Mojave River

The next day W S W 8 or 10 miles across a plain and entered the dry bed of a river; on each side were high hills. Pursuing my course along the valley of this river 8 or 9 miles, I encamped. In the channel of the river, I occasionally found water. It runs from west to east, alternately running on the surface and disappearing entirely in the sands of its bed, leaving them for miles altogether dry. Near where I entered its bed, it finally seemed to lose itself in the plain.* (* It is perhaps reasonable to suppose that the Salt Plain has been formed by the waters of this river overflowing the level country in its freshets and in the dry season sinking in the sand and leaving a deposit of salt on the surface. The river's waters at this place are sufficiently salt to justify this conclusion.) My provision was nearly exhausted, although I thought I had provided enough to last me 10 or 12 days.

Men accustomed to living on meat and at the same time traveling hard will eat a surprising quantity of corn and beans which at this time constituted our principal subsistence. One of my guides said he knew where his people had a cache of some provision, and the next day as I traveled on, he went with one of the men to procure some at night. They returned bringing something resembling loaves of bread weighing 8 or 10 pounds. It was so hard that an ax was required to break it, and in taste resembled sugar candy. It was no doubt sugar but in that imperfect form among nations to which the art of granulation is unknown. On inquiry, I found it was from the cane grass I have spoken of on Adams River and the same of which the Amuchabas make their arrows.

For three days, nothing material occurred. Our course was up the river, which sometimes ran in sight and disappeared in the sands for miles. I found grass, sugar cane, and small cottonwood in some places. I also saw the tracks of horses that had been here during the summer.

My guides belong to a tribe of Indians in the vicinity called the Wanyumas. Not numerous, for this barren country could not support them. At this place was some sign of antelope and mountain sheep. Mr. Rogers killed an antelope that tasted quite strong of wormwood.

On the 4th night from the salt plain, an Amuchaba Indian that had come this far with me disappeared. I suppose he had become tired of the journey and returned. My guides had expected to find their families here but were disappointed.

The next day I was still following the course of the river, which had a strong current in places 20 yards wide, and others entirely disappeared in the sands. After a long day's travel, I arrived late at a Wanyuma lodge. Close by were two or three families of the same tribe. Here I remained the following day and was well treated by these Indians. They gave us such food as they had: mush made of acorns and pine nuts bread made of a small berry. This bread, in appearance, was like cornbread but, in taste, much sweeter.

As plenty of hares were in the neighborhood, the Indians said they must give us a feast. Several went out for this purpose with a net 80 or 100 yards long. They stretched the net among the wormwood where they knew them to be plenty. Then divided on each wing, they moved, forcing the frightened game to the net, where they entangled in its meshes. Being out for a short time, they brought in two or three dozen, some of which they gave me. In this vicinity, there are some groves of cottonwood and, in places, sugar cane and grass. Seeing some antelope tracks, Mr. Rogers and I killed two.

On the following day, after making the Indians some presents, I moved on, keeping a right-hand fork my course nearly S W passing out at the head of this creek. Over a ridge, I entered a ravine running S W, and I proceeded down it nearly to where it entered some high hills covered with pine. At this place, I encamped.

During the days, I passed hills covered with a scattering growth of Bastard cedar and bushy oak. During the day, we noticed antelope and the tracks of bear and black-tailed deer.

The San Bernardino Mountain Range

The next day following the valley of a creek alternately sinking and rising and passing through a range of mountains for 8 miles, I was obliged to travel in the creek bed as the hills on both sides, thickly covered with cedar, came in close and rugged to the creek. About ten miles from camp, I went into a large valley having no timber except what was on the streams coming from the mountains. Here we found plenty of grass, and what was still more pleasing, we began to see the track of horses and cattle and shortly after saw some fine herds of cattle in many directions.

As the evidence of civilization passed, they awakened many emotions in my mind; some were not the most pleasant. It would perhaps be supposed that after numerous hardships endured in a savage and adversarial desert, I should hail the herds passing before me in the valley as harbingers of better times. But they reminded me that I was approaching a country inhabited by Spaniards, a people whose distinguishing characteristic has ever been the jealousy of people of a different religion from mine and possessing a full share of that bigotry and disregard of the rights of a Protestant that has at times stained the Catholic faith.

They might consider me a spy imprison me, persecute me for the sake of religion, or detain me in prison and ruin my business. I knew such things had been and might be again. Yet confiding in the rectitude of my intentions, I endeavored to convince myself that I should be able to make it appear to them that I had come to their country as the only means by which I could extricate myself from my embarrassing situation and that so far from being a spy my only was to procure such supplies as would enable me to proceed to my own country.