. ▁The ▁Mi w ok , ▁for ▁example , ▁rarely ▁tra ve led ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁few ▁miles ▁from ▁their ▁home ▁villages , ▁and ▁as ▁such ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁one ▁village ▁would ▁not ▁know ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁surrounding ▁country ▁beyond ▁the ▁neighbor ing ▁villages . ▁The ▁st ap le ▁food ▁for ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁Valley ▁inhabitants ▁was ▁the ▁ac orn , ▁which ▁when ▁ground , ▁could ▁be ▁made ▁into ▁various ▁food s ▁such ▁as ▁c akes . ▁Gr inding ▁the ▁ac orn s ▁was ▁a ▁simple ▁process ▁where ▁they ▁cr ushed ▁the ▁n uts ▁using ▁rocks ▁in ▁natural ▁gran ite ▁de press ions . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁surv iving ▁examples ▁of ▁ac orn ▁mill ing ▁areas ▁can ▁still ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁fo oth ills , ▁especially ▁around ▁the ▁Ka we ah ▁River ▁area . ▁ ▁Spanish ▁and ▁Mexican ▁influence ▁The ▁first ▁recorded ▁non - ind igen ous ▁person ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁River ▁was ▁Don ▁Pedro ▁F ages ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 2 . ▁F ages , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁Father ▁Juan ▁C resp í , ▁reached ▁Mount ▁Di ablo ▁near ▁Su is un ▁Bay ▁on ▁March ▁ 3 0 ▁and ▁there ▁gaz ed ▁upon ▁the ▁mer ging ▁courses ▁of ▁the ▁Sac r amento , ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁and ▁M ok el um ne ▁R ivers . John son , ▁Has lam ▁and ▁Daw son , ▁p . ▁ 2 8 ▁Another ▁narr ative ▁does ▁not ▁mention ▁F ages ' ▁name , ▁but ▁does ▁say ▁that ▁C