New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-08-03
" =" -'''s'''' SOUTH FORK OF PLATTE Rrvra

WIN interest:
SOUTH Fork OF PLATTE RIVER
800 miles from independence, No. June 10.
ny Dear Sn: Presuring thst you would Ike TO see q
line written 500 miles from civilization, aTh. myself o.
few 0: spare ,iIne 10 write, and send you
note By small company OF Oregon emigrants, whom
we met this afternoon, returning TO the states Ihey
are eight in number and left Oregon on The lst OF
March and appear suppose much as shall appear be
tore ! reach Calitornia-that i, Ike savaZes 1ney
seem however 10 be clever and intelligent men
We left our place of rendezvous in the neighoornood
OF Independence the i2th OF May and nave been de-
tanned in several places by high water or we should
have been about 200 miles farther advanced upon our
Journey The weather al first very rainy and the
roads and ry but ram has fallen on s 10! me
Inst three weeks and the roads excellent and
we march from 20 70 p miles per day. The country
through which have passed thus lar Is totally unlike
any that have before oehcld have not time 10
describe i; TO YOU could adequately II mad time
suffice i; 70 say that much ofthe scenery combines more
OF the sublime and beautiful than any that have ever
behold.
For distance Of 300 miles after left lndepend-
encc the praes presented 70 the eye rlch and varied
LANDSCAPE surprisingly beautiful and grand II would
almost aee1n ii the Deity had lain himself gu; IN
ranging garden of imitab!e extent 10 shame the puny
efforts Of For 200 miles up the Platte river the
scenery mas been less picturesque and the land hat and
the soil poor but the singularty the strangenes5 OF
everything you still gaze upon s render our journey
interesting and the days appear shorter than ever
knew them.
We are now in the midst OF butfalocs and buffalo meat
il as plenty as backberrie5 have less than
1000 OF these animals today without going OF from the
wagon trail assisted III shooting one about two hours
ago He fell about 200 yards from our encampment 10
night Antelopes very abundant but hard TO kl!l
They are almost fleet the wind, speaking literally.
and it is only by stealth that they be approached
We have not seen Indian since we left the Big Blue
river-l7 days
In tina, region large numbers of the Kansas Tribe fol-
lowed our caravan several days for the purpose OF beg
gng and stealing but thus far we have lost nothing and
had no encounters with the savages The district we
are now in belongs 10 the Pawnees
If you row you would scarcely know
me Indeed when look in the glass do not exactly
recognize myself am rs dark, apparently as the dark
est Indian have and bear in many respects
strong resemblance TO them My health has generally
been good although there has been much sickness among
the cmgran,s The number Of emgrant wagons upon
the road 40 each wagon averages about or persons
men. women and children. and the number of cattle
besides oxen in the is about 10 10 each wagon
These wagons are scattered in companies Of from 2
10 50 over space OF 300 miles Our company consists
of 40 wagons. and is in the We have prefer
red to spare the outset So you we are
Il mighty host" have slept on the ground now more
than month and have become Injured 10 it that
doubt if could sleep in bed We expect 10 cross the
south fork Of the Platte tomorrow
After doing this shall in company with four men
proceed on horseback 10 Fort Selomc, distance OF Nl
miles Here intend if 10 swap our oxen and
wagons for mules and pack provisions the remain
der of the way mules. BY this arrangement we shall
gain at lces, 10 miles per day
Yours, very truly T.. BEl AMI