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Show , CHAPTER VI. RETURN TO THE STATES. JOU:rtNEY fROltl CArTAlN SUTTER'S TO FORT HALL, WITH SOM~ 01" ITS INCID~NTS. Leave California for the United States-Difficulties in crossing Juba River~ xtensive view from the summit of a mountain, with rleep snow on one s1de, nnd naked earth and fine grass on the other-Bumt Mountains-Boiling Springs-Sink of Mari-e's Rivor, and singular peculiarity of the stream -Encamp in the bend of the River, and hnve horses shot bv the IndiansTravel over extensive wastes, and finally come to the Oregon Trail. Having sper.t some months in exploring the country, and obtained a tolerably satisfactory knowledge, of the greater part of Northern or Upper California, either from personal observation, or by careful enquiries, fl'Dm such persons as had made themselves ncquainted with the various portions of the country, we determin· ,ed on leaving for the United States. After much trouble and exertion in raising a small company of fifteen persons; on the 12th of May, 1845, we left Capt. Sutter's, on our homeward bound trip. We traveled up the Sacramento, on the East side, forty miles; and then traveled up Bear Creek-our course being about East. Cross· ing the east side of the Sacramento Valley, a di~tance of about twenty miles, we came to the spurs of the California Mountains. We continued to travel up through these hills, following the general course of the stream, until we came to its source ; which is in a large marsh, greatly elevated above the Sacramento Vallev. At this marsh we remained one day, in order to find a place whe;e we could cross Juba River, which was a mile and a half distant, a stream of considerable size, very rapid, full of falls and canions, and was at .this time quite high, from the melting of the snow on the moun tams. It was only in a few places, where the hills were sufficiently gro.dual, to allow us to descend to the water·' and these places were ft·equently between perpendicular falls, which were so ~ear, and the velocity of the water so great, as to render the cross· tng very dangerous, if not absolutely impossible.. This was tha character ?f the first place where we struck the River, which was on the t.ra1l of a small emigrating company, that ca~e into Cali- JOURNEY TO FORT HA.LL. 101 fornia, the previous summe1·. We had been told, by a gentleman whom we had met a few days before, returning fl'Om the mountains, where he had gone to get some wagons~ and other property, which he had been compelled to leave, in the Fall, on account of t~1e lateness of the season, and the fear of being blocked up by the coming snows, that it would be impossible for us to cross the stream, and that it would be best for us to return. We, however, discovered a place, where we ascended the mountain, immediate!}' above us; and having, with much difficulty, on account of the steepness of the ascent, gained the summit; we followed the ridge-out· progress being somewhat impeded by the snow--for about eight miles; and descended into a small bottom of the River. Traveling up the bottom about two miies, we came to a high, rocky spur, making into the water, around which we were at first unable to pass. But after searching and examing, for a long time, we at length found a place, where, by ·cutting away the brush for a consiJerable distance with our hatchets, and plunging through the mire and snow, we could pass around the spur. Having accomplished this, and traveled up the narrow bottom about two miles further, we again came to where the mountain neared the river. The bottom land was miry and covered with brush, and the snow was about four feet deep. Our 'loose animals, which were in f1·ont, were crowded into the stream by the pack animals, before we were aware of the situation. We succeeded, with difficulty, in fitopping the animals which were packed with our provisions, &c., and stripping off our baggage and saddles, in the snow, we drove in the rest of our animals. They all succeeded in gaining a small island, near the opposite shore~ just ]arge enough to contain them ; where they stayed the whole night in the snow, without anything to eat. Having kindled a large fire, and arranged our camp, our next object was, to make a way, by which we could cross ourselves -and baggage. For this purpose, we felled a tree, which not being long enough to reach, was carried down the stream: we then selected a large tall Fir, which we cut a1bout half off, and ]eft it until the next morning, when we finished cutting it down. In falling, it broke in two, filbout fifteen feet from the opposite shore, and the top was carried away; the main trunk, however, lodged against the upper part of a larga rock, and the force of the currentsupported it above. From the brok·en end of this tree, we were able to throw poles across to the opposite shore, and in this manner W9 constructed a wny, upon wl!ich we carried across our baggage. |