Richmond palladium., 1849-12-05

which contains fuller description Of the '
troubles and trials on the way and will s
W. think be more Interesting to our read ,
-, than the one he wrote to Us.
AMERICAN FoRx, 9th mo-, 9th, '49.
Ny Dea, Parents: Ny last to you was
lated 10Th Of 9Th mo-. from Fl. Laramie;
since then we have travelled near 1900
miles, and, - the phrase is. "seen the el
ephant;" yet we have enjoyed tolerable
good health through all, and have reached
the long wished for .Eldorado.'
In our travels from Fl. Laramie, there
10 little worthy Of note to Fl. Hall, (Which
We reached the 10Th Of 7th monthly ex-
cept the crossing Of Green River; that
stream was high and very rapid-(said to
10 the mos, rapid stream in the WORLDLY,
runs like mill-tail. We got our wagon
snd effects taken across by another com
pany; but were two days in getting our
the river on horses, but in every .iistance
we're washed OF; by the current. and with
difficulty reached the shore they started
from.
We were scarcely out.oi-siEht OF snow
from the j1th Of 9Th mo. to the 5ti; OF 9Th
mo-; on the 95th Of 9th mo-, walked on
snow from 12 to 20 feet in depth on the
Rocky Mountains; and, on the lth Of eth
mo-, we crossed on snow from to feet
deep in the main road, where the sun had
full power-ths was on the Sierra Nevada
Maintains. On the night Of the 10th OF
9th mo-, ice formed half an inch thick in
buckets. Al Fort Hall, we met T. and a.
kinsey-they had disposed OF their wag
Oh. and designed to ''pack over" John
Evens and myself wanted to pack for
sometime, believing that our mules would
not take the wagon over; and here brother
isaac consented-so we packed and start
ed with them on the evening Of the l lth.
On the 18th, we lost our best mulc--thot
he was poisoned; we had purchased
mare at Fl. II. for @35, and traded Johns
rifle and my shotgun with an Indian for
anothcr-so we still had six left On the
90sh. we struck the head-waters Of ST.
Mary's. or Humbolt river; which we trav-
elled down for 800 miles to where il sinks
in the sand-it is the principal river Of the
great basin. On this river might be da-
ted tie commencement Of the emierant
trouble. After passing the first eighty
miles from that to the Sink, the grass was
almoA entirely dried or burnt up with the
sun; our animals had. in many places. to
subsist on willows and weeds. and the
general impression was that those who
were ten days behind US would not be able
TO get subsistence for stock,--and sup
pose thero were 10000 persons that far
back, while some are from 80 to 40 days.
We reached the Slough (3O miles from the
Sink Of St. Mary) At noon on the 30th;
We now had the great sandy desert before
as. our animals Of course in poor plight.
The desert had been represented as 45
miles from the Sink to Salmon Trout Riv
e.; bot some one had placed paper up
at the Slough stating that there was anoth-
er track. and by taking the left hand road
we would strike the s. +. River in 25
miles from the Sink. We remained till
the cool Of the evening. and at 12o'clock
We had reached the SinI--the water had
such bad smell We could not use it. and
thought NO could make the Is miles lit
:le after sunrise; 50 VIC pushed on till
about 8, when we met man re,urning>'
hc told Us wc would find water within four
miles not fit for use, and the river was
thirty slics! Then il was our spirits
were ready to sink--we were almost fam
-
out, and yet 80 miles more Of that burn.
ing saud.- hos that to place a match
thereto il would ignite the same as if ap-
plicd 20 . coal Of fire--that. to our feet,
and hot summers sun stean,ing on our
heads, was enough to depress; and well
il might, for wc did suffer before We got
through. When we reached the salt well
--(spokcn ofby the person whom we metz
& ~ e
the water freely. and tho more we drank
the moro thirsty u ,nau- u~. : ..-c :...,.c COT
Zee with the water, but the salt gave it so
bad taste that we could not drink it
We rested here two or three hours-noth-
70 feed our mules with-let them drink of
the salt water. and I think it hurt both
man and beast Here Thos Kinsey went
in advance to the river, to meet us with
water; about sun down we came to ano,h-
or we'll, more strongly inpregna,ed with
salt than the other. so we could not drink
il. We now had 10 miles more to make
brother Isaac said he could not go. and
thought I should not be able to get thro';
I've were on foot, our mules being too
vesk TO carry us.) had already left one
Of our mules this afternoon.-hope and
Qauard was the word; 50 we again start
ed and went about one mile more. and
concluded to unpack the mules and ride
the strongest through to the river-we did
not bcliese We would be able TO reach the
river On foot. Isaac said he trembled Sc
he could not ride-said he would remain
with the things. until We could send him
water We now went more ex2editiously
ALT the mules that could not keep up ~e
leS bckind as they gave out Six or seven
mules were thus left before getting to the
rivev--arrived ,herc about halfpast ten
o'clock-got little water from T. kinsey
aud . man whom We me, about four or
rive miles from the rver--,hc man prom
ised Us to take Isaac some water. We
brought our bread and meat over and go,
a little supper in the morning; | cooked
..... h-.si and meat. and one of our