32 
DIGGER INDIANS. 
erable hills to the north, and is therefore a “basin,” in the centre of which, at times, if not 
permanently, there is a respectable-sized lake. We crossed the northern end of this plain, 
where it is covered with rank sage from three to five feet high, and proportionahly large, our 
course being directed to the most favorable western depression in the succeeding range, which 
we ascended slightly, and encamped, after a march of but 16.02 miles, in fine fields of grass 
upon the banks of a small rivulet. 
Last night was quite cold, snow falling on the mountains, and a few flakes in the valleys, 
and ice forming on the water ; and at sunrise, the thermometer stood at 26°. The party were 
wrapped in their overcoats during the whole day, and fires are pleasant this evening. But, 
notwithstanding this indication of tbe climate, the blades of grass are eighteen inches long. 
May 30.—We passed the low summit at the depression near which we had encamped, finding 
a small creek flowing west, which we followed towards the next valley until the hills confined 
it within too narrow limits to admit of our passing in its ravine; at the same time, the 
mountain rose high and abrupt to the west, covered with a thick growth of cedar, interspersed 
with a few small pines, through which we were obliged to cut a road to its summit. The western 
descent, for a thousand feet, was very steep, and intersected by vertical ledges of metamorphic 
rocks, broken and fallen at intervals, enabling us to descend with our wagons, when we again 
returned to the creek, on which we encamped at the termination of the mountains, surrounded 
by an immense growth of sage interspersed with grass. Day’s march, 10.44 miles. The night 
was cold, ice forming in our tents. 
May 31.—We entered a large valley, extending north to Humboldt river and far to the south, 
and covered with sage, except in a few spots white with incrustations of salt. The chain of 
mountains to the west is not so elevated as those passed heretofore ; but a high, snowy peak, 
and the sharp crest of a considerable range, are seen far to the south, dividing the valley. Sev¬ 
eral small creeks were crossed flowing into one main one, which descends towards the valley 
of the Humboldt. Beaching the western mountains, we came to a small stream of excellent 
water descending from the pass we were approaching, and ascended two miles, when we en¬ 
camped, having travelled 21.94 miles. We saw but little grass during the day, but it is abund¬ 
ant among the sage on the hills about our camp. 
A single Indian visited us this morning, and two or three were seen during the day 
industriously employed in catching small ground-squirrels or gophers, upon which they sub¬ 
sist to so large an extent. They are very numerous, and in fine condition at this season of 
the year. The Indians shoot them with blunt arrows, catch them in ingeniously contrived 
“figure-four traps” set at the mouth of their burrows, and dig them out of the earth with 
their hands; and it is not unusual to see them carrying forty or fifty, the reward of a single 
day’s hunt. Forty Indians (Diggers) were gathered at our camp at sundown this evening—all 
males, and generally unarmed. I ordered camp-kettles of soup for their supper, and made 
them presents of a-few knives and other articles, which put them in such good humor with 
themselves and our party that they spent the entire night at the fire assigned them, under the 
eye of the guard, singing and rejoicing, and annoying us by their grunts and nasal sounds, of 
which all Indian singing is made up—sounds anything but agreeable to civilized ears. At day¬ 
light their number was increased to fifty; and as I arose, the arrival of a chief was announced 
by the oldest acquaintance we had in the band, and he was soon paraded before me to receive 
the lion’s share of the bounty in which he had not participated the previous evening. I cov¬ 
ered him and his son, a small boy, who stood by his father’s side, in scarlet, greatly to their 
delight. The claims of those who had arrived during the night were next urged; but I had no 
time to attend to their wants, and informed them that they would receive no more—“Kay-wit,” 
in their miserable language—when their importunities ceased. Their wigwams—wick-ey-ups, 
as they call them—are superior to those we have recently seen. They are bee-hive shaped, 
four feet high, and partially covered with grass. The opening of every one that I have seen in 
the Basin is towards the northeast, an indication of the prevalent direction of the storms. 
