MONTHLY CHAT, WITH CONTRIBUTORS AND CORRESPONDENTS. J. S. H.-Many thanks for your favors. Will try to find room for a portion of the "Gipsey Girl" in our next. G.-The "Tehuantepec " article on file for our next number. The "cuts ,, are being prepared. Robert, San Jose.-Thanks for your kind words. The "Mint illustrations" in our October number were very good. How many copies do you want? Hope to see you in a few days. Student, Contra Costa.-You have lost. Your quotation is not proper. Here are the lines corrected: "If there be a crime Of deeper dye than all the guilty train Inquirer. Three thousand dollars is said to be the amount made by Mrs. Anna Cora Weekes by her newspaper operation. She practiced a similar game in several of the Atlantic cities. She is on her way to Sidney, to catch a few "ducks." L. P.-The verses are smoothly written. We like them. We have always admired them. Go to! you are a contemptible thief, and wouldn't hesitate to steal the coppers from a dead man's eyes. You have been pilfering from Rogers' "Pleasures of Memory." Democrat, Sacramento.-E. R. Campbell has not, as yet, received an appointment from Gov. Weller. It is, however, well understood that he is to have something nice, in a short time. You say he suffered pecuniarily, while working for the Governor. If so, he should certainly be remembered by the Gov. We have no time to devote to politics. "It is not in our way." Traveler, San Francisco.-Your article would occupy entirely too much space. Besides, est. We will look over your article at leisure. Ellen, Marysville.-You never labored under a greater mistake. Mr. Ridge, of the Express, is no more the "brother" of General Allen, in the sense referred to, than you are. Conservative, Shasta.-We are unable to answer all the queries in your note. On one or two points, however, we can speak knowingly. U. S. Commissioner Johnston is entirely "sound on the negro question," and would probably have rejoiced as much as any man in California to have seen Archy" returned to his Mississippi home. But we should remember that upon the Bench Mr. Johnston is the Judge, not the Southern man. Shakspeare, slightly altered for the occasion, tells us : There is no power in California Senator.-Glad you think so well of our Come and see us. Subscriber.-Would be glad to comply with your request, but have no time to look up the "documents." We have placed your case in the hands of a lawyer. Write you in a few days. B. N. S., Oroville.-We dislike to advise you in the matter. The Frazer river gold discovery appears to be "no humbug." Emma.-Your verses are good for one so young, yet they will hardly do to print. J. M.-Can furnish you with Gen. Walker's likeness. Send along your order. Miner, Nevada.-Much obliged for your suggestion. Will proceod at once to busiSend us the sketch. ness. we have already spread ourself on the H. L. Neall.-"Poor and Proud" in our subject. We are sticklers for no particular route for the great Pacific Railroad. We are easily pleased. All we want is a road. Give us the cheapest, best, and, above all, that which can be built quick next. Per Se, San Francisco.-Yours on file for June number. * *.—It will be observed that many of our friends are neglected under this head. A TRIP TO WALKER'S RIVER AND gars all description. How an emigrant CARSON VALLEY. train could ever get over it with their wagons, was, to us, almost a problem. In this short distance we passed the wrecks of about twenty wagons, some of them still in a tolerable state of preservation, while the bones of cattle were thickly strewn on either side; a sad memorial of the hardship of the passage. In many places, had our animals made a misstep," they would have been hurled into a yawn Just before sunset we descended to the river again, which was here a great deal larger than where we last crossed it, three miles above, showing that some considerable branch from the east had formed a junction with it, as we were still on the west side. On a little grassy flat, we pitched our camp, tired and exhausted, each entertaining a vague hope that we might not be obliged to retraverse the road we had just passed. ing gulf below. I was compelled to ride | ley, but of this latter they could tell us from my utter inability to walk, except- nothing. Their last camp, from whence ing down some of the roughest descents, they started the day before, was in the and then I clung to my horse with sus- vicinity of Mono Lake and distant some pended breath as he clambered up the thirty-five miles, and on or near the exrocky steeps. treme eastern branch of Walker's river, and we hastily came to the conclusion to follow their trail to that point. We inquired respecting the mining in that region, for just previous to our starting on our journey we had read glowing accounts of successful mining on the east fork of Walker's river, but they informed us that these reports were mere fabrications, for they had known of but one prospecting party having penetrated that section— that they "raised the color," but nothing more, and very soon left. To our inquiries respecting Indians they told us that they had seen none, excepting a small party of Monos that hovered about their last camping place, but that the evening before they saw fires, indicating that there were some around. Bidding them a hasty good morning, with an injunction to report us to our friends in Sonora and Columbia, we passed on across the river and over the low ridge to the east, and in a half hour we descended into the valley where the surveying party had camped the night previous-the smoke still curling up from their camp fire. We were now twelve miles from the Summit and in a somewhat milder climate, yet our cheerful fire imparted a pleasing sensation to our still shivering bodies. Anxious to get out of this inhospitable region, we made an early start on the following morning. In the first half mile we crossed the river three times; then, for a mile, our trail was as rugged and difficult as it was the evening previous, when we descended suddenly into a large and beautiful valley, and through which wound the river, now quiet and noiseless, and we felt assured, from the appearance of the country to the north and east, that we were now out of the rugged hills, and that our road henceforward would be comparatively easy. Here we met the U. S. Surveying party of Von Schmidt, on its way to the west side of the mountains, having closed its labors for the season. This party had been running the eastern boundary line