Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1844-08-24

The following letter written by Judge
Burnett, one Of the emigrating company,
to the editor Of the st. Louis Reporter,
will be read with interest: r
- OREGos TrRRIroaY,
Fort .Nez Perces, October IS, 1913. n
FRIEND PrNN,-Having an opportunity
to write you by Lieut.. Fremont, 1have de-
termlned thro' your widely circulated jour-
nal, to give to my acquaintances and the
public generally. an account of our trip
thus far, towards the great Pacific. We
have performed, with considerable labor,
bat without suffering great journey, as
tonishing the natives with our numbers,
wagons and teams. Perhaps, so great a
Journey has never been performed before
by wagons. We reached here, or this
neighborhood, about the 9Th of this month,
In different parties; some of whom have
gone to the Dalls, with their wagons and
teams; while alarge portion of US are here
preparing 10 go down the Columbia in
boats and Canoes. and some have already
gone to Fort Vancouver by water and 9TH
ers by pack animals.
The trip has been less dangerous and
less arduous than anticipated. We have
had considerable labor to perform, but we
have not suffered either for water or pro-
visions. We found plenty of water ali the
way, and have never been without water
more than day at time, and then per-
haps, but once. In such cases we could
easily fill our kegs, and thus secure plen-
/ ty for cooking and drinking. We travel
led up and down streams nearly all the
| way. out of which we could generally OBJ
tam a supply at all points. No need of
suffering for want of water need be apprc-
henaed. We have had the finest weather.
/ have ever seen. We left the general
rendezvous at a point near independence on
the 22nd May last, and we have had only
three hard rains. After we reached the
Great Platte, we had no rain OF any con-
Sc luen.e. The weather has been cool and
pleasant generally; and during the summer
we had but some four or five days OF very
warm weather. There is generally fine
cool breeze blowing in the wide prairies
through which we passed. In the Blue
Mountains, about the LIST October, we had
a storm of snow, which lasted some four
hours. The snow melted as it fell, and
the storm soon passed, and was not severe.
In the Rocky Mountains on the LIST Of Au-
gust, we had severe frost. We have had
no weather colder than frosty nights. We
had a sufficiency Of fuel all the way. We
found the greatest scarcity on Platte river,
(soon after we reached it, except at the
Elm Grove. near Independence, where the
fuel was scarcest. There need be no fear
about fuel, as we always found plenty,
though we used dry willows very often.
We suffered no great inconvenience from
] the Indians. They made no attack upon
| us, did not kill or wound single indiyid-
ual; and we are not certain that they stole
any of our animals. Ii we lest any by the
Indians stealing them, they were certainly
| very few Until we reached Green river,
West of The Rocky Mountains, we kept
up regular guard around our wagons,
and picketted out our mules and horses
until dark, when we put them into the
canll, (the circle formed by the wagons, J
while our oxen and loose cattle were left
out all the time. An Indian will not steal
an OK. After we reached Green river, we
left our horses, mules, oxen, and cows Out
all the time, and we kept no guard around
| the wagons.
We have seen great many new and
beautiful objects on the way. We had but
little time to examine them. We saw nu-
merous herds of Bu1faloes, some wildhors-
es, and many elks, deer, and antelopes.
have no time or room to say any thing
about our Buffalo hunts.
The greatest difficulty we found on the
| way was the labor and vexation of hunting
up our stock every morning. The tedium
| OF SO long journey is considerable. While
we were on the plains Of Platte, the roads
| were so smooth that our drivers often went
to sleep, and there was a general drow ST.
| ness prevailing all. Wctravelled through
a prairie country, until we came within
eighty miles Of this place. In the Blue
Mountains we passed through heavy bodies
of pine. ~
We have found the road for wagons to
this point entirely practicable; and to Fort
Hall the best road in the world. From
Fort Hall to this point, distance Of some
500 miles, the road is sometimes difficult.
and at times very good. Until we came to
Fort Baise, $50 miles from this place, we
had not to double our teams single time.
Since we left Baise we have had to double
our teams at about four places; but we have
never had to unload our wagons once in
ascending or descending hill. The road
is entirely practicable, and can be so inn
proved as to be all the way good one.--
All the wagons that were good, came thro'
readily, and many that were very indifIer-
emit. A trip of the same length in the
United States would have broken down
more wagons. ~ 4.
In regard to the proper and necessary
preparation for the journey, wish to say
something; as have taken particular care
to inform myself, and have had some expe-
rience. Every thing depends upon the
proper arrangement made at the start. As
regards wagons, they should be light two
horse wagons, ina good state Of repair, of
good workmanship, and materials, and with
falling tongues. Let no man bring heavy
wagon, as he win break his team down for
no purpose. The best wagon beds are the
light Yankee beds, wita thin light plank in
l the bottom The beds shnuld 10 very l;erbf