Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/125

, love  of

wealth most  of  them,  and  love  of  lawlessness  and crime not  a  few.

The distance  by  these  routes  was  about  2,000  miles, though 3,000  miles  of  trackless  wilderness  were  trod by some  of  the  earlier  caravans. Their path  lay through vast  prairies,  over  the  Rocky  range,  across the alkaline  plains,  then  up  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and down into  the  garden  of  California. For weeks  and months the  emigrants  were  out  of  sight  of  any  human habitation ; even  the  homes  of  the  savages  that  now and then  swept  down  upon  them,  were  unknown  and out of  view. On reaching  the  game  region,  elk,  wild turkeys, and  an  occasional  panther  were  seen,  which some would  pursue,  but  with  the  exception  of  now and then  a  wiser  hunter  who  would  strike  a  noble quarry, their  incipient  ^kill  in  the  use  of  fire-arms secured little  food. Bands of  buffalo  and  scattering antelope, with  the  gray  wolf,  coyote,  raven,  and  other beasts of  prey,  with  nomadic  tribes  of  savage  men  and women, were  the  sole  occupants  of  this  vast,  and sometimes sterile  region. At intervals  was  water, and here  and  there  vegetation. Sometimes grass buried the  travellers  in  its  long  wavey  folds,  and  again it would  be  too  poor  even  to  feed  the  fires  that  an- nually swept over  it.

To cross  the  mountains  during  winter  was  prac- tically impossible; and  as  news  of  the  gold  discovery reached the  east  too  late  for  the  summer  of  1848,  it was  not  until  about  the  middle  of  1849  that  the  tide of overland  emigration  fairly  set  in. Independence, Missouri, was  one  of  the  chief  points  of  departure from the  northern  states,  and  Sacramento  the  goal ; or if  for  southern  California,  the  Santa  Fe  trail  was taken — that old  trail,  never  by  any  chance  passing within shot  of  the  black  oak  timber  that  occasionally dotted the  horizon  or  filled  the  ravines,  for  the  wary old pioneers  who  had  laid  it  out  knew  better  than that. At this  time  30,000  souls  and  more,each  in  its glowing ardor,  and  from  its  individual  history,  might