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


alone abou. two and q half hours before suns.:
and little after dark wis twelve miles on my
way. Fceln; fatigued | drew near Missouri
camp ami blvouacked for the night Islept sound
ly TIL the day star arose, when the air became 80
cold that could not keep warn, and shortly after
dawn arose AMI pursued my way. About sun
rise discovered two objects lust out ci the track
by the roadside, AMI approaching found then 10
be Brown and Charlie Iravers WHO were quietly
taking a morning nap. RouSn; them ~, We
truisei on about four miles, when We oyrrtp"A
the Wagons and csmpsd On the !i,el b-.,k, half =
mile from the road.
august lo--As we arprorch the sink or where
tho Mays river sinks and disappears IN ,hc sands
of the desert reports are reaching " that there /
no grass nor water there, and this Is TIE point
where We design "a prepare ourselves for crossing
the desert bv cutting grass and making lay fl
our cattle. 1t Is also sal, that there l. new
road which was discovered last wear, which lead,
u the valley Of the Sacramento by Feather river,
and b. which the passage Of the desert may DE-
ayodel with an easy passage over TIE Snowy
mountains. 10 ascertain something with regard
TO the truth OF this report for thou-ani, are ii,
ing 90 that we scarcely anDw what - believe ,4r.
lrelenburs, Col Kncaid who campgl ustr Us
and myself visited Lieut.. Thompson, whose tram
also ly IN our vicinity. Lieut. IhoIpnl La-
made one mp By land from Cali mia and the re
port was said 10 come from lin. We fuml
that bis report Of the ro-d was the report OF
Lawson of the valley Of the Sacramento
that such road ani pass existed bat We,
doubted whether any wagons had passed
this year to make track while tla dan
gers from the Indians would he increased Ne'
had however determined 10 take the route pruvil.
el that the track indicated .hit sufficient number
ofwagons had gone thro' to make the road good
We have also come to the conclusion to take
the route If We can find it IA it leads Us to the
gold diggings On Feather Rive ly nearly Ice /
miles nearer than Tie old road and il is said thege
u plenty offorage al the way. 1t Is important
to avoid As much Of the desert as possible in !
order to save OF cattle and the old road taxes |
Us As niles wtlyut either grass or water On .
leaving the camp alone this evening our course /
found Was south west and IN five miles il WAS
On Dag sand plain ten miles across | walk
CT nearly the whole distance through deep sand .
when | became So weary that | could 20 no
farther and scooping ont place in the sand
little distance from the road and despite the
music Of the wolves slept -ounlly until the cold
morning awakened NE. | felt sore; but n walk
OF three miles brou5E. me inc camp Distance
Is miles
Aug. ll.-ln consequence Of tie reporte! hard
road before Us We have determined To shorten
our wagons 50 that they will not only be lighter
but run easier. The boys accordingly made the
boxes eight feet lon, and shortened the reaches in
proportion This i now amply large enough to
hold all our supplies ft notwithstanding our am.
pie outfit we shall have but little more than e
nonga to carry Us through having been compelled
70 throw away some on the Platte
We have had bread enough; but our bacon is
nearly exhausted and we expect to be confined
10 hard bread AMI coffee before We get through
il is a matter Of daily occurrence to see men who
have abandoned their wagons and are packing
through with no better supplies and these most
gone, and many are on foot without any means OF
subsistence having lost all aud are now Deepen.
dng upon the charity OF emiErauts t. help them
through The scenery is much the same: but
the atmosphere is becoming smoky and tile grass
j. drying up We are tod that for tie next hun
bred miles there is but little grass aud that we
thall have to stop eighteen or twenty miles this
SIDE Of the sink aal then 90 to slough six miles
from the road to make hay for our cattle before
we can cross the desert il we do not fad tie new
c.; oil to the valley of the Sacramento.
Aug l2.-RemaIned in camp all day
Aug. l3.--Our cattle havin; been driven hard
fT the last week We did not mean to make
great drive and una lie only fifteen miles and en-.
oimpSd on high bluff sand plain fourteen mile.
fcross without grass or water
dug li.-COntrary 10 our expectations there
was good road along the river, and III company
with Col. klncad. who. on tbs occasion, was our
pioneer We drove twelve miles to our noon halt,
where he concorntau.s Of n good campwere abun.
tiant. Among the pleasant acquaintance that
made on the road, Is that Of Col kincail and fam.
lfa i
removed t. Platte county, Missouri, where be had
4 fine plantation, and was well established The
which he had received from California,
It's climate, productions and various advantages,
gave hima desire to make it permanent resi-. |
Lcnce and having good opportunity Of sell |
ing out to advantage he embraced it, and with his
family and several negroes joined the emi grafton
this sp"lng
lie Is gentleman Of great urbanty Of man
ners and Is fully mbued with that hos ritality So
characteristic OF lbs native state and which time VI
trial and scarcity cannotchanse lie, as well as
ourselves, Is desirous Of taking the new route in
consequence Of the unflvorab.o reports comm,
from the old one provided We can ascertain an.
tain5 better with cerailty with regard to lie
new one AS our camps Were cont suols, step
ped over to confer with him respecting report.
had heard IN relation to our proposed route Ills
eldest son was very tolerabe performer on de
violin, and gave Us few tunes t. tighten the hea
w hours and when ] was about returning To our
camp the Col invited me to remain and dine with
them in such cordial manner, that could not re
fuse. Had it been at his home, ! should have felt
no dcllcacy, but here where We are hundreds Of
miles from supplies, and where but few erngrants
have more than they require for themselves
felt rather like an intruder but he would accent
Of no apology In addition to our usual travel.
lIg fare wltha excellent cup Of coffee with milk
aud sugar, we had a fine pie made of numeess
fruit wkich grows iifabundance along the river
1t Is red and about the size Of q currint growing
in clusterson bushes from b to ten feet high AMI
its taste Is between that ofSSurant and cherry
II sas agreeable as either, anAr excellent made
into pies or stcwed was pleaN with the LADY,
like attention Of his daughter Miss Kncaid who at
tended TO our wants at the table {, buffalo skin on
the ground) with as much grace as at her own Ia.
ble, on q civilized land
We made long noon halt for we arc anxious
to keep our cattle in good heart against tAc con.
tingoncy OF crossing The desert and our daily !
drives consequently lessened We arc constantly
receiving accounts Of great numbers Of cattle !
penshny there and it IS said that Mt least four
hundred dead mules and oxen lay along tie road
in that dreaded distance Of fortyfve mi!as Of sand
The new road is now said TO have been tray.
elled by small wagon train or two but again