After following this for a short distance, it passed over a nearly 
level country, to a small creek with slightly brackish water. It then crossed a level plain, 
bordered hy low hills and dotted with a few oaks,-to Suisun creek, where we encamped. 
Much of the soil near the road to-day was rich and under cultivation. 