of the State, having been out since February. The party numbered some ten men and as many animals. Von Schmidt himself was not with them, he having returned by one of the southern routes. We detained the party a few moments in making inquiries respecting the country beyond and the trail to Carson Val This little valley, or basin, was one of the few truly beautiful spots in this wild region, containing perhaps thirty or forty acres, and at the northern extremity a little miniature lake, the water cool and clear as crystal, and floating upon its surface was a little flock of ducks, which gave life to the picture. On the south and east, and rising abruptly from the little grassy meadow, were high barren peaks, while on the west was a low sandy ridge, over which lay our trail. One mile further on and gradually descending, we came to another valley, larger but less romantic and beautiful; then the trail bore more to the east, and a little way beyond we rose a sandy ridge, when we overlooked still another little basin and lake quite similar to the one just described, lying a little to the left of the trail, and in the pond a flock of canvass backs, which we at once resolved to attack. Just as we came to this conclusion we descried a smoke curling up from behind a low ridge a little beyond the valley we had just crossed, and directly, a little more to the north, though at a greater distance, another and more suspicious smoke rose suddenly, leaving us no longer in doubt of our proximity to Indians. We felt thankful for so much good luck, for this was the first game of any description since that memorable duck of Strawberry Flat. We now resumed our journey, and one mile further on we came to another lake of the same beautiful nature, but considerably larger than the last two. A large flock of ducks were occupying this also, but our efforts to get a shot were unavailing. Passing on two or three miles further we descended to a fourth and larger valley, and here we discovered in the trail fresh Indian footprints, made since the passing of the surveying party the evening previous, which fully confirmed our suspicions of their being around us, and we doubted not that even then they were watching our movements from behind some screening rock on the adjoining ridges. About midway the valley the trail ran blind, and we spent more than an hour in searching for its place of egress, and finally struck off to the northwest, regardless of it, and about two miles further on, struck another large fork of the river coming in from the southeast, and here again found the trail. There was excellent grass on either side of the stream, and this being the first consideration in selecting a camping place, we crossed over and concluded to end this day's journey here. The country now immediately around us began to indicate the existence of gold, and P. resolved to make here his first prospect, and, accordingly, unbundled his pick and shovel and struck into a little bar a few yards below, and his first pan prospected a color, as did also two or three succeeding ones, but nothing more. This, however, he got in the loose gravel high up from the ledge. What a more thorough prospect might develop we are unable to say. That gold exists in this locality is certain, but we doubt if it does so to any considerable extent. This night we used more than ordinary caution in our camping arrangements, taking our animals close in beside us and letting our fire go down early, lest it might more readily expose our position to the Indians should they entertain hostile designs towards us, but the morning found us all right, as usual. The night was cold and chilly, the white frost gathering thick on our blankets and water froze in our cups; but, nevertheless, we passed it very comfortably under the lee of the thick willows that lined the bank of the stream. From this point we took a direction due east; saw a sandy table land a few hundred yards from our camp, and now our trail lay for a mile and a half over a sandy plain, when a slight descent brought us into a lovely little valley running east and west, at the far end of which we observed a curious mist rising, and as we entered the meadow we discovered a beautiful and limpid little streamlet silently coursing through the tall rich grass which lopped over and so nearly concealed it that we were not aware of its presence until my horse was about to stumble into it. Our trail lay along the northern margin of the valley, and as we approached its eastern end, we discovered the origin of the mist or steam. Here was a large and beautiful hot soda spring, from which flowed the stream that ran through the meadow. The spring boils up from the level ground 'just above a rocky point that makes out VALLEY OF THE HOT SODA SPRINGS, TWO MILES EAST OF WALKER'S RIVER. About three hundred yards below the spring the soda mound terminates abruptly, making a little fall, or rapid, over which a small portion of the stream ripples, while the main body of the water sinks a few yards above, and again gushes out at the base of the mound, forming a kind of natural bathing tub, in which we luxuriated-for it was indeed a luxury compared to any other bath. The temperature of the water here was just as high as our bodies could bear, and as we lay with the swift soft current passing over us, our heads a little elevated by making a pillow of a rock, we could gaze upon the heavy banks of snow that lay on the lofty peaks to the west, and set at naught the chilly air that wafted down from them. The next morning we were off early. About one mile from the spring a high ridge of ragged granite, intermixed with the conglomerate rock, intersected our trail, but through which there is a natural pass, the cliffs rising almost perpendicularly on each side, while the little space between of a few yards in width, across which lay our trail, was smooth and level and carpeted with rich grass, while underneath the cliff to the right was a little grove of a dozen poplars, making it, altogether, a romantic spot, and we named it "The Portal." Beyond this pass we entered another valley of some three miles in length by a half mile in width, with a gentle inclination to the east, and bound on the north and south by high ridges, their bases well timbered with pine and cedar. Passing this we descended suddenly into another valley larger but less beautiful, stretching away to the south, and through which ran a beautiful stream, one of the tributaries of the middle eastern fork of Walk |