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Show 234 TEAVELS AND ADVENTUEES IN THE FAE WEST. CHAPTER XXXVI. Peg-leg Smith-Gold Explorers-Enter upon the Desert-Road strewn with Dead Oxen-Poisoned Atmosphere-Deserted Wagons and Horses-Howling Wilderness- Excessive Heat-Bitter Springs-Polluted by Dead Animals-Bunch Grass-Reflections- Mohahve River-Deserts Surmounted-Horses give Out-On Foot-Dig for Water in the Sand-Pleasant Weather-Snowy Mountains-Crossing of the Mohahve River-Agave Americaua-Cajon pass Sierra Nevada-Descent into the Valley of San Bernandino-Arrival at San Bernandino-Variations of the Compass. WHILE encamped on this spot we met a party of gold ex-" plorers from Los Angeles. They had been down on the Colorado, looking for gold, but had been unsuccessful. They were under the command of a man with one leg, known as " Peg-leg Smith," a celebrated mountaineer. He told me he had been several times across the continent, and had been in this part of the world for some years. He says he crossed the Rocky Mountains in 1824-30 years ago. He is a weather-beaten old chap, and tells some improbable tales. They are on their way back, and will travel with us; they comprise ten men, all mounted on mules. To-day two more of our horses gave out; one of them belongs to the wagon which contained my baggage. Mr. Peg-leg Smith tells me these are called Kingstone Springs. I made drawings of the mountains which are near them; they are curiously formed land marks, and may be useful to future travellers. We have another terrible Jornada to pass, a distance of fifty miles. |