We camp at noon under the right bank. Andnow, as we push out, we are in great expectancy, for we hope every minute to discover the mouth of the Rio Virgen.
Soon one of the men exclaims: “Yonder's an Indian in the river.” Looking for a few minutes, we certainly do see two or three persons. The men bend to their oars, and pull toward them. Approaching, we see that there are three white men and an Indian hauling a seine, and then we discover that it is just at the mouth of the long-sought river.
As we come near, the men seem far less surprised to see us than we do to see them. They evidently know who we are, and, on talking with them, they tell us that we have been reported lost long ago, and that some weeks before, a messenger had been sent from Salt Lake City, with instructions for them to watch for any fragments or relics of our party that might drift down the stream.
Our new-found friends, Mr. Asa and his two sons, tell us that they are pioneers of a town that is to be built on the bank.
Eighteen or twenty miles up the valley of the Rio Virgen there are two Mormon towns, St. Joseph and St. Thomas. To-night we despatch an Indian to the last mentioned place, to bring any letters that may be there for us.
Our arrival here is very opportune. When we look over our store of supplies, we find about ten pounds of flour, fifteen pounds of dried apples, but seventy or eighty pounds of coffee.
FOOTNOTES:[1]Geologists would call these rocks metamorphic crystalline schists, with dikes and beds of granite, but we will use the popular name for the whole series—granite.
[1]Geologists would call these rocks metamorphic crystalline schists, with dikes and beds of granite, but we will use the popular name for the whole series—granite.
[1]Geologists would call these rocks metamorphic crystalline schists, with dikes and beds of granite, but we will use the popular name for the whole series—granite.
Transcriber's Note:Obvious printer's errors, including punctuation have been silently corrected. Hyphenated and accented words have been standardized.Page 18—“Peter Martyr tell us...” changed to “Peter Martyr tells us...”Page 69—satisfacton changed to satisfaction.Page 99—oppossed changed to opposed.Page 101—nihgt changed to night.Page 127—connonade changed to cannonade.
Obvious printer's errors, including punctuation have been silently corrected. Hyphenated and accented words have been standardized.
Page 18—“Peter Martyr tell us...” changed to “Peter Martyr tells us...”
Page 69—satisfacton changed to satisfaction.
Page 99—oppossed changed to opposed.
Page 101—nihgt changed to night.
Page 127—connonade changed to cannonade.