The Placer herald., 1864-01-30
RIVER CORRESPONDENTS.
Fort MoJAvE, December 10th, 1868.

.MesSrs Editors: would despair OF interesting |
the travelled people Of Cator, ia, by an account
Of my trip to this place, were it not that this re-
gion is comparatively new to most of your read
ers, any information at this time, in reference to
it, may be acceptable.
On the 26th of November last | sailed on the
Senator from San Francisco, and in less than 4S
hours made the port of San Pedro. From thence
we were whirled up to Los Angeles, in stage in
three hours. Los Angeles bears the imprint of
its Mexican origin distinctly than any place
| have seen in the State. 1t also gives evidence
of somc modern improvements in fine large brick
structures erected for business purposes. The
population is quite mixed and think with the
exception of the little stir that is created by the
temporary presence of travellers going to and
from the mines of the Colorado, and the business
created in the furnishing supplies to them the
place must be intolerably dull. l found soldiers
lettering around the streets, and Capt. Hillyer
and bis company. with detachment of horse,
quartered in the plaza. The tents, the tramp of
patrols through the town, sentinels on post the
roll Of the drum and the stirring notes of the bu
gle gave quite martial air to the old place.
Our old friends Ed. Ililyer and Pat. Munday re-
ceived me in the kindest manner, and in their so
ciety was made quite at home was gratifed
to find these people much appreciated by the peo-
ple-the Capt. standing deservedly high as q
commanding officer.
l also met many other gentlemen from Placer
at the hotels-Dr. Fagan and party having just
come in from this place. All seemed jolly and
pleased. and upon the whole Los Angeles seemed
much like home to me-.
| But the time came when WAS to take the road
and test the hardships of the desert. On the Sd
of this month considered myself prepared and
sailed forth We were three in number, with
four animals. My companions were Qor short)
"Mc" and Bob both Placer men my mule
"Jennie.' "Rebecca" the property of Nc and Bob.
with two little jennies packers. You must
know every one packs their eatables here--we
did, and have camped out ever since starting.
However, three or four persons in a company can
get food at the houses along the road for most of
the route Los Angeles lays in nook of the
mountains, and is almost the only cultivated,
green looking spot have seen since We started.
| The route from there runs easterly over rolling,
barren plains, hemmed in on either side by noun
tains the snow covered peaks of what are called
the Sierra Madle being to the northeast Of the
route These plains have cattle upon them. but
| could see nothing for them to live upon. Their
skeletons lay thick all along the road, and at ole
point we counted twenty-seven in sight. Forty
three mil from our point OF departure we came
to Cocomango Rancho. the property OF the estate
Of John Rains, who was wayud and murdered on
the road we had just Travelled. some months since,
by some bandit. At this point the road turns
| northerly, and winding and twisting among
mountains, finally leads you OIL the waters OF the
Mojave river. The San Bernardino roads also
runs by Cocomango Rancho and those en- route
for La Paz or Yuma, on the Colorado. continue
upon it. However. "Baucroits Guide to the
| Colorado Mines does that business up. and | re-
fer the reader to him for further patculals. The
Mojave pronounced Mo-ha-ve) river is face
tiouS sort of stream 1t rises or rather shows it.
self first somewhat south-easterly from the point
tur road struck it. then sinks and rises again at
intervals for more than one hundred miles along
ol,, -fp1 1I,y tirnlv in thp
bed of what is called Soda Lake. 1t appears as
if the little stream kept above ground until it
would become so thoroughly disguised with the
barren, waste country, that it could stand il no
longer, and then would take a dive down to the
caverns of the earth until it would regain energy
for another peep at the mountains and sterile
| sands.
At what is called Camp Cody we met Capt.
Fitch, with his Company, going into Camp Drum.
| found the Captain and men well bronzed by
their two years and better OF soldier life; but all
of them live men, and full OF inquiry about mat
ters in Placer. They were not particularly pleas
ed (some of them) at being ordered away from
this place, where they think they have struck Il
big thing" in copper mines. From this point
We entered upon what is called the desert. Eight
cen miles from here we come to what is known
as ''the caves''-so called, believe, from the fact
of there being no caves thcre-at least | saw
nothing like them, but came near caving-in with
the heavy march over the deep. sandy road. The
sand was halt-knee deep to the animals, and their
feet generally found small boulder at the bot
tom to slide tumble upon. Walking was a
most laborious work. From there over very near
as bad Il road twenty-five miles brings you to the
Soda Springs, on the margin of Soda Lake. This
water is soft and warm, and not unpleasant to the
taste We had now passed the last brush shanty.
and were alone upon the alkaled, CRASHES des
est The lake, should say, was ten or fifteen
miles north and SOUTH by about five miles east
and west. and is spread ont before the traveller in
one great, white plain Of alkali. bitter and un
promising as can be imagined From these
springs we crossed the lake, and another sandy
range into the mountains. and at the end of thir
tysix weary, dry miles, came to water. This is
what is called the desert, but to my mind it i.
, scarcely proper to particularize in that way-i
is very good desert almost any place along the
route.
twenty-five miles from this last camp we came
{ to Rock Spring. This is the center of a mining
district, and some fine silverbearng specimens
of rock, from the mountains ten or fifteen miles
= away. were shown me by the Deputy Recorder
This gentleman, Ca very intelligent German as
s,ycr), seemed very sangninc. l hope he make
! his pile We were now about fifty miles from
this point, and expected to make it in three days
easy After rest of two days, we filled ou
canteens, and about noon on the 2lst, pushed on
upon grassy. cactus covered plain, of abou
. twenty-five miles in length upon which hug,
Buttcs arise, aud fringed all round with ranges o
jagged, peaked mountains. Six miles from th
0 spring the roads forkthe more northerly brancl
leading to Ell Dorado Canon District, some eight,
miles distant, where considerable mining is nov
being prosecuted; and the other branch. leading
a little south of east makes for this point.
:, Some fifteen miles from the spring we made
camp. and here commenced our first troubles o
Importance. Before it was day, next morning,
stepped out from camp to get the animals for Al
! eaI ly start, and going further than was aware
!, got confused when turned to find camp-los
the camp y lost myself - and almost my wits
!, Finally. | found the road and the mules at th
, same time. The mules were on the road bacl
y for water. | chased them, and in the cXctemen
passed the forks of the road without seeing it
finally headed them, but with the perverseness o
mules, their imaginations continued to run OIL
the spring of water, and they essayed to outfanl
me and go back to it, and in one of my counte
u raids | drove them into the El Dorado Cano