Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1848-02-19
THE OREGON HORSES.

rev, on the Pacific ocean, distant full four hundred
miles. The way is over mountainous country,
much of ii uninhabitcd, with no other road than a
trace and many dtfcs 10 pass, particularly the
maritime dciilc Of FL Rincon Punto Gordo, fifteen
miles in extent, made by the juttng OF PERCEPTIONS
mountain into the sea- and which caa only Dr passed
when the tide is out and the sea calm, and even
then in many places through the waves. The towns
of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo and occasional
ranches, the principal inhabited places on the
route. Each Of the party had three horses, nlne III
all, to take their turns under the saddle ne SIX
loose horses ran ahead without bride or halter, and
required some attention keep 10 the track. hen
wanted for change, say at distances OF twenty
miles, they were caught by the lisso, thrown clthcr
by Don Jesus or the servant jacob None oil the
horses were shod. The usual gait was sweeping
gallop. The first day they ran one hundred and
twenty five miles. The next day they made another
one hundred and twenty-five miles, passing the
formidable mountain of Santa Barbara, and counting
upon it the skeletons of some fifty horses, part OF
near double that number which persisted IN the cross
ing of that terrible mountain by the California bat
TALON on Christmas day, 1916, amidst raging tenn
pest and dclugc OF rain and cold more killing than
that Of the Sierra Ncvada-thc day OF scvercst sui
fering, say Fremont aud his men, that they have
ever passed. At sunset the party stopped 10 sup
with the friendly Captain Dana, and at nine at night
San Luis Obspo was reached, the home OF Don Je-
sus, and where affecting reception awaited Lieut.
Col. Fremont, in consequence Of an incident when
occurred there, that history will one day record; ana
he was detained I'LL II O'Clock in the morning re,
children included taking breakfast OF honor, and
waiting for relief of fresh horses to be brought III
from the surrounding country. Here the nIne horses
from Los Angeles lett, and eight others taken
in their place, and Spanish boy added TO the party
TO assist in managing the loose horses. Proceeding
at the usual gait Till al night, and having made
some seventy miles, Don Jesus who had spent the
night before with his family and friends and rro''-
bly, with but little sleep, became iatgHcd, ana pro
posed halt for few hours. 1t was IN the valley OF
the Salinas, (Salt River called Bltena Iulhua IN
the old maps and the haunt OF maraudin9 Indians.
For safety during their rePosr the party iurh'd on
the trace issued through canada into thick wood,
and laid down, the horses being put 70 grass at
short distance with the Spanish boy IN the saddle 10
watch. Sleep, when commenced, was 100 sweet 70
be easily given up, and II was halfway between
midnight and day, when the slcepers were aroused
by an cstampcdO among the horses, and the calls 81
the boy. The Of the alarm was soon found
not Indians but white bcars-thls valley BENG tncir
great resort and the place where lol ana thIftN-
five of his men encountered some manfred q thSm
the summer before, killing thirteen upon the ground
The character OF these bears is well known, and the
bravest hunters do like meet them without the
advantage of numbers On discovering the enemy,
Col F. felt for his pistols bat Don Jesus desired hIm
to lie STILL saying that pcople could scare bears;
aud Immediately halIooed at them IN Spanish, and
thew went off. Sleep went oil also: and the recove-
ry Of the horses frightened by the bears, building
rousng fire, making breakfast from the hosPltab,
supplies of San Luis ObSpo occupied the party til
day break, when the journey was resumed Elghiy
miles and the afternoon brought the party 10 Monte
rey. The next day, in the afternoon the party SET
out on their return and the two horses rode by Col
f. from San Luis Obspo, being present TO HIM IRON
Don Jesus, he (Don Jcsus) desired 10 make an eX-
pertinent of what one Of them could do They were
brothers, one grass younger than the other o9th o.
the same color, Cinnamon and hence called q can
Glo or los cdndlOS, (he Ciunanon or the cnnam9ns)
The elder taken for the trial, and the journey
commenced upon him leaving Monterey, the after
noon well advanced. Thirty miles under the saddle
lo, tbot ot,I fl,..t Marty
night.
In the morning the elder cqna,o was again under
the saddle for Col F., and for ninety miles he car
red him without change and without apparent IA
tgue. 1t was still thirty miles to San LUIS Oblspo
where the night to be passed, and Don Jesus
insisted that cGlulO could easily do It, and so SAID
the horse by his looks and actions. But Colonel
would not put him the trial, and, shifting the sad
die TO the younger brother, the elder was turned
loose to the remaining thirty miles without RI
der. He did so, Immediately taking the lead and
keeping il all the way, and entering San LUIS IN a
sweeping gallop nostrs dlsended, snuiln% the ar,
and ncighing with cxutaOn at his return 10 his ma
tive pastures his Younger brother all the while run
ming at the head Of the horses under the saddle,
bearing on his bit, and held in by his rider. The
whole eight horses made their one hundred and
twenty miles each that day CATER thirty the evening
bcfore) the elder cinnamon making ninety miles Of
his under the saddle that day, besides thirty under
the saddle the evening before; was there the
least doubt that he would have done the whole dis
lance in the time if he had continued under the
saddle. After hospitaJlc detention OF another hall
day at San Luis ObIspo, the party set out for Los
Angeles the same nine horses which they had
rode from that place, and made the ride back in about
the time they had made it up, namely, at the
rate of l25 miles day. Ga this ride the grass on
the road was the food for horses At Monterey they
had barley, but these horses, meaning those trained
and domcstcated as the canalos were, eat almost
any thing in the way Of vegetable food, or even
drink that their master uses, by whom they pet
ted and caressed and rarely sold Bread, fruits SUI
gar, coffee, and wine dixie the Persian horsc)
they take from the hand Of their master, and obey
with like docility his slightest iGtimaton. tap OF
the whip the saddle springs them into action; tho
check Of a thread rein Con the Spanish biD would
stop them; and stopped at short speed they do not
joste the rider throw him forward. They leap on
any thing-Inan, beast, weapon, on which their
master directs them. But this description, so far as
conduct and behaviour concerned, Of course only
applies to the trained and domcsticatcd horse.