Transcription:
2 leave he volunteered the information, that he was always kindly disposed towards strangers, but that most people met under
such circumstances would have robbed made way with? me etc, I think therefore that leaving Snag in his care will form an interesting
experiment on human nature. I fully intended to sail on down into the bay up the San Joaquin as far as Millerton, but when
I came to examine a map of the river deltas found that the distance was upwards of three hundred miles, learned also that
the upper San Joaquin was not navigable this dry year even for my craft, when I also took into consideration the approach
of winter danger of snow storms on the Kings River summits, I concluded to bye? my way into the mountains at once, leave the
San Joaquin studies until my return. Accordingly I took the streamer to San Francisco, where I remained one day, leaving extra
baggage, getting some changes of clothing. Then went directly rail to Visalia, thence pushed up the mountains to Hydes Hill?
on the Kaweah, where I obtained some flour, which, together with the tea Mrs Bidwell supplied me with, that piece of dried
beef, a little sugar, constituted my stock of provisions. From here I crossed the divide, going northward through fine Sequoia
woods to converse on Kings River. Here I spent two days making some studies on the Big Trees, chiefly with aperance to their
age. Then I turned eastward pushed