FOURTH DIVISION.

JOURNEYS AND INCIDENTS IN CALIFORNIA.

CHAPTER XXII.

SAN DIEGO TO NAPA VALLEY.

Arrival of Dr. Webb and his party-Dr. Webb's report of his journeyState of the survey-Reduction of the Commission-Advance of wages -Diegeno Indians-H'hana Indians-Leave for San Francisco-Its fine harbor-Extensive commerce-Great activity and enterprise of its people-Origin of its name-Contrast between the wants of the Californians in 1770 and 1850-Trip to the Geysers-Benicia—Application to Gen. Hitchcock for an escort to the Commission on its journey backVallejo-Napa village-Napa valley-Its beauty and fertility-Mr Yaunt-His history-Red-wood trees-Their great height-Enormous yield of vegetables-Thermal springs.

ON the 11th February, Dr. Webb, with his party, reached San Diego, most of them on foot. They had experienced great privations, and had lost the larger portion of their animals by famine. The following letter from Dr. Webb shows the character of his journey.

"SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, February 14, 1852. "SIR: I have the honor to announce that I arrived here with the little party under my direction on the

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11th instant, all in good health and spirits, notwithstanding we had to encounter numerous difficulties, undergo some hardships, endure some privations-to be exposed to the hostile attacks and depredations of Indians, and subjected to the loss of most of our animals and much of our clothing, &c., and were necessa rily placed on short allowance-compelled to walk a large portion of the distance, and be our own escort and night guard.

"The mail closes so very soon, that it is impossible for me to render, in detail, a report of the trip at this time. I can only state, in brief, that the party consisted of twelve individuals and twenty-seven riding and pack-mules.

"The animals, which were mostly feeble at the outset, and consequently not suited for such a journey, soon gave convincing proofs that they could not hold out, and daily, after leaving the Pimo villages, became reduced in number-sinking under the combined influence of excessive heat, deficiency of grazing, and destitution of water. Of the twenty-seven, but three' were in a suitable condition to be brought in; five more I left at Williams's rancho, about fifty miles distant, to recruit; and the remainder sank under their loads at various places on the desert, and were necessarily abandoned to their fate; which was either to fall into the hands of roving Indians, who, like so many hungry vultures, were continually hovering around, anxiously awaiting an opportunity to avail themselves of any accident or misfortune that might occur, whereby they could gain possession of any of our property; or should they elude the Indians, their fate most

inevitably was, in their enfeebled state, to become an easy prey to the hungry wolves, which in great numbers were constantly prowling about, making night hideous with their howlings; and not unfrequently so impatient were they to seize upon the poor animals, that they could be seen skulking close to our camp in broad daylight.

"The loss of pack-mules of course occasioned a sacrifice of much other property, as we had no relief mules with us. Most of our cooking utensils were dropped from time to time, at various places on the route. We had also to cache all of our camp stools and other furniture, some of our bedding, much clothing, books, papers, etc. Eventually, we were compelled to abandon our tents: so that rain or shine, wet or dry, we had to stop at the end of our day's journey in the open air, without any means of protection by day from the scorching heat of the sun; and at night we stretched out upon the ground, unsheltered from the inclemency of the weather, and the cold searching blasts and chilly atmosphere, though at mid-day the dry, brain-burning heat, was almost too much to bear. Soon after sunset, an icy feeling, nearly as intolerable, would pervade us; the variations between night and day often amounting to sixty and seventy degrees of temperature.

"Twelve days of the journey I walked, having relinquished my animal for pack-mule purposes before we reached the junction of the Gila and Colorado Rivers. Subsequently, others followed the example; until at length but two retained possession of animals.

"We had no escort; and therefore, after walking all day, we were obliged to take our turns at standing guard at night. Our provisions became so diminished in quantity as to compel me to put the whole party on short allowance. We lived principally on meat, mush, and mutton, without any vegetables. But one sheep (long, lank, raw-boned animals) was allowed to twelve men for four days, and even then our last meat was consumed a week before our arrival; and we were forced to deprive ourselves of a portion of our mush to furnish food to our animals, owing to the entire absence, for several days on our route, of all grass, shrubs, and trees.

"Much is said by travellers respecting the desert of Sahara; but, in barrenness of verdure, destitution of water, tremendous storms of sand, etc., etc., it is doubtful if any tract of land can surpass the jornada which we crossed. Indeed much of this country, that by those residing at a distance is imagined to be a perfect paradise, is a sterile waste, utterly worthless for any purpose than to constitute a barrier or natural line of demarcation between two neighboring nations.

"Notwithstanding our many perils, privations, and suffering, mostly attributable, when traced to the true source, to our imperfect outfit at the Copper Mines, from the negligence, wilfulness, or some other unjustifiable cause on the part of those whose duty it was to attend to the business; notwithstanding the many additional obstacles thrown in the way; notwithstanding the continued succession of disappointments which we encountered in numerous shapes, and of varied hue, where the doing or neglecting to do, depended

upon the will of man; thanks to the protecting care of a divine and overruling Providence, we escaped unharmed from the many dangers with which we were surrounded, and the difficulties in which we were involved, and have brought in our little party in the enjoyment, as already observed, of good health and spirits.

"I remain, sir, very respectfully, yours,

(Signed)

THOMAS H. WEBB, Secretary to Boundary Commission.

"HON. J. R. BARTLETT,

"Commissioner, etc."

The animals brought in by the several parties were greatly reduced by their long and painful journey, owing chiefly to their poor and scanty food along the Gila, and from that river to the coast. They were now placed in a grassy valley near the mission, some five or six miles distant, where the feed was pretty good; but they were so completely broken down, that many weeks would be necessary to recruit them. The surveying parties during this time were engaged in reducing their observations and in plotting their maps.

Although the entire boundary along the river Gila was not completed, it was a source of peculiar satisfaction to me that we had accomplished so much. It is more than the most sanguine in the Commission. expected to perform in so short a space of time, surrounded, as the operating parties were, with so many serious impediments. To cross a wilderness, such as it may in truth be called, from the Rio Grande to the