Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/104



were some  emigrants  for  California,  The  glowing stories of  the  fur-hunters  concerning  the  beauty,  fer- tility, and climate  of  California,  between  the  years 1825 and  1840,  found  here  and  there  listeners  who determined to  make  the  venture.

After all  this  comes  John  C.  Fremont  callino;  him- self explorer,  and  pathfinder,  which  latter  truly  he was, — finding  the  paths  others  had  made  rather  than making them  himself.

Three great  emigrations,  each  three  years  apart,  mark the exodus  of  the  people  inhabiting  the  frontier  states, and the  tide  of  overland  travel  westward  to  the  slope of the  Pacific. The first  was  that  to  Oregon  in  1843, some of  which  on  nearing  the  Pacific  turned  ofi"  and entered  California,  guided  along  the  Humboldt  by  the famous  mountaineer,  Joe  Walker.  At  this  time  many kept  the  Oregon  trail  as  far  as  Fort  Hall,  or  Foit Boise,  on  Lewis  river,  before  branching  off  for  Cali- fornia.

The second  was  that  to  California  in  1846,  pending hostilities between  the  United  States  and  Mexico. These adventurers  were  assured  that  California  was a most  delightful  country,  one  every  way  desirable  to settle  in ;  that  it  was  thinly  peopled,  and  except  along the seaboard  almost  unoccupied;  and  that  now  the nation was  roused  to  arms,  engaged  in  a  hand  to  hand conflict with  a  weaker  power,  which  would  probably result in  the  acquisition  of  all  that  territory  by  the stronger; or  at  all  events  the  United  States  could protect citizens  settled  on  the  Mexican  frontier,  if not,  finally,  they  could  protect  themselves. This spirit and  this  emigration  were  encouraged,  both  by the  government  and  by  popular  feeling. The result proved as  had  been  anticipated ;  scarcely  had  the emigrants of  1846  arrived  in  the  valley  of  California, when the  whole  magnificent  domain  fell  a  prize  into the lap  of  the  United  States,  and  these  hardy  hunters, ox-drivers,  and  land-tillers,   found  themsel