The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-02-09

NOT up ~ Nls,nt dIplosteliNu' h4iu a'u'N
supper bed and breakfast from the hospitality Of
a stranger train. Di-tsnct IL miles
.Aggtu 2j.-Taking my rIte in hand followep
the pass to the summit, which is less than two
miles from the base Of the mountain. The bill Is
not difficult to ascend. and there is only about
quarter Of n mile of what Inay be called hard
road, sud light loaded teams can go over without
extra aid. Ii.e trees ana grass are gfoNmg all
the way 70 within quarter Ola mile oI the sum
init and good camps exist to this poiut with the
: lTiug, aud brooEs Ly the road side. From the
s4u.uit a beautiful view exists Oh either sIGe,
which uo;Ain. but the pencil Of the painter can do
justice u. below, on the west, perhaps half a
ui.r is q broad grass bottom OF valley IN which
several sprmg, are sparkling; the sides OF the
valley AID the bordering mountains are covered
th,e".y With da.S pines, while Mt toe distance OF
ten miles i >eru, III clear day broad beautliu!
sheet Of blue watCr, lying mahy hundred feet a.
love the dry bed Of the lake which We had Just
left on the opposite sd, of the mountain. Turn
ing 10 the cast the ;all,y Of the dry lake and It's
basin !, eqga,ly romantic and curious, az have
described above. Aft.i etioying the view till
was satisfied returned 10 the foot of the pass
to await the coming Of our train which made Us
appearance about noon, AID assembled about half
way up where We made our halt IN Il line grove
Of Ulues being the rst shade Of trees we had been
under for two months. 1t seems that, hndlig the
forage 50 good AZ Yesterdays halt they had concu-
ded to reuinin all day. which was the cause OF my
getting 50 far ahead After dinner "cane the long
and strong pu,W ior crossing tie mountain Some
Of the teams duubed while others did not think IT
worth while and the final passage TO tie summit
WAS made in half On hour making the whole pas
sage in little over an hour from the base De
scendug the hill on the west crossed the valley
10 point a mile and u half distant and encamped
beyond arrow-shut from the timber skutlng the
base Of the mountain along the valley, and closed
the labors Of the day by our usua! feast On bread
and bacon.
august 27.--The road lay in the valley about
three miles from our camp where 1t turned INTO the
pines, over low point to avoid rocky ground anu
soon rose to higher plain, with some sage, winch
We find still continues until we reached the hlll
bordering the lake 1t was the intention OF the
companies (Watson's and ours) to lay over the
rest Of the day at the lake, and our boys were
making great calculation. ON bathing and fishing
but on reaching the hill which commanded view
ofthe lake and the country around, | saw that
their antcipa,ions Of pleasure were blown to the
winds. The whole shore, as far as could see,
was white with carbonate of soda and on attempt
ing to get 10 the water found that, instead oi Il
beautiful sand beach, there was a quagmire that
made it almost impossible and somewhat danger
ons to get to the water. This was salt and soda
combined and so naussOus that man nor beast
could endure it, At the foot of the hill, However,
two springs Of pure fresh water CUR; led out, and
we made our noon halt there and then drove a
long the level six miles to mountain brook, where
we concluded to lay over one day.
IN making the last drive | discovered small
out crops Of clayslate, and the first positive auii
ferrous indication which we had met. The country
seems to be changing in its character. The soil
Of the valley is more OF avevitable mould beds
Of slate begin to appear; pines on the mountains
and on the lower lands. and the sage bushes are
less plenty
We took our last bacon for supper and have no
chance for replenshing cur larder so that, unless
we can kill some game our fare will be hard bread
and coffee until we reach the settlements, suppos
ed TO be al least $50 miles distant
We found that we had reached the forks of the
road, the right leading to Oregon and the lift be
ing the California trail which was now broad and
deep. Distance 10 miles.
august 2S--We halted only till little after
noon when we resumed our march down the level
valley of the lake, crossing two fine mountain
| brooks which empty into the lake, encauping on
| the latter little before sunset near grove Of
willows. Ia this grove were numerous marks Of
! Disgers who had been fishing in the brook which
ran through it, and we found in basket suspend
ed from the limbs Of the willows nearly two bush
els Of dried fish three to six inches long, which
they had probably caught for winter provision
\ mile distant 10 the east n low point OF the
mountain made down To the plain, | went cut to
it: here found five Digger huts, which were sim
! ply willow bushes bent over and covered with
wild grass but they were vacant the propric,
! tors being frightened away BY the appearance OF
80 many pale faces. Distance is miles.
! august 2g-Some Of our meu last evening
! discovered light across the plain. some miles
distant and were quite confident that they also
saw waggons cattle, and the dust OF road The
! impression was that the Oregon road to Feather
| River was there and came into this n little below
! vs. aud that their teams were on their way TO the
gold jisumg'. Anxious to get some supplies II
possible, for our bread and coffee did not make
| luxurious fare for men with appcti,es like ours,
started for the camp Immediately after breakfast
! in hopes 10 overnke them. walked MS fast as
could for six miles when came 10 Pitch River
/ wh.,h we supposed to be q bran'h of the Slcra-
mCutu Ii heads in the MOUNTAINS short distance
above the road and, ~ usual in this country, has
| valley along which our road passes, | sIll walk
! ed Oh but found 10 road uniting with ours, and
soon became satisfied that the campfire seen by
oug iNcn was the grass set On fire by the Indians
! that tie wagons aui cattle seen i'll the distance
were merely clusters oi cad..r and the dust was
that taken up from dry places by whirlwinds
which are Of frequent occurrence on this barren
soil Soon after crossing Pitch River (Which
Jumped acgossy tho road passed over mod
crate Hill to ayoi u short C cmnon, and descending
into the valley yon the other side, saw six wagons
but on approaching them found they were from
| Davis company, Mo, in whose company we had
Travelled f,r some time, My hopes Of supplies
were blasted, for now uo train has more prov
,iuns than it actually needs, cnd even meal is
esteemed favor. Some uf their men discovered
li.h in the iver and while their train drove on q
couple uf miles TO q clmp ground n party was
formed to catch fish This joined with pleasure
and a drag being formed cut Of II piece OF wagor
cover, we went mcrry to work Just above bea
yer dam IN three hUuls we caught fifty fine trou
and being invited into the camp, we had u ieas
Of the mo,t delicious Lind While was there
three fJo,men came up begging to buy l,tlC
lour. They belonged to Pack train, but the
horses were stolen by the Indians at the Littl,
Salt Lake beyond the pass and they are now wor
king their way through in the hes, way they can
They had followed the Indians twenty five mile:
into the country to the east where they came to :
large lake of fresh water in the mountains, no
laid down on any map, Here they lost all trace