evidently subject to annual inundations. About noon we reached a small
lake surrounded by _tule_. There being no trail for our guidance, we
experienced some difficulty in shaping our course so as to strike the
San Joaquin River at the usual fording place. Our man Jack, by some
neglect or mistake of his own, lost sight of us, and we were compelled
to proceed without him. This afternoon we saw several large droves of
antelope and deer. Game of all kinds appears to be very abundant in
this rich valley. Passing through large tracts of _tule_, we reached
the San Joaquin River at dark, and encamped on the eastern bank. Here
we immediately made large fires, and discharged pistols as signals to
our man Jack, but he did not come into camp. Distance 35 miles.

_September 16_.--Jack came into camp while we were breakfasting,
leading his tired horse. He had bivouacked on the plain, and, fearful
that his horse would break loose if he tied him, he held the animal by
the bridle all night.

The ford of the San Joaquin is about forty or fifty miles from its
mouth. At this season the water is at its lowest stage. The stream at
the ford is probably one hundred yards in breadth, and our animals
crossed it without much difficulty, the water reaching about midway of
their bodies. Oak and small willows are the principal growth of wood
skirting the river. Soon after we crossed the San Joaquin this morning
we met two men, couriers, bearing despatches from Commodore Stockton,
the governor and commander-in-chief in California, to Sutter's Fort.
Entering upon the broad plain, we passed, in about three miles, a small
lake, the water of which was so much impregnated with alkali as to be
undrinkable. The grass is brown and crisp, but the seed upon it is
evidence that it had fully matured before the drought affected it. The
plain is furrowed with numerous deep trails, made by the droves of wild