The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-03-25
term on The strength Qfthe aohole ofa
remain your faithful friend,
MAJOR JACK DOWNING.
Incidents of Day among the
Emigrants to California.

we copy from the LOUISVILLE Examiner
an admirable passage, taken from a forth
coming work by Edwin Bryant, Esq. The
public (says the Examiner) will be glad TO
learn that the task of preparing n book on
California and the intermediate country-a
work combining the fullest and most reliable
information for the emigrant, and narrative
of unflaggiag interest for the general reader
has fallen TO the lot of one so conscientious
and capable. The first volume, the Journey
to California, complete in itself, is ready for
the press, and will DO published with as little
delay as possible. The second volume, de-
scriptive of the country and It's people, and
narrating the stirring events ofits invasion 81
conquest, will follow at an early day.
"SUNDAY, JUNE l4.-Thermometer at sun
rise 50 deg. wind east, blowing fresh; an Indi-
an was discovered last night by one of the
guard, lurking in the bushes, no doubt in
tending to steal some of our horses. He ran
off with great speed when the alarm was CIV
en-.
We resumed our march at the usual hour;a-
bout five miles from our encampment we were
met by three men belonging TO an emigrant
company which they had left last night, about
twenty-five or thirty miles in advance. They
were in search of n doctor. A boy eight or
nine years ofage had had his leg crushed by
falling from the tongue of a wagon and being
run over by its wheels; and besides, there
were in the company number of persons
i'll with levers and other complaints.
There being no physician in our partyand
possessing from my former studies, and later
experience, some pathological and anatomi-
cal knowledge, with such knowledge of the
pharmacoppia and materia medica, as to be
fully sensible that many patients are killed
rather than cured, by the iniudicious use of
medicine, l had consented on several occas-
ions, when persons belonging TO our compa-
ny were seized with sickness, to give them
such advice and TO prescribe and administer
such medicines as thought would be bene-
fetal, / informed the patients in all cases
that was no doctor but acted rather in the
character of the good Samaritan BY using
this phrase, would not he understood as as
Stunning to myselfthe merits and virtues of
the individual vino, under that name,
has been rendered forever memorable and
illustrious for his humanity. by the impress
sive parable of our Saviour. In all cases of
sickness in our party when was called, ]
have the satisfaction of knowing that no one
died. This do not attribute to any medical
skill or science of my own, but 10 the fact
that medicines were exhibited in small guam
titles, and such as would not crush the recu-
perative powers and sanative Impulses oil ma
ture. On this long and toisome Journey, Iir-
ing which itis--impossible to suspend iSe
march for any length of time, large doses of
eXhausting medicine should never be admin
istered to the patient: if they are, the consG-
quences most frequently must result in death.
The fatigues of the journey are as great as
any ordinary constitution cun bear, and the
relaxing and debilitating effects ofmedicines
prescribed in large quantities,
are often. / believe, fatal, when the patient
would otherwise recover.
1t so turned out that l had acquired the
undeserved reputation ofbeing great doc
tor in several of the emgrant companies in
advance of us and in our rear, and the three
men, above noticed, who had met us, had
come for me. ] told them when they applied
TO me that was not physician, that l had
no surgical instruments, and that | doubted
if could be ofapy service to those who were
suffering. They stated in reply that they
had heard of me; and that they would not be
satisfied unless accompanied them in all
haste to their encampment. finally con-
scented to their urgent demands, feeling de-
sirous of alleviating as far as could, the mis-
cries OF the sick and disabled,which are here
more dreadful than can easily be imagined.
Milking my arrangements as soon as l
could, mounted the horse, which had been
brought for my conveyance-one of those
hard rioters whose unelastic gait is painfully
to the rider. You are obliged TO
protect yourselffrom the conclusion caused
by the contact of his feet with the earth, by
springing from the saddle at each stride. We
crossed in few miles a small branch shad
ed by some oak trees. In the bank of this
we found a spring of cool water. There was,
however, such multitude ofmusquitoes and
gnats surrounding it, that we had but little
enjoyment i'll its generous supply of refresh
ng waters. The air is, III places, filled with
hese troublesome insects, and the venom of
heir bite is frequently seriously affective
At the spring above alluded to, the trail rer
,edes from the river, and runs along under
he bluffs which to-day, seemed to shut
rom us every breath of air, rendering the
neat of the sun oppressive, almost to suffoca-
ion. observed that some of the bluffs
which he passed were composed of calcare-
,us rock, and the debris below was of the
same composition, I-shot with my pistol,
while riding this morning, an antelope, at a
distance of one hundred and fifty yards.
After most fatiguing and exhausting ride,
we reached the encampment to which had
been called, about o'clock, p. nj. The man
who had been sent for me, had given no de-
;cription of the case of fracture, other than
hat which has above been stated. Isuppos-
id ms a matter of course that the accident, had
occurred the preceding day. When reach
I'd the tent of the unfortunate family to which
he boy belonged, found him stretched out
Ipon bench made of planks, ready for the
operation which they expected would per-
orm. soon learned from the mother that
he accident occasioning the fracture had oc-
.urred nine days previously. That person
protesting to be doctor had wrapped some
inen loosely about the leg, and made sort
,fa trough or plank box in which it had been
confined. In this condition the child had
without any dressing ofhis wound
ID limb, until last night, when he called to