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64 last year's wild oats - Northward - places - bounded with hills - pink blending with pink till lost in indistinctness with the blue sky beyond. The view was almost unbounded on every side. The tents of Mormen Island - and those of the North Fork even in plain sight - while I could almost place - Vernen - Sacramento City and Bunicia. Long did we linger to enjoy the lovely scene. Descending the hill we met a hunter - with his long rifle - in pursuit of deer. He showed us the gap between two peaks in the Sierra Nevada - where he had crossed. He said most of the emigrants had arrived who would come this year - as at least had got down into the valley. I was amused by the hunters speech - being a Hoosier I should judge. His pronunciation was thar - for these - fotch - for fitch, I allow - for I intended. He was however clever and sociable and promised to shoot a salmon - "yes as many as we could tote" if we would come down to his camp to morrow.

Teusday November 28th 1849. The rains have begun again. Wind easterly. The air is still pleasant - no change of clothing being necessary. My companion wished me not to discover any cracks in the clouds - for fear all hope of its clearing off should be lost. During the last rain I discovered the clouds breaking an announced fair weather - but it soon closed and was very showery all the day. During every torrent they reminded me - that one of my cracks was overhead again. Were prospecting again. Lost our way - and arrived at the top of a high hill - a high table land - covered with rubble and nutumorphic stones. We picked up several and preserved them. Returning stopped at the log house of a man who had crossed the plains with his wife and eleven children. They were about ragged and dirty - of all sizes from a picaninng upwards. "I allowed" said he - "and I bragged about it. That I brought the largest family - that had come across the country - but I learned since getting - a man had come over bringing thirteen children - and then I backed so wise down. Spent the afternoon in cleaning my flute. Music! heavenly maid! - then art a charmer even in the desert.