The Nevada journal., 1855-02-16


Lake by the same route. and it will also give
very correct idea of the country to the gen.
eral reader. The indeiatigable and ubiquitous
Adams d Co. will soon dispatch messengers
through all the principal routes to Salt Lake
for the purpose Of ascertaining by direct OBJ
servatlon the best route for an express The
enterprise of this firm bids fair to establish the
best route for the Pacific Railroad, while Con-
gress is quarrcling about appropriations for
engineers to do the same work.
OFFICE OF ADAMS & Co.,
City of the Great Salt Lake.
10 1. c. Woods, Esq, Resident Partner of
ddams + Co., Of California.
DEAR SIR:-In compliance with your re-
quest, | hand you enclosed so much of the
Journal OF my late trip from Los Angeles to
this place as is of public interest, and calcula-
ted think to be of value to the Pacific Emf
grant Society, in which, if remember right
~ you hold prominent position. have
omitted all of my own speculations on the
route, which will give in subsequent letter,
and confne myself to noting the essentials for
emlgrants. namely: grass, water and wood.
Nov. 25th.-Leaving San Francisco, as
you remember, this day per steamer Goliah, at
half-past +. NJ, we reached San Pedro Nov.
20th, A. NJ. which small place of o few
houses, and proportionally smaller number of
people, is the port of Los Angeles, twenty
five miles inland, to which place proceeded in
Alexander x Banning's line of coaches, on
which our Express matter is carried, and
reached Los Angeles the same night, 28th.
This place is too well known to You to de-
mand description from me, and content my
sell with stating few facts to which would
specially call your attention in the future
One is, that corn is said to grow here splen-
dldly and the ears to fill and ripen equal to
anything in the older States, fact, if fact,
which IS not known on the bay of San Fran
CISCO or IN the mining regions where corn is
grown with difficulty. The raising here. of o
sufficient supply of maize for the California
demand, would help enrich the country by
keeping thus much of our gold at home
Inc culture OF grapes and manufacture of
Wine is destined to become feature of this
part OF California, and l confidently predict
that, II fostered properly by those having as
deep an interest as yourself in the welfare of
California, the wine of this section will cause
lmportations to nearly cease, and we shall be-
come large exporters, besides doing WONDER
ful work in theway of Temperance Drink
ers OF Sherry and Madeira in San Francisco
are probably aware that their best English
imported wines are nearly all manufactured in
London, from the cheap wines of the Cape of
Good Hope. Los Angeles can supply the
basis in place of Cape Town, and your ingen-
lous merchants can do the manufacturing, in
Guiding stamping the boxes and copying the
labels.
Dec. lst.-Left Los Angeles this morning,
10 A. NJ. Eight miles this side, passed San
Gabriel, an old mission, in the vicinity of
which is said to be some of the best land in
California. The Padres fenced many of their
fields here with the cactus.
At noon, we stopped at place called Monte,
which has about FIVE hundred inhabitants.
Water abundant; land very fertile, one
squash vine producing three squashes which
weighed four hundred and thirty-nine pounds
and also saw o corn stalk seventeen and a
half feet high.
Saturday Dec 2d-Staid last night at an
old Spaniard's by the name of Palemeros,
who has fine large ranch, well stocked. A
few years since, the Utah tribe of Indians, led
by their Chief, Walker, were in the habit of
driving off several hundred head of cattle,
the Spaniards in this vicinity not being able
to resist them
Distance to day, thirty-two miles.
Sunday, Dec. 3d.-For twenty miles it is
nearly a desert, without water Arrived at
San Bernardino this evening. Distance to-
day, thirty two miles.
Monday, Dee. 4th.--San Bernardino is the
Mormon settlement, containing about one
thousand inhabitants
1ha Aorr,ors u, vo x1o,co,,;a. - u L
square leagues of land. well watered, which
produces well. Timber is scarce, consequent
ly the houses are built of adobes.
Within five miles Of this place are hot
springs, from lukewarmth to hot enough to
cook an egg.
Tuesday, Dee. 5th--Left San Bernardino
to day, at P. NJ, in company with JAS B.
Leach, Jas. Williams, Jacob Mozier and Mr..
Pinney. We have four mules packed. Camp
ed at 6 P. n. Good road, and plenty of
water.
Distance to day, II miles.
Wednesday, Dec. 6th-Left camp at half
past seven, A. NJ.
Crossed the Sierra Nevada by Hunts Pass,
which is ten miles nearer than by Caion, and
to the south OF it, although the latter is much
the best for wagons, and, in fact, one thousand
uUlldIS WOuIu III u uISJ Tale ROAD,
Camped at 6 p. NJ. Distance to dav 29
miles; tho last 20 without water, and poor
land.
Thursday, Dec 7th-Left camp at half past
Z. Distance to day 35 miles water half way,
good wagon road, land poor.
Camped at Sugar Loaf on the Mohave
River.
Friday, Dec. 8th-Started at A NJ, travel
ed 25 miles northely along the Mohave. The
soil could be made to produce we'll by irrga-
ton. Road level and sandy.
Camped at P. NJ, near small lake
good grass. Distance to day 35 miles. We
have seen some alkali.
Saturday, Dec. 9th--Left camp at half past
A. NJ. To day We have travelled Is miles
without water; road good, through desert.
Camped at p. NJ. Water bad. grass
scarce. We have passed throuob a canvon