Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-10-31

which shall notice. II - stream marrow,
deem and very swift and about 400 or 500
miles and sinks away into a large saIeYatus bed I
aud is LOST entirely. Well, started one morn /
ing at 6, % miles up this Mary's or Humbolt
river and reached the sink about 3 o'clock, r.
" Sfopucd here and rested our mules for three Z
! hours and allowed them 10 feast some ms /
cradle ruses which W. found afterwards were
saturated with salt; gave them some OF the sinh
| water which we obtained ny cigging below tne
surface Of the river. By- the way, In one hole
| which we dug, we found saline water and III an
| ,,h.r alkaline Well. We left the sink about
O'Clock, +. NJ, aud passed On , miles to H"'-
! rhur pring anl watered ourselves and mules,
allied our canteeus and commenced upon pas
save Of the Great Desert Il omitted 10 men
ton that O'Brien and myself travelled alone al
ter we left the fort, for 80 miles ght through
the Indian root-diggers country, aud finally iei
in ~ i'll, three other packers, and five OF rs trav-
eli ed throu Oh together.j As Ill luck would nave
Il, our little company got in behind Bryant
! large pack mule tram at the entrance oil the
/ Desert; a circumstance that done Us al injury.
for b.yant's train had made a ioFced traFei ihii
IJ,y Of oyer 80 miles, AMI his mules were IA
! t.d co,dit:ou TO travel. We had not advanced
| in thu. desert more than three hours, before one
of our mules gye out and sc were ioFctd y
| v ait half an Eour III oTdtr 10 give 'i,is /" IL
,oove the pack on TO mother mule We w-Ee
! hindered ia this manner tie "hole h'eh'' lot III
! fore daylight IL Of his mules hid give out an"
| were left on the desert. In he hleah'!'n, ="
ring the night, my ridIng mule s|'o "''' E
| at the time was not riding bin, fo' ne mao oe
come 50 weak several days before that hal l'"f
chased an Indian pony and vas riding hun
| Painful as it was l w.s forced TO leave NY Poo
faithful mule in the midst Of the desert, I. per
sh for thirst food for DELAYS are dangerous -
| this valley. Of desold,ion. We could Judge We
nv little about the aspect of the desert curing
IN. night; could only see range OF rusty look
ing mountains right and lett. ana couid
see the whole earth trv and naned, except here
and there II few sage bushes ami grease-wood
Ss..tf areI. ala
barreuuesS and ste rIiIty-but 50 soon as day ap-
peased, the awful scene iooine, forth ana 6!s-
played ali It's tcrrors. On o1rright AMI left was
range Of old rusty, kiln drici mountains, with
out Il bush spear of grass; they resemble: Oh
brick kiins or potteres, an! looked as smoky
a, tar kiIns; the valley bat"cen was covered
with cinder grass and yellow sand and melted
sione aud resenbIed an eli blacksmith shop:
the heated air almost stiHed US, while the dust
we Inhaled gave Us an uneasy sensation IN the
stomach About o'clock in the morning, we
reached the i:piiing Springs. At this point,
felt as though was u: The vicinity Of the inieF
na! regions. These Spring, we're situated al me
foot OF old, rusty looking niountai.', ,''ei"s
bout two acres Of ground. Ia one place " : 4
arg. pool or basin Of water boiling hot, as clef:
as crystal not agtatcd and having a taste like
broke w4trr use! III washing; ~ other places
1 .vatr. boiling up with great noise through a
. heavy mass Of rocks--ti" ,rho,r earth beneath
! 5uf ttet appeared hollow fill "a esth 4lrrnins
s. or lame. The water in ti4osH cavities bGird up
3ud fril bSck, lut GiJ not run Out. t'ur ittt
tpnnY took brcHh tist at tioS' springs, .'a4
iu.i, coffee out of ~. water, but u ali not taste
right III despite OF all Tie s1ssring II wouIi taste
, I.he lie.
