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down the South fork to the plains, through the plains of the Laramie River to the Knew? Park ( which we trapped it to the old Park) then again to the Balla Salado, then on to the Arkansas River where it comes out of the mountain then we followed it on under the mountain + thence home to the Rayado, through the Raton Mountains, having made a very good hunt. I remained at the Rayado during the fall and winter. In February 53 I went to the valley of the Rio Abajo River and purchased sheep and returned with them to the Rayado. I then started for California, taking Henry Mercure, John Bernavette? + their employees? ers? with me. We had about 6500 head of sheep with us. We first went to Fort Laramie and then kept to the wagon road that is travelled by emigrants to California where we arrived about the 1st of August having met with no serious loss during our journey. We then sold our sheep to Mr. Norris at $5.30? per head which was considered ? doing very well. I had heard so much talk of the great changes that had taken place in San Francisco lately that I concluded to go there, when I reached it I was indeed astonished I would never have known the town if I had not been there so often before. Maxwell came to California shortly afterwards and disposed of his sheep in Sacramento but on? he sent me an express from the Carson river which I received at Sacramento, requesting me to await his arrival so that we could travel home together by way of the Gila. When eventually he arrived I went down to Los Angeles by land while he went by the steamer, I refused to travel by water having once made a trip by sea in 1847? 46? with which I was so disgusted that I swore that that would be the last time I would lose sight of land while I could possibly procure a mule to carry me. I arrived safely at Los Angeles, Maxwell, having reached there some fifteen days before me, we made the necessary preparations and then set out for New Mexico