Collection: Directories and Documents > Tanis Thorne Native Californian & Nisenan Collection

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Title: Topographical Reports of Lt. George H. Derby (Volume 11)(1932) Collection Type: Directories and Documents Collection Name: Tanis Thorne Native Californian & Nisenan Collection Published: 1932 # of Pages: 5 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

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Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

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road through the pass is quite as good, and needs as little repair as any porof the road between Monterey and San Miguel of the same length, and is ar the best pass through the coast range of mountains not excepting Liver’s. Crossing a plain 6.04 miles by the viameter in width, upon the Ist of "We came to a small stream called Dick’s creek, which, rising in the hills, i south for about twelve miles, and loses -itself in the sandy soil, forming ig the rainy season quite an extensive marsh at its termination. Here we 1 good water, and the banks of the creek lined with wild oats, affording lent grazing for the animals; I concluded therefore to encamp here, and ‘ed with my party to examine the trail leading in the direction of the which I hoped to be able to reach and return from before sundown, he escort having arrived and encamped in our vicinity, I started accordat about 10 a.m., and, crossing two ranges of low hills over a broad and th trail, arrived on the shore.of the great Taché lake®® about lpm. We unable to get close to the water, in consequence of the tulé which environed tending into the lake from two hundred yards to one-fourth of a:mile, as 5 the eye could reach. With a glass I could distinguish the timber at the _and the tulé at the south ends of the lake, the length of which I estimated ‘out twenty miles, but we could not distinctly make out the opposite or ‘n shore. The peaks of the Sierra Nevada, at this place twelve thousand bove the level of the sea and covered with perpetual snow, appeared in close mity, and, rising far above the horizon, seemed to us to come down preusly to the very edge of the water, The distance from our encampment : lake we estimated at eighteen miles, or nearly a day’s march, and as the ry passed over was a perfect desert, and I found here no forage for the ls but wire grass, the water standing in the tulé marshes brackish, and no at all, I concluded to return immediately to camp, and in the morning to a reconnoissance to the south of our position, for the purpose of finding a to the southern extremity of the lake, which point I hoped to be able to in one day’s march. An examination was accordingly made on the 2d, (a n of the party being left in camp to cut wild oats, which I purposed to sort for forage, as it was evident we would find none upon the shores lake,) which terminated favorably, a good path being found through the "rn extremity of the valley, and a trail leading apparently around the south lake. 1 the 3d we broke up our pleasant encampment at Dick’s creek, and suclin reaching the southern part of the lake, where we encamped upon the or the night, having marched twenty-four and a quarter miles nearly in an ly direction from the termination of the pass. We found here a ridge of ibout one hundred yards in width, and twelve feet above the level of the which divides the water of the northern or Taché from the bed (now dry) of the southern or Ton Taché lake. This last is little more than a xtensive swamp, covering the plain for fifteen miles in a southerly direcnd is about ten in width. It is filled with sloughs and small tulé lakes, and is of course impassable except with the assistance of boats or rafts. The gradual receding of the water is distinctly marked by the ridges of decayed tulé upon its shore, and I was informed, and see no reason to disbelieve, that ten years ago it was nearly as extensive a sheet of water as the northern hed’ ee been gradually drained by the connecting sloughs, and its bed filled by the encroachments of the tulé. We crossed the slough on the 4th, being assisted with rafts of tulé by the rancheria of Sin Taché Indians,?° which we found established at this point. They were about one hundred in number, mostly clothed, and very friendly. the captain was an old Indian from the San Luis Obispo mission, and spoke “aa indifferently well. Several of these Indians had bits of paper on whic were written recommendations signed by various persons, Spanish and American, y which they set great store, and eagerly exhibited for our examination. I gave the captain a certificate that he had treated us kindly, and proceeding on over the desert, which we found very painful travelling for the animals, encampe on the southeast point of the lake, having made 12.64 miles. We found here another small rancheria called the Tinte Tachés, living, like the others, Prin pally on fish and reptiles, and numbering about fifty. Thad a conversation w ‘ the captain, who was quite an intelligent old fellow, originally belonging to t me mission of San Miguel. He informed me that the Taché Indians, of which tri his rancheria formed a portion, numbered about eight hundred in all, and were settled on the shores of the great lake, but their principal rancheria, containing about three hundred, is situated at its northwest extremity. They are all peaceable and friendly in their dispositions; and he assured me that they had never stolen or eaten horseflesh, which, judging from the meagre condition of himself and companions, I should think highly probable. We gave them some rea and a little sugar, with which they were highly gratified, and in the morning broug us some dried fish in return, which we accepted, but could make no use of. On the Sth, after marching 15.38 miles over a continuation of the barren sandy desert which had been our route for the last three days, i came to two or three cottonwood trees upon a small stream called Moore’s creek, which empties near this point into the Ton Taché swamp, and here, the grass being very tolerable, we encamped. This is the first point on Gate route W _ good water, grass, or wood is to be found after leaving Dick’s creek. It wi therefore be seen that it is necessary for loaded wagons to transport, if travelling this route, sufficient grain to forage their teams for three days. As I deemed it unnecessary for the infantry escort to accompany me through the desert to Buena Vista lake, which it now became necessary to examine, I proceeded up Moore's creek on the 6th for 12.20 miles, to a point about five miles west of the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada, where I found an excellent encampment, the creek at this point, and above among the hills, being lined with cottonwood and willows and some large oaks, the grass among which was growing luxuriously, , Here Lieutenant Moore encamped his party to await my é foto