a fierceness and strength rarely witnessed.  The hogs and pigs came squealing about the door for admission; and the cattle and horses in the valley, terrified by the violence of elemental battle, ran backwards and forwards, bellowing and snorting.  In comfortable quarters, we roasted and enjoyed our bear-meat and venison, and left the wind, rain, lightning, and thunder to play their pranks as best suited them, which they did all night.

On the morning of the fourth, we found the trail described to us by Mr. Greenwood, and, crossing a ridge of mountains, descended into the valley of Nappa creek, which empties into the Bay of San Francisco just below the Straits of Carquinez.  This is a most beautiful and fertile valley, and is already occupied by several American settlers.  Among the first who established themselves here is Mr. Yount, who soon after erected a flouring-mill and saw-mill.  These have been in operation several years.  Before reaching Mr. Yount’s settlement we passed a saw-mill more recently erected, by Dr. Bale.  There seems to be an abundance of pine and red-wood (a species of fir), in the canadas.  No lumber can be superior for building purposes than that sawed from the red-wood.  The trees are of immense size, straight, free from knots and twists, and the wood is soft, and easily cut with plane and saw.  Arriving at the residence of Dr. Bale, in Nappa Valley, we were hospitably entertained by him with a late breakfast of coffee, boiled eggs, steaks, and tortillas, served up in American style.  Leaving Nappa, after travelling down it some ten or twelve miles, we crossed another range of hills or mountains, and reached Sonoma after dark, our clothing thoroughly drenched with the rain, which, with intermissions, had fallen the whole day.  I put up at the same quarters as when here before.  The house was covered with a dilapidated thatch, and the rain dripped through it, not leaving a dry spot on the floor of the room where we slept.  But there was an advantage in this—­the inundation of water had completely discomfited the army of fleas that infested the building when we were here before.

It rained incessantly on the fifth.  Col.  Russell arrived at Sonoma early in the morning, having arrived from San Francisco last night.  Procuring a boat belonging to Messrs. Howard and Mellus, lying at the embarcadero, I left for San Francisco, but, owing to the storm and contrary winds, did not arrive there until the morning of the seventh, being two nights and a day in the creek, and churning on the bay.  Purchasing a quantity of clothing, and other supplies for volunteers, I sailed early on the morning of the eighth for New Helvetia, in a boat belonging to the sloop-of-war Portsmouth, manned by U.S. sailors, under the command of Midshipman Byres, a native of Maysville, Ky.  We encamped that night at the head of “Soeson,” having sailed about fifty miles in a severe storm of wind and rain.  The waves frequently dashed entirely over our little