Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1848-08-22
--ro CALIFORNIA All CORRESPONDENCE. .
Letter from Chester IngersoIl. ..r
BoILING SPRlNG, MARx's VA,,pv :,

-. t7-o "a Alb! AllLiFoRNIA CORRESPONDENCE.
s.s Letter from Chester IngersoII. ...-
BoILrNG SPRlNe, MARx's Valley. ,,
sF .slaa September llth, 1e47.
This spring I described in my last let.
ter. From this spring to Truckey river Is
20 miles, the last 8 miles, sandy 1a1-i
30 Truckey river is about the size Of Foy
river, in Illinois, bnt much more rapid. Az
you cross the river, there is good grass for
one mile, then 8 miles to good grass. then
10 miles up is good grass; between the
llth, 18th and 18th crossing, the grass l.
good also between the 18th and 18th
and the road not very bad and between
the goth and LIST, grass middling good
This is "a miles up the river; the river
is bordered with high ragged hills of VOL
canie rock. tts136 sI8 .TflgaaIsa GEatals
On the 1eth we travelled Is miles and
crossed the river the 22d time., From
this, for 10 miles there is no grass until
you strike the river again, & then scarce.
At the head Of this valley, pine is plenty
on the hills. Road stoney. On the 18th
we travelled on y 6 miles and crossed the
river z times; the road stoney and bad,
with little grass We have now crossed
the river 26 times in AZ miles It is 10th.
ing but hills and mountains, the river is
rapid, water cold and clear. In a miles
is the 9th crossing and the last---rhe road
stoney and bad. Here you approach the
region OF Pine for the FIRST time. When
you leave the river, you cross high
mountain ridge, ~ miles across. to a wal.
ley. This mountain is a dense forest of
pine, fur, and .balsam, with many other
varieties of timber, the name not known
to us-our course west. The hills are
not so rocky ns the plains or the soil as
good As we descended from this bilI.we
came to valley of grass; here the cursed
indians killed 2 of our oxen, in broad day.
light. You leave this place, and travel Z
miles south, to water and grass, then 8
miles to grass. then miles to grass and
water, then IL miles to water and grass.
This is the last encampment until YOU
take the mountain, which is the backbone
OF the California Mountains. From this
you descend miles to the valley of Juber.
Then 8 miles to grass aud water, road
billy and rocky. - aza ;asaHta.erfag 70
Sept 23d. travelled 8 miles west, found
grass and water, road bad 10. miles fur
Their found good grass and water. From
this 5 miles to bear valley, grass good, the
road in many places looked impossible,
still we got along, The timber here is
large and thick, with large, rocky and
steep hills. Game plenty, hear, deer and
elk. From this to Johnson's settlement.
little grass, road middling. Before YOU
come to the settlements you must guard
your cattle night and day, to project them
from the Indians. f-a -. 81. e. IN
When we arrived at Johnsons, which
is in the great Sacrimento valley, on a
small stream called Bear river, we found
plenty of wheat, corn, potatoes, pumpkins,
squashes and melons We arrived here
on the I'd day of October, and found every
thing green as May. except grass; but
melons were in bloom that had been bear.
ing three months, & we picked the fourth
crop from the same vines. The land on
this river is richi but the hills looked bar.
rem. From this TO Capt. Suffers is 40
miles. across dry ridges, to the American
fork, which is a beautiful stream about
the size of the Du Page. There |. found
Capt. Sutler harvesting aud .thrsshing his
wheat. His crop was about 10000
bushels this year; the average yield per
acre this year, is 80 bushels. The wheat
that. was not cut stood up straight and had
not sheiled out, although it was ripe In
June. On this stream the soil is sandy
and easy to cultivaie, and produces we'll;
but not healthy. From this, south to the
Cosmy is IL miles, the country dry and
not tit for farming. On the Cosmy, the re-
is some excellent land. From the Cosmy
to Dry creek 8 miles, land poor. On this
creek wild oats appear-th land is more
sandy and moist, with scattering oak of
several kinds. From Dry creek to Moca-
limo 10 miles, the soil is good and will
admit Of an extensive agricultural settle |
nent. From this creek to the Calinari-
ous is 8 miles, of good land, and will soon
be settled. About 6 miles from this the
idewaterofthe Bay reaches, where there
g beautiful place for village, as it is
he only place that boats can come up to j,
supply and carry away the products of this
part of the country. This is about 10
miles from the head of the Bay of San
Francisco: At this place the owner of
'ers one section Of land for each settler
hai will settle on it and cultivate any
part oft, or to settle intown, he will give
hem one town lot with the land, The !
ide rises here feet. This site is on an
arm of the Bay, where there are abund-
lnce ofiish, otter. beaver. mink and musk
at, elk, deer, aanteiopes and racoon: ALI
IF the streams are bordeTed with wild
grapes aof excellent, favor, From. this
south IA miles is the San Wakeen, as il |