Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-06-17
ENDURANCE OF MUSTANGS.
John G. FremOnts Great Ride of Eight
Hundred Miles in Eight Days.

in fifteen hours, and failed from ex-
haustion, recalls the great ride of FIRE.
mont in 1S47. The story of this ride is
retold as follows:
1t was at daybreak on the morning of
the twenty second Of March, 1847, that
the party SET out for La Ciudad de Los
Angeles (the City of the Angels), in the
southern part of Upper California, to
proceed in the shortest time to Monterey,
on the Pacific coast, distant full 400
miles. The way is overa mountainous
country, much of it uninhablted, with
no other road than track and many de-
files to pass, particularly the maritime
defle of Eel Rincon or Punto GaIdo,
fifteen miles in extent, made by the fall
ing of a precipitous mountain into the
sea, and which can only be passed when
the tide is out and the sea calm, and
then in many places through the waves.
The towns of Santa Barbara and San
Luis Obispo, and occasional ranches, are
the principal inhabited places on the
route. Each of the party had three
horses-nine in ALTO take their turns
under the saddle. The six loose horses
ran ahead, without bride Or halter, and
required some attention to leep them to
the track. When wanted for change,
say at the distance of twenty miles, they
were caught by a lasso, thrown either by
Don Jesus or the servant Jacob. None
of the horses were shod, that being un-
known to the Californians. The usual
gait was sweeping gallop The first
day they ran 125 miles, passing the San
Fernando mountain, the defile of the
Rincon and several other mountains, and
slept at the hospitable rancho of Don
Thomas Robbers, beyond the town of
Santa Barbara. The only fatigue COM
planned of in this days ride was in
Jacobs right arm, made tired by throw
ing the lasso, and using it as a whip to
keep the loose horses to the track. The
next day they made another 125 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 perished
in the crossing of that terrible mountain
by the California battalion, on Christmas
day, 1916, amid raging tempest, and a
deluge of rain and cold, more killing
than that of the Sierra Nevada, the day
of severest suffering, says Fremont and
his men, that they have ever passed.
At sunset the party stopped to sup with
the friendly Captain Dana, and at nine
at night San Luis Obispo was reached.
Here the mustangs from Los Angeles
were left, and eight others taken in thei1
place, and Spanish boy added to the
party to assist in managing the loose
horses.
Proceeding at the usual gait till eight
o'clock at night, and having made some
seventy miles, Don Jesus became ia,
tigued and proposed a halt for few
hours. 1t tas in the valley of sShe Sa
linas and the haunt of marauding In.
dams. For safety during their reposes
the party turned off the track, issued
through q canyon into the thick wood
and laid down, the horses being put to
grass at short distance, with the
Spanish boy in the saddle to watch
S.eep, when commenced, was too sweet
to be easily given up, and it was half
way between midnight and day wher
the sleepers were aroused by an estam
pedo among the horses and the calls Of
the boy. The cause of the alarm was
soon found-not Indians, but white
bears, this valley being their great re-
sort and the place where Colonel Ere
mont and thirty-fve of his men en-
countered some hundreds of them the
summer before, killing thirty upon the
ground.
The character of these bears is vel
known and the bravest hunters do no
like to meet them without the advan
tage of numbers. On discovering the
enemy, Colonel Fremont felt for hi
pistols, but Don Jesus desired him tt
be still, saying that People could
scare BEARS" and Immediately hallooet
at them in Spanish, and they went off
Sleep went off also, and the recovery Of
the horses frightened by the bears
building rou3ing fire, making a break
fast from the hospital supplies of Sar
Luis Obispo occupied the party till day
break, when the journey was resumed
eighty miles, and the afternoon brought
the party to Monterey. rn f..l ....
The next day, in the afternoon, thu
party set out on their return, and thu
two horses rode by Colonel Fremon
from San Luis Obispo being a present tt
him from Don Jesus, he (Don Jesus
desired to make an experiment of wha
one of them could do. They were
brothers, one year younger than the
other. The elder was to be taken fol
the trial, and the journey commenced
upon him at leaving Monterey-tht
afternoon we'll advanced. Thirty miles
under the saddle done that evening ant
the party stopped fer the night. In thu
morning the elder canalo was agair
under the saddle for Colonel Fremont
and for ninety miles he carried hin
without @ change and without apparent
fatigue. It was still thirty miles to SAL
Luis Obispo, where the night was to b,
passed, and Don Jesu insisted tina
canalo could do it, and SO said the horse
by his looks and action. But Colone
Fremont would not put him to the trial
and, shifting the saddle to the youngel
brother, the elder was turned loose tx
run the rema ming thirty miles without {
rider. He did SO, Immediately taking
the lead and keeping it all the way, ant
entering San Luis in a sweeping gallop
nostrils distended, shutting the air anC
neighing with exultation at his return
to his native pastures, his younge
brother'all the time at the head of tn,
horses under the saddle, bearing OF
his bit and held in by his rider. TIL,
whole eight horses made the 100 mile
each that day (after thirty the evening
before). t'l3
After hospitable detention of an
other half a day at San Luis Obispo, tn,
party set out for Los Angeles, on til,
same nine horses which they had rod
from that place, and made the ride baol
in about the same time they had made
up-namely. at the rate of 125 miles
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