The  meadow  was  about  a  mile  wide,  some  ten  miles  long,  bor-
dered by  grassy  hills  and  mountains — some  of  the  latter  rising
two  thousand  feet,  and  white  with  snow  down  to  the  level  of
the  vegas.  Its  elevation  above  the  sea  was  5,280  feet ;  lati-
tude, by  observation,  37°  28'  28" ;  and  its  distance  from  where
we  first  struck  the  Spanish  trail  about  400  miles.  Counting
from  the  time  we  reached  the  desert,  and  began  to  skirt,  at  our
descent  from  Walker's  Pass  in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  we  had
traveled  550  miles,  occupying  27  days,  in  that  inhospitable
region.  In  passing  before  the  Great  Caravan,  we  had  the  ad-
vantage of  finding  more  grass,  but  the  disadvantage  of  finding
also  the  marauding  savages,  who  had  gathered  down  upon  the
trail,  waiting  the  approach  of  that  prey.  This  greatlj  in.
creased  onr  labors,  besides  costing  us  the  life  of  an  excellepi


460  COL.  Fremont's  naruativb  of

man.  We  had  to  move  all  day  in  a  state  of  watch,  and  pre
pared  for  combat — scouts  and  flankers  out,  a  front  and  rear
division  of  our  men,  and  baggage-animals  in  the  centre.  At
night,  camp  duty  was  severe.  Those  who  had  toiled  all  day,
had  to  guard,  by  turns,  the  camp  and  the  horses,  all  night.
Frequently  one-third  of  the  whole  party  were  on  guard  at
once  ;  and  nothing  but  this  vigilance  saved  us  from  attack.
