RKCOLLKCTIONS OF AN OLD PIONEER. 387 the people belonging to the foremost wagons had been without water nearly two days. Next morning I started on foot to meet my wagons, and found them on the middle ridge, this side the first huge mass of rock, about sundown. They had plenty of water for drinking purposes, and chained up the oxen to the wagons. Next day they came into camp in good time, without suffering and without loss. ARRIVE AT THE HOUSE OK 1'ETKR LASSEN ORIGIN OF TIIK TERM "PROSPECTING" ARRIVAL AT THE M I N ES M IN ING. Y left the first camp in the valley the next morning, and, after traveling a distance of eight miles, arrived at the rancho of Old Peter Lassen. The old pilot was in the best of spirits, and killed for us a fat beef ; and we re- mained at his place two or three days, feasting and rest- ing. All organization in our company ceased upon our arrival in the Sacramento Valley. Each gold hunter went his own way, to seek his own fortune. They soon after scattered in various directions. A day or two after we left Lassen's place, we were sur- prised and very much amused upon learning that the packers who had left us in such a hurry on Pitt River were coming on behind us. As stated on page 200, they had descended a long steep hill to a creek at the bottom of an immense ravine. They followed down this stream west for some miles, when they came to an obstruction in their route that they could not possibly pass, and were compelled to return up the stream east Until they found a place where they could get out of this ravine on its north side. They came to the creek on its southern side, and thought their best chance to escape was to be found on its northern bank. In this way they were detained in the mountains three or four days longer than we were. They
