We were so enthused with this Garden of Eden we had found, that instead of only staying one night as previously planned, we lingered 1 week, killing one or two more deer, and fish. We had fish until some of us dreamed we had all turned into fish. One meal salmon, next meal trout and vice-versa. Fresh venison all we could eat. I did consider exploring while here, and the first hazelnut bush I ever saw I found on one of my climbs. Also I found a ledge of cinnabar, which I believed yet, if developed would be a valuable mine. These mountains are no doubt valuable in mineral product.
Enormous ledges of quartz, some gold bearing were discovered beside Manganese, copper. Silver and traces of many other metals. The country will stand the test I believe of being systematically prospected and prove good. The day before leaving, I had wandered some distance form camp on a fishing trip and becoming tired of fishing I stretched myself out on the bank and began to recall every trip since leaving home now, about 1 month. I wondered what my comrades were doing, that I had left on the plains, those dry dusty hot plains and wished, with a longing that was rather childlike in more ways than one, especially as I felt a dryness and chocking which hurt my throat. I believe truly I must have had a slight attack of homesickness. It soon passed though and I fell to noticing the beautiful mountain birds who were singing most sweetly. A mountain jay which is a larger bird that our valley or common jay, and of a more lordly appearance, had spotted me. I lay perfectly still now, to watch his actions. He <sit> for sometime eying me sharply but his curiosity mastered him at last and he began to fly from branch to branch, circling closer and closer, toward me. I chanced now to slightly move when he darted swiftly way to a safer distance, and set up and unearthly squall, but still out of my sight. Presently at a distance I heard the answering call of presumably his mate, but I was mistaken and in the call he had sent out, instead of a call for his mate, it evidently a war or a council of war summons, for I now heard faint, answers that were closer and calls very close at hand. It may have been 10 minutes from the time the jay found me, but not longer, until I was literally surrounded by these Policemen of the woods, as one has so correctly named. Their clamor was so load and continuous, that it drowned the roar of a waterfall which was close by, and I began to feel rather queer, if not a bit afraid, for I am sure before I was to leave the place, there was at least 100 jays squalling with all their might and had grown so bold that they at time were within two yards of where I lay. As I rose they instantly scattered but still kept up their squalling. Standing in the <mids> of the thicket were I was, stood a large water alder, and beautiful tree with it’s bark smooth and clear of limbs or knots. I instantly struck me to carve my name and wrote on this tree to commemorate my experience with the wild Mountain jays, after which I shoulder my rod and made my way down the canyon to camp.
We broke camp next morning at 4 o’clock. The weather was ideal, just enough breeze blowing in shore to cause a slight ripple, hardly noticeable, but putting life and pep into one, in a manner that rivals any other locality except the seashore.
It was a few minutes before sun, when we shoved off from shore, leaving one of the most beautiful camping spot ,I except none in the state of California. Many people, no doubt, prefer such places as the Yosemite Tahoe or the many Health rests, for the society it offers and its accessibility.