Colonial Expeditions to the Interior of California Central Valley, 1800-1820Cook, Sherburne Friend
History
Colonial Expeditions to the Interior of California Central Valley, 1800-1820
Cook, Sherburne Friend
California -- Discovery and exploration; California -- History -- To 1846 -- Sources; Central Valley (Calif.)
At four o'clock in the afternoon we began to descend, and at sunset we
stopped on the west bank opposite the place where we stopped on the
18th, having gone fourteen leagues in three or four hours on account
of the great force of the current. The direction is south and
southeast.[30]
_21st day._ We set out at seven o'clock in the morning and in a little
while encountered on the right hand the slough through which on the 18th
we entered the main river. Leaving the latter and following the former
[i.e., the main river, to the left], after one league we came to a
rancheria called that of the Ochejamnes, which had forty houses but no
people. A little while thereafter we passed the head of the Island of
the Quenemsias.[31] Here we left the main Sacramento River, which runs
to the southwest, on the right hand and took a channel to the southeast
at the entrance to which in the year ... the heathen Indians murdered
Julio, the alcalde of San José. The launches got through with effort on
account of the many logs in the channel. At six leagues we came upon
the village of the Guaypens, with a few people, where we baptized seven
souls, all aged, invalids, or children. Here we had lunch and, having
started again at three o'clock in the afternoon, we stopped at the place
called "Las Cruces." It was our intention on the next day to reach the
San Joaquin River and ascend it as far as the village of the Passasimas.
We went in all today fifteen leagues, south and southeast.[32]
_22nd day._ We set out at seven o'clock in the morning and, shortly
after reaching the end of the branch, or slough, in which we were
traveling yesterday, we found another coming in from the northeast on
the left side. We passed this and followed south and southeast through
a very broad channel which leads to the San Joaquin River. Here the
launches separated. That of the Commandant directed its way to the west
and northwest in order to reconnoitre two or three islands in which are
living hidden some fugitives from San José. We with the other launch,
took a south and southeasterly direction, ascending the San Joaquin
River, with the intention of scouting the villages of the tule swamps.
At four o'clock we halted in a very muddy spot on account of the extreme
heat, which was exhausting the oarsmen. We started out again at six
o'clock with the idea of traveling all night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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