44 
CANONES OF THE SACRAMENTO. 
arrested by coming upon extensive fields of volcanic rocks, so rough, and full of holes that no 
horseman can cross them. The Indians clamber over small portions of them, hut usually avoid 
them even on foot. We therefore turned in towards the river, and followed its valley to the 
mouth of Fall river, encamping just above it. Many Indians were seen during the day at 
considerable distances, hut fled to their hiding-places to observe our movements, leaving their 
flag-roots where they were digging them. The Sacramento canon preserves the character with 
which it begins (at Round valley) for six miles, its walls preserving nearly a uniform height 
above the river. The plain is then surmounted by high, sloping hills, rising five or six hundred 
feet above it, and the canon becomes broader, and its walls also more elevated for two miles, 
to where the river makes a large bend to the north; below this the walls gradually decrease in 
height, and in two miles the canon opens to half a mile in width, which if preserves for three 
miles to the open valley. This open part of the canon is timbered with oak and pine, through 
which the river winds, and we rode several times down its rocky hanks, from the hills two 
hundred feet above. Below, or north of the main bend in the canon, there are two or three 
angles in it, hut it is generally very direct in its course. The highest parts of the canon walls 
are two hundred feet above the stream, with large masses of fallen rock sloping from the stream 
half way to the top. The passage of this canon by a railroad, carried generally on the terrace 
on the north side of the river, and descending the side of the rocky hills which surmount it, 
which is the most favorable line, will he both expensive and difficult; for it will he necessary to 
blast and remove rocks to a very considerable extent, the amount of which can only he deter¬ 
mined by accurate surveys. The average descent of the stream per mile, for 13.14 miles, from 
the head of the canon to the open valley, is 39.30 feet; hut by following the north side of the 
river, the descent can he made much longer and easier by descending to the valley several 
miles further down the river, which follows the base of the mountains until it turns west, when 
it is overlooked by a plain, elevated 30 or 40 feet above it, extending several miles to the north. 
A lake of several miles in extent is seen on this plain, from the hills near our morning camp, 
and Fall river descends it at the base of the mountains surmounting it to the west. Below 
the first canon the valley of the Sacramento is three or four miles wide, easily traversed in any 
direction, and as easily followed by a railroad with a descent of 27.10 feet to the mile. 
Just at our camp the Sacramento is twenty yards wide, and so deep that it can only he crossed 
by swimming ; hut its current is very sluggish. Fall river descends by a short rapid of foaming 
white water, from the plain north of the Sacramento, and discharges more water than the 
latter stream. At the junction, the Sacramento immediately enters a second canon, very much 
resembling the first, hut of less extent. The mountains rise above it also, as they do above 
the former canon, and extend hack on the north side to high mountains; but on the south side, 
after extending some distance into the plain, they diminish in height and sink away into 
broken rocky hills, and are followed by an extensive field of volcanic rocks, extending through 
the valley of Canoe creek, or Poinsett river, to Mount Saint Joseph. 
The approximate length of this canon is 8.95 miles, with an average descent of 34.80 feet 
per mile. Though not so long, it is as difficult and rocky as the former to pass with a railway, 
and the most favorable line by which to descend it can only he determined by minute surveys. 
But it is probable that by leaving the river a few miles above the head of the canon, and 
crossing the rocky hills south of it, and returning to the river in the vicinity of the mouth of 
Canoe creek, (although the grades would not he as easy and uniform,) the least labor would be 
required in removing rocks for its construction, and the short curves avoided, which will he 
encountered in descending the canon itself, and that this will consequently he found the most 
favorable site for the road. 
June 29.—Large numbers of Indians were gathered on the opposite hank of the river this 
morning, hut they were evidently afraid to approach us, unless they could take us at a disad¬ 
vantage, for which they have a noted reputation. At sunrise the thermometer stood at 32°, 
and at 11 o’clock in the morning in the shade at 80° F. The day was pleasant, hut the 
