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BOOK THE FIRST.

VOL. I.

B

NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY

FROM CALIFORNIA TO UTAH.

CHAPTER I.

ROUTE FROM SACRAMENTO TO CARSON VALLEY.

DEPARTURE FROM SACRAMENTO.-BANKS OF THE AMERICAN RIVER.CALIFORNIAN MANNERS.-MINES.-FÊTE AMONG FRENCH MINERS. -PLACERVILLE.-THE SIERRA NEVADA.-A BLOOD-STAINED DWELLING.-A GRIZZLY BEAR.- -A FOREST ON FIRE.-A MORMON COLONY. HOT SPRINGS.-A FAMILY OF ANIMALS.

MR. BRENCHLEY and myself quitted San Francisco the 18th of July, 1855, to complete at Sacramento our preparations for the expedition we had resolved to make into the Mormon territory. Instead of the two days we had originally considered sufficient for that purpose, we lost ten from the extreme difficulty of obtaining the beasts of burden we required for the transport of our provisions, ammunition, instruments, and implements necessary for the researches we had in view.

It

may not perhaps be unnecessary to state, that the price of mules, of horses, and many articles, though less than at the commencement of the rush to California, was so great that, although we had provided a liberal fund to meet expenses, it was exhausted long before we had purchased many things indispensable for our expedition;* so that we were compelled to have recourse to the kindness of two bankers of San Francisco, M. Touchard and M. Ritter, who hastened, with a generosity we shall never forget, to advance us considerable sums.

From the outset we had resolved to take no servants, the experience of our former expeditions having shown them to be useless, cumbersome, and even occasionally a dangerous luxury. However, a young native of Havre, named George, the luckless captain of a merchant vessel which had foundered in the Pacific, begged of us to take him into our service, merely asking his food in return for his services. Moved by his entreaties and his miserable condition, reflecting moreover that a man of education and accustomed to fatigue would not be the same trouble as a hired servant, we yielded, and consented to engage him to look after our animals and to cook. This fresh arrangement delayed us two days longer, for the purpose of procuring another saddle-mule.

To give an idea of our expenses, under the circumstances in which California and particularly Utah were then situated, it will suffice to state that the five months' journey to Utah and back cost us more than £1,600.

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