JOURNAL OF TRAVELS FROM ST. JOSEPHS TO OREGON, WITH OBSERVATIONS OF THAT COUNTRY, TOGETHER WITH _SOME DESCRIPTION OF CALIFORNIA_, ITS AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS, AND A Full Description OF ITS GOLD MINES. BY RILEY ROOT. GALESBURG: GAZETTEER AND INTELLIGENCER PRINTS. 1850. EXPLANATORY NOTE. The Author of the present work has adopted a new method of punctuation, and, in certain cases, of spelling. He discards entirely the colon and the semi-colon. Modern readers passing along with great rapidity, and the principal use of these points being to mark the length of time the voice is to be suspended, the Author is of opinion that they may with propriety disappear from our language. Accordingly he has adjusted the following work to suit those views, and as the reader advances, his attention will naturally be directed to that subject, by which means he will be enabled to judge of the propriety or impropriety of this adjustment of the pauses in the language. THE PRINTER ADVERTISEMENT. As the advantages for knowing the pronunciation of some of the words that occur in the following work are limited amongst most eastern readers, it may not be improper here to give some explanation by way of change in their orthography. The name of the Willamette, a river in the west valley of Oregon, is changd to Will-am-et, with the accent on the second syllable. A tributary of the Willamet river, with the several names of Quality, Tualiton, and Troliton, is more familiarly calld Twality. Also another, which flows from Mt. Jefferson, by some calld Santa Anna, is more properly calld San-ty-am. San or Saint Joaquin in California, is pronouncd Saint Wau-keen, with the accent on the second syllable. Stanislaus, a tributary of the St. Wau-keen, is often improperly calld Spanish Slough. Juba river, a tributary of the Sacramento, is now calld Yu-bar river. The old name of Rio de Plumas, is familiarly known by the name of Feather river. Mereposa is divided into four syllables, with the half accent on Mer, and the full accent on Po. The above definitions may in some degree, help the reader to the proper pronunciation of some words as used in California. JOURNAL. [Illustration: Decorative glyph] CHAPTER I. Journey from home—Trip down the Mississippi and up the Missouri River to St. Josephs.