McKeeβA Night at Col. The commissioners, with a special escort of U. Bean, who was stationed with his volunteer force at the Cahon Pass. He sent Captain Boling to report in person to the commissioners. Winchester, a newspaper correspondent, accompanied us. Captain Boling expected to overtake the commissioners at Te-hon Pass.
This trip was in no way objectionable to me, for I was desirous to visit that part of the country with a view of selecting a location, if I found my plans to be practicable. Through the advice of Major Savage, I had in contemplationa design to establish a trading post in the vicinity of Te-hon Pass. He designed to extend his trading operations, and thought that a post in the vicinity of the pass would control the trade destined to spring up on both sides of the mountains.
The commissioners were while en route prospecting for locations and selections of public lands for the Indians. The object of these selections, was to make the experiment of engaging them in agricultural pursuits under the management of the general government. I had but little confidence that the latter could be made self-supporting wards of the nation; but I was willing in political as in religious affairs, that each zealot should believe that he had discovered a sovereign balm for the wants of humanity.
However, self-interest prompted me to be observant of passing events. The trip to the Te-jon Pass was made without incident or accident to delay our movements, but on our arrival it was found that the Commissioners had been gone several days, and were probably then in Los Angelos. This chief was a Mission Indian, and spoke some Spanish.
His people, although in appearance hardly equal to the mountain tribes, provided themselves with fruit and vegetables of their own raising. While on the trip we had found game in abundance, and, surfeited with fresh meat, the vegetables seemed better than any we had ever before eaten. Captain Boling was not anxious to follow the trail of the Commissioners beyond this camp.
