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Show 22 THE SHORTEST ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA. We would also state that it would appear from Colonel Fremont's report that it was a favorite pur-pose of his, on his return from California, to cross the Great Basin directly, instead of turning it at its southern extremity. He is speaking of what occurred as he was turning the southern end of the Sierra Nevada, by the Tah- e- chay- pah Pass, to get on the Spanish trail: " In the evening a Christian Indian rode into the camp, well dressed, with long spurs, and a sombrero, and speaking Spanish fluently. It was an unexpected apparition, and a strange and pleasant sight in this desolate gorge of a mountain an Indian face, Spanish costume, jingling spurs, and horse equipped after the Spanish manner. He in-formed me that he belonged to one of the Spanish missions to the south, distant two or three days' ride, and that he had obtained from the priests leave to spend a few days with his relations in the Sierra. Having seen us enter the pass, he had come down to visit us. He appeared familiarly acquainted with the country, and gave me definite and clear information in regard to the desert region east of the mountains. I had entered the pass with a strong disposition to vary my route, and to travel directly across toward the Great Salt Lake, in the view of obtaining some acquaintance with the interior of the Great Basin, while pursuing a direct course for the frontier; but his representation, which described it as an arid and barren desert, that had repulsed by its sterility all the attempts of the Indians to penetrate it, deter-mined me for the present to relinquish the plan; and, agreeably to his advice, after crossing the Sierra, con- |