Monthly Archives: April 2021

Lost on the Trail – Ellen Baley

During this phase of the journey the wagon train was doing much of its traveling at night, owing to the great daytime heat of the desert and the long distances between water holes. At regular intervals during the night they would stop for a short rest. At one of these rest stops, eleven-year-old Ellen Baley, a daughter of Gillum and Permelia Baley, fell asleep and failed to awaken when the wagon train moved on. Somehow, she was not missed until the train traveled some distance. The poor girl awoke to find herself alone in the middle of a vast hostile desert. Filled with fright, she began running to catch up with the wagon train, but in her confusion, she took off in the opposite direction. When she was discovered missing, her father and older brother, George, immediately rode back to where they had stopped. To their horror, she was not there! Captured by the Indians must have been their conclusion! Nevertheless, they continued their search by calling out the little girl’s name at the top of their voices as they rode back. Their efforts were soon rewarded when, far off in the distance, came a faint cry,
“Papa, Papa.” Her father immediately answered and kept calling her name until he caught up with her. When reunited with her family and the other members of the wagon train, Ellen had a tale that would be told and retold by family members until the present day.

from:
Disaster at the Colorado
Beale’s Wagon Road and the First Emigrant Party
Charles W. Baley

Notes: On the Trail of a Spanish Pioneer

On the Trail of a Spanish Pioneer
https://mojavedesert.net/garces/garces-journal-13.html

By Francisco Tomás Hermenegildo Garcés, Elliott Coues

Crossing the Sierra

Mar. 21. Leaving the river I set forth southwest- ward, and having gone two leagues through a Canada and some hills, I arrived at a rancheria of five huts (xacales) on the bank of the river.

I continued on a course to the south and entered into a Canada of much wood, grass, and water; I saw many cottonwoods, alders, oaks, very tall firs, and beautiful junipers (sabinos); and having gone one league I arrived at a rancheria of about 80 souls, which I named (Rancheria) de San Benito. I was received with great joy, and they made me the same obeisance.

Mar. 22. I went three leagues and passed over the sierra by the southsouthwest.

Map showing Old Spanish Trail and commonly accepted trails of Garces and Jed Smith with possible alternate route by Garces.

The woods that I said yesterday reach to the summit of this sierra, whence I saw clearly the sea, the Rio de Santa Anna, and the Valle de San Joseph. Its descent is little wooded. At a little distance from its foot I found another rancheria where the Indians received me very joyfully. I continued westsouthwest, and having traveled three leagues along the skirt of the sierra, I halted in the Arroyo de los Alisos.

Mar. 23. I traveled half a league westsouthwest, and one south, at the instance of some Indians who met me and made me go to eat at their rancheria. Thereafter having gone another league westsouthwest I came upon the road of the expedition, which . . . 

Continued:
https://mojavedesert.net/garces/garces-journal-13.html

Data – Information – Knowledge

data

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction, often attributive

da·​ta | \ ˈdā-tə  , ˈda- also ˈdä-  \

Definition of data

1: factual information (such as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation

the data is plentiful and easily available— H. A. Gleason, Jr.
comprehensive data on economic growth have been published— N. H. Jacoby

2: information in digital form that can be transmitted or processed
3: information output by a sensing device or organ that includes both useful and irrelevant or redundant information and must be processed to be meaningful

information

noun

in·​for·​ma·​tion | \ ˌin-fər-ˈmā-shən  \

Definition of information

1a
(1): knowledge obtained from investigation, study, or instruction
(2): INTELLIGENCE, NEWS
(3): FACTS, DATA
b: the attribute inherent in and communicated by one of two or more alternative sequences or arrangements of something (such as nucleotides in DNA or binary digits in a computer program) that produce specific effects
c(1): a signal or character (as in a communication system or computer) representing data
(2): something (such as a message, experimental data, or a picture) which justifies a change in a construct (such as a plan or theory) that represents physical or mental experience or another construct
d: a quantitative measure of the content of information specificallya numerical quantity that measures the uncertainty in the outcome of an experiment to be performed
2: the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence

knowledge

noun

knowl·​edge | \ ˈnä-lij  \

Definition of knowledge

1a
(1): the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association
(2): acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique
b(1): the fact or condition of being aware of something
(2): the range of one’s information or understanding

answered to the best of my knowledge

c: the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning COGNITION
d: the fact or condition of having information or of being learned
a person of unusual knowledge
2a: the sum of what is known the body of truth, information, and principles acquired by humankind

Further reading: