ssary buildings and conveniences. His
wheat crop was abundant this year; and he presented us with as much
milk and fresh butter as we desired. The grass on the upland plain over
which we have travelled is brown and crisp from the annual drought. In
the low bottom it is still green. Distance 18 miles.

_September 14_.--We crossed the Coscumne River about a mile from our
camp, and travelled over a level plain covered with luxuriant grass,
and timbered with the evergreen oak, until three o'clock, when we
crossed the Mickelemes River, another tributary of the Sacramento, and
encamped on its southern bank in a beautiful grove of live oaks. The
Mickelemes, where we crossed it, is considerably larger than the
Coscumnes. The soil of the bottom appears to be very rich, and produces
the finest qualities of grasses. The grass on the upland is also
abundant, but at this time it is brown and dead. We passed through
large tracts of wild oats during the day; the stalks are generally from
three to five feet in length.

Our Indian servant, or vaquero, feigned sickness this morning, and we
discharged him. As soon as he obtained his discharge, he was entirely
relieved from the excruciating agonies under which he had affected to
be suffering for several hours. Eating his breakfast, and mounting his
horse, he galloped off in the direction of the fort. We overtook this
afternoon an English sailor, named Jack, who was travelling towards
Monterey; and we employed him as cook and hostler for the remainder of
the journey.

A variety of autumnal flowers, generally of a brilliant yellow, are in
bloom along the beautiful and romantic bunks of the rivulet. Distance
25 miles.

_September 15_.--Our horses were frightened last night by bears, and
this morning, with the exception of those which were picketed, had
strayed so far that we did not recover them until ten o'clock. Our
route has continued over a flat plain, generally covered with luxuriant
grass, wild oats, and a variety of sparkling flowers. The soil is
composed of a rich argillaceous loam. Large tracts of the land are
evidently subject to annual inundations. About noon we reached a small
lake surrounded by _tule_. There being no trail for our guidance, we
experienced some difficulty in shaping our course so as to strike the
San Joaquin River at the usual fording place. Our man Jack, by some
neglect or mistake of his own, lost sight of us, and we were compelled
to proceed without him. Th