WITH
OBSERVATIONS OF THAT COUNTRY,
TOGETHER WITH
SOME DESCRIPTION OF CALIFORNIA,
ITS AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS,
AND
A Full Description
OF
ITS GOLD MINES.
BY RILEY ROOT.
GALESBURG:
GAZETTEER AND INTELLIGENCER PRINTS.
1850.
The Author of the present work has adopted a new methodof punctuation, and, in certain cases, of spelling. He discardsentirely the colon and the semi-colon. Modern readers passingalong with great rapidity, and the principal use of these pointsbeing to mark the length of time the voice is to be suspended,the Author is of opinion that they may with propriety disappearfrom our language. Accordingly he has adjusted the followingwork to suit those views, and as the reader advances, his attentionwill naturally be directed to that subject, by which meanshe will be enabled to judge of the propriety or impropriety ofthis adjustment of the pauses in the language.
THE PRINTER
As the advantages for knowing the pronunciation of some of the words that occurin the following work are limited amongst most eastern readers, it may not be improperhere to give some explanation by way of change in their orthography.
The name of the Willamette, a river in the west valley of Oregon, is changd toWill-am-et, with the accent on the second syllable. A tributary of the Willametriver, with the several names of Quality, Tualiton, and Troliton, is more familiarlycalld Twality. Also another, which flows from Mt. Jefferson, by some calld SantaAnna, is more properly calld San-ty-am.
San or Saint Joaquin in California, is pronouncd Saint Wau-keen, with the accenton the second syllable. Stanislaus, a tributary of the St. Wau-keen, is often improperlycalld Spanish Slough. Juba river, a tributary of the Sacramento, is now calldYu-bar river. The old name of Rio de Plumas, is familiarly known by the name ofFeather river. Mereposa is divided into four syllables, with the half accent on Mer,and the full accent on Po. The above definitions may in some degree, help the readerto the proper pronunciation of some words as used in California.
Journey from home—Trip down the Mississippi and up the Missouri River to St.Josephs.
I left home in Knox county, Illinois, the 3d day of April,1848, for Woodstock in Fulton county, a distance of about 20miles, where I staid one day with my eldest daughter. I thenstarted for the Mississippi river, to Nauvoo, a Mormon town, bythe way of La Harp, a distance of fifty miles, over which routemost of the way to La Harp is as handsome prairie as I haveseen in the State. I visited the Temple at Nauvoo, with theexpectation of seeing a beautiful edifice, as the M