We LEFT the springs about o'clock, and start
:, for rrUckcv river, distance OF 20 miles. -
, " e had u ,.tcr to Drink except SOME which
ve hnd taken out Of the Boiling Springs and
cooled litIr, whlcs, was good deal worse than
lole, aad troor .ur{rs were hungry ana near
/ ~ pircled mp " ~: burst. Now commence the
tug Of war IN earnest. When We left the Boil
lHg springs, were al thirsty, ana the draught
, took of the alkaline water only aggravated
our thirst; 80 onr cases we're truly deptorhble.--
, twenty FIVE mills 10 travel over ROAD 50 not
! nat i scaldcd l-et aId the air so heated
that IL dried up ali the moisture on our lips v =
j travelled along - fast - our j; led mules could
carry us, which vas NO fi>trr than fast walk,
r until we had gone some i've miles, when my Po-
. ny began to show signs of failure, SO that
| was forced to dismount and take Il on foot,
, driving the remainder OF the journey. When
arrived within 10 or II miles of Truckcy
!, river, three out Of the four OF my companions.
, became so much exhausted that they could
scarcely sit on their mules 50 that the other one
J. and myself had to drive all the pack iaules and
i those which tiry rode upon also. About eight
. miles from Truckev river tie stoutest one aud
. myself saddltd ~ two Of TIE loose mules and
sent two Of them TO the river, in charge oil
> two per- ons who had fresh mules, while the re-
! uI;,iudrr OF rs trud,ced along We could. W hen
4 | we arrived in J miles Of the river, came
" out loaded lth canteens Of water AMI gave lis
a quart piece Of pare water from the Sierra
] Nevada Mountains, for fruckcy river flows out
:, from them. This water 10 ne appeared To be
:, the best drank IN my life, because | was
. thirsty. | DO not believe that could have tray
!, elled FIVE miles fnr.her without drink Truclze J
!. river seemed thr pTettlcst stream ever saw; il
fact, il is very handsome stTennl--tlie water i.
clear as crystal, and runs with great rapiditv; i
i was adorned with fine green trees, and shore.
:, covered with beautiful grass waist high. |
: looked more handsome when contrasted will
:, the rusty plains and hills which had lust left
:, At this river partner and finoi ug that we
. were running short of provisions, bought Is tiJs
;, of flour and 10 It's. of bacon. from pack mule
!. train at the following prices: bacon . Cts. pei
!, ID. flour 20 cts. per It's. Our route lay right NJ
: | fruCkry river TO Truckey lake. W. tor "a,
. this river ~ times, and often swan lnuteS
i for as soon we started up this stream com
,r menced crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains
r. In some places had TO ascend and descen,
:, abrupt rocky sleeps scarcely accessible to man
I but believe pack mules can 30 where II mar
= can. At the summit of the Sierra Nevada.
ate snow the lst day of August. To reacI
the summit we had to cross mountain Yer,
, steep, mile and half IN height, and fro ~
!" here until we reach'd John~on's ,we had Travelled
= over continued succession Of mountains ane
-, hills.
al have heard nothing from the WAYNE count,
81 company since left Independence. I have re
al ceivea no news since left the States. At leas
II three thousand wagons are route for these
regions. on may expect TO hear sad account
l. OF suffering among the eInig-ants on this route
5 especially between this point and tie sink o
IS Nary's river, for on this scope hundreds Of cat
IL tie and mules will Ci- ana I much fear man,
J. poor creatures Will starve 10 death Our It'll,
Il company was the second company which reach
10 cd lohnson's this year over The hand route. y,
= wagons have Vet arrived. We beat Bryant
J. company about > hours. We Travelled in 1 day,
5, over the Sierra Nevada distance Of so miles
5 that will take wagon trains over two weeks Il
IL accomplish. ENJOY ana have enloyed yer,
J. good health throughout the trip. l have ha,
et the infinite satisfaction OF killing buffalo OF
e the Platte river. Four Of us left the trair, on,
al morning and crossed over the bluffs into III,
III plains, and soon came in sight Of herd Of buf
n talo IN ravinc; surprised them conlplctelv
I. and managed 10 run close up TO a bull and sho
him through the neck. though close TO his head
ne IN the meantime the other thrca In