[No date.] Today our ride of about eighteen miles was over a plain of rather poor soil, and we found the rancho; it was formerly the Mission of San Fernando.[38] Like most of the others, it has a long portico and arches; a few pictures of the Virgin and some images of the saints are still standing, but, from an artistic point of view, they are poor trash. The garden is still most luxuriant, and many grapes are grown here, and wine made, as well as other liquors distilled. It looked like sacrilege to me to see the uses made of sacred places but so the changes appear to be in these countries; dilapidation immediately follows the removal of the priests. Great dislike was manifested to the Americans here, and they would neither give nor sell any of the fruits they had in such abundance, grapes and melons wasting on the ground.
Leaving this rancho we camped five miles further on our way, up an arroyo, in tall, rush-like grass, where we had only bad water, being so charged with sulphur and various salts as to be undrinkable. The hills are of a friable, whitish clay and sandstone, and after a very steep ascent, we gradually descended into a beautiful valley to the rancho San Francisco, and encamped in sight of it with good water, and plenty of wood. In the morning Rhoades killed the first black-tailed deer that any of the party has secured. We found it very good meat, and quite enjoyed it, after the continuance of beef we have had since our arrival on this side of the great divide, as at the rancho we can usually buy fine, young cattle for from eight to twelve dollars.
[No date.] We now commenced the regular ascent of the Coast Range, the mountains at first were sandy loam and sandstone; we had no grand views, even of distance, and we lost two of our mules from fatigue. Our descent was rapid for some miles, and brought us to the gorge leading to the dividing ridge, where was a rapid torrent, about up to our knees, and as we followed it scenes of the wildest description presented themselves. Sometimes it looked as if our further progress was completely at an end, and again a turn at right angles showed us half a mile more of our road. The rocks here are shelly sandstone, looking at first sight, at a distance, like slate. The tops of all the mountains are covered with snow, and the wind from the northwest was blowing so hard as to bring our tired mules to a standstill, as the puffs struck them.
As we came out into the plain or valley a few squalls of hail and rain came on, and we were glad to camp near some cottonwoods, not deeming it prudent to be under them, as their limbs had already, some of them, yielded to the mountain gusts and fallen.
[No date.] Tulare Valley. One more day brought us to this great valley, and the view from the last hill looking to northwest was quite grand, stretching on one hand until lost in distance, and on the other the snowy mountains on the east of the Tulare valley. Here, for the first time, I saw the Lewis woodpecker, and Steller's jay in this country. I have seen many California vultures and a new hawk, with a white tail and red shoulders. During the dry season this great plain may be travelled on, but now numerous ponds and lakes exist, and the ground is in places, for miles, too boggy to ride over, so we were forced to skirt the hills. This compelled us sometimes to take three days when two should have been ample. Our journeys now are not more than twenty miles a day, and our nights are so penetrating and cold, that four blankets are not too many.
[No date.] Our morning's ride, as we had anticipated, was pleasant after the hills, but not directly on our course, as the late rains had made the soil, always soft, impassable for our mules, from the mud. We wound round the mountains for about twenty-five miles, to the first Indian village we had seen, though we had passed several single huts. Being far ahead of the train, I had time to look at their household style of living, and saw them grinding their acorns, and fanning grass and other seeds, so as to prepare their winter's food. They appear to make a sort of pulp of the acorn by grinding it in a most simple mill of stone, using two kinds as convenience or ownership suggests. One, a standing mill, and the other a kind of mortar and pestle style, the mortar being formed by continual use of the same place, until from two to six inches deep, and if the large stone is favorable, from ten to twelve holes are seen in the same one.
These Indians were friendly and seemed pleased to see Americans coming into the country, and I have no doubt but that their condition will be greatly ameliorated by the change from savage to half-civilized life.
We saw one company already installing themselves in this beautiful valley, where they hope to make permanent homes.
[No date.] For two days heavy rolling hills of black soil, clay and gravel with an occasional arroyo of sand, made our journey tedious, but we gradually arrived in better country for travelling, but less grass, and, as we neared the San Joaquin River, immense herds of antelope and elk were seen, so wild that it was difficult to approach them.
[No date.] This is our second day on the San Joaquin River, and we have secured a fine elk and an antelope, three geese and two Sandhill cranes (I am sure different from ours) so that we have feasted luxuriously. Many thousand geese are seen daily, and we are travelling on cheerfully, making our twenty-five miles with ease, and camping by half-past four or five o'clock. After supper we sit round our camp fires for an hour or so, and then turn in for the night, to be ready for the early start on the morrow.