The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-02-02

inoel Constantly fruln the west AMI the cloud of
dust Is so dense that often We cannot see Though
IT We eat 1t, drink it, and breathe it ~ that our
internal system will he pretty well plastesed up
by the time We get through We left tho valley
here for Is miles before We reached the river a.
gam aud our road lay through narrow ravines
with high hills towering up on each side. with M
vegetation but sage barren Willows aud greas.
wood; not a blade Of grass was growing and there
were only two small, insufficient springs in the
whole distance There was no wagon road around
this mountain along the valley, the river passing
through a cannon inaccessible only for mules and
bad even fr them. some of the guide books,
anI Wares N particular, say that We travel down
Mary River 800 miles, with plenty Of good grls,
aud water al the way and excellent roads We
ind good deal ofhilly road where there Is nsi;n
er grass nor water and although there is plenty
Of both Immediately along the river bank, the
rpad makes frequent dctours TO avoid points AMI
cannons Of the river and this invariably leads over
hills and through mvnes destitute Of the essen
tlIls Of good camp
felt better at night and spreading my buffalo
SKIN on the ground passed a comfortable night
upon At in the open air. Distance about 90 miles.
Aog 81 found myself well this morning and
cooked an Indian griddle cake for my breakfast,
which with cup of coffee rclished well after
yesterdays fasting.
1t wd~ excessively warm and our cattle travel
led heavily through the deep dust for sandt could
not be- called, and after travelling six miles twas
resolved to lay up and try the experiment ftrav.
cling night l,teads of DAYS. We accordingly
stoflcj uI the bank OF the river till nisltf,ll
when We started out There were no trains on do
road, and We had only the dust made by our own
which was cuoughin all conscience, and although
the evening Was cloudy the moon gave light t.
nuGgh for Us to see our way. We found it alto.
gcthcr more pleasant than travelling under tho
Earning sun, and we shall continue il when the
road is practicable if our cattle do we'll | walk
ol forward with my blanket ON ms back and get
ting some miles IN advance Of the train, turned
in to ,uoozc until it came up. Among the mis-
takes Of night Henderson met with Scrio COM
tc accident The road at one point passed along
the bank Of the river where it WAS about eight
feet hgh, Rni being nearly asleep he stepped of,
skn"ing lis nose il his descent and cooling hi4
lower eXtrentics with sudden bath However
he soon ri-htcd UP with whoa haw Ike the
So-hune indians and was p.owing tic dust again
ankle deep by moonlight
part 4 Tie distance travelled was over bar
rcn unnNi;ing sage plain where nothing else could
grow. BY daylight we had reached Is miles ani
encamped where the valley wa, broader than We
had seen it for three days
arg. 6-Nh We were quietly snoozing under
the shade OF our wagons we were awakened by y
familiar voice calling Us to " axe up, and openir,;
our eyes We recognized James NJ Hook Of Otta-
wa Mr. Fisher had left lin with an OK team
some days behind, but having had difficulty with
'Ae proprietor Who took nearly every Thing that
poor jim had except his horse With this he lef.
his new friend and joined Il train Of pack mule
which was passing and with little or no provisicll
he was making his way to Ellorado and fortune
bic ,. l.. / n
sleeping and longing but when the sun was =
bout two loUrs high lashel my blanket Ia
knnpSack to my back and in company with Char-
ley Tryers set ont on cur nelt Journey yheod Of
the train The road was down broad level w.
ley III west course for ten miles, occasionally
touching the river bank which is very serpentins
IN lis course, when ON turning the point uf mcuf.
tam We found Our way very rocky for mile an
then 1t passed over dry barren sage plain fr ten
miles where the dust was ankle deep which mad,
the walking excessively hard Ia our wall,
overlook small train from which 4 party hal
been twenty five miles INTO the mountain, in -eurcn
Of cattle that had been stolen the night before b.
the Indians. These had run Oft five head up 4
bank that seemed impossible and drove them IL.
to the mountains and slaughtered them. lha
volunteers came nc.r overtakiug them but o.
thfy were on the lockout the company did n:
50 q nVt, but lulNl Nue CallIt NI.tI ilNl Ipi'.
rcntly been killed two hours, and the Indians
Were preparing grand barbecue. They ,ap,ose,i
before they had n chance To cook even a TOLL
These Diggers have as cruel a taste for beef ~
( The irislman's COW had for music when sic ate =
Paddy, pipes and all and yet they are 81 afraid
The whites that pne man will lrlghten of doze'.
Hamors OF gold are reaching Us from California
VIA salt Lake, a'd Encourage Us to pcrseyere IN
our weary journey. After walking about twelve
miles We spread our blanket, in the sar d in II VIZ.
ter worn gutter and slept quietly till d.yligh.,
when q walk If eight miles brought us tn our
camp wilma glorious appetite tor our bread AMI
collge. Distance 90 miles
i"g"d The ludians aro hrginp;ng to he
very Troublesome and those vino do not keep strict
guard duIlng the night over their cattle become
tie prey Of these cowardly mountain rohbers-
We found the Snakes friendly and honest and
guard WIS scarcely necessary while passing thru'
Their country, but now things are changed and tho
Indians creep up in the night and il they cannot
drive of the cattle shoot and MAIN them with ar.
! rows So that they ar, left, and they then take
them, The Iicnnepin company lost five head AMI
two horses last night. a volunteer company vol
uuiecred to follow them M, and succeeded IN get.
ting back the cattle, but the rasculs ran off clear
with the horses. a Missouri train lost four head
and another ten Mr. Eredenburg was my com.
panion for the night, and after walk # forrtreu
miles We lay down among the barren willows an
were screualed all night by night g,atd of
wolves who d,courscd their eloquent music til
daylight, when We arose and bid them adeu
We started on n good road where the valley
was wide when We came to u point where il let
the river passing over small hill to the river n
gam at distance Of six miles Over this point
ana the succeeding plain nothing but b.urcn say,
aud willows grew, and the earth ON the road side
was parched aud burnt with crust of salcratu.
which cracked and broke under our feet Ike fro
zen show, making the walking extremely A.bori-
Qua,
On rcaching the camp and cooking our own
breakfast We repaired To thick cluster OF vii
lows near 10y and gave Queen Nab her now daily
tax upon our eye lids We begin to observe u
difference in the volume OF water in the river
Sometimes ii i. small, disappearing IN tire sand
and then again it is deeper and wider than above
and 1t Is beginning to bc warm and slightly hrlck.
i-h still answers all purposes well for general
use.
Iuyra s,--Tho scenery is much the same IA
yesterday, the road however passing over the
point ot hill through u sand, ravinc, while tho