attacked.  Four only out of their entire company escaped with their lives.  These succeeded in making their way to the nearest Mexican settlements, which they reached in a state of complete destitution, after many hardships.  Young and his party followed the dry bed of this river for several days before they came to any visible water.  It may be interesting to some of our readers to know that there are many of these curious rivers in western America, which, for miles disappear from the surface of the earth, and, probably, run through the quicksand beneath, as they reappear again.  The outline of the river usually exists between the place of its disappearance and the place where the water again comes to the surface of the earth.  By digging a few feet into the sand within the outline, the water is generally obtained.  It takes but a short time, however, for the hole thus made to fill up again.  On quitting this river, the party journeyed to the westward, and, in four days, came to the Mission of San Gabriel.  Here they found one Roman Catholic priest, fifteen Mexican soldiers, and about one thousand Indians.  Belonging to this little colony were eighty thousand head of cattle, fine fields and vineyards.  Literally the work and life of the Jewish patriarchs were here being reenacted.

    “A shepherd on the mighty plain he watched his roving store.”

To the half-starved followers of Mr. Young, this Mission appeared to be a “Paradise of Earth.”  They remained here, however, but one day.  Having nothing else to trade, they parted with their butcher knives, receiving for four of them one fat ox.  It would all appear a fabulous tale, were we to incorporate into this narrative a history, or even a slight description of the immensity of the herds of horses and cattle which once roamed over the plains and valleys of California and New Mexico.  It is but a few years since, that some wealthy Mexicans owned herds in these parts of America which they numbered by tens of thousands.  They were, however, almost valueless for want of a market; and, until the tide of emigration poured in, developing the resources of the country by its demand for provisions and labor, horses and cattle were sold for a mere trifle.  In one day’s march from San Gabriel, Young and his party arrived at another Roman Catholic Mission, called San Fernando.  This establishment was on a much smaller scale than the first.  Young and his hardy followers, however, stopping only for a few hours, pushed on for the Sacramento River, which proved to be distant only a few days’ march.  Their course from San Fernando was northeast.  The last part of their journey led through a delightful tract of country, where water, grass and game existed in abundance, seemingly a foretaste of the success which awaited their further advance.  Selecting an eligible camping site, Young here rested his party for some time.  When they were fully recruited, the party started for the San Joaquin, and commenced