The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-09-26
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA

LETTER kNOM LlfOhNlA.
The following letter from Mr.. A. H. OWNS,
Of this place, TO his wife, has been kindly furnish
ed us for publication. Il will be found very in
tsresting:--
WEAvERvrILE, California, July als,, 1850.
wrote you few lines day or two since,
merely to inform you of my safe arrival.
promised to give you history Of my trip through,
or rather from Fort Laramie to this place, hav-
ing previously sent yon description Of route,
roads, progress, &c. 10 that place. We st; rted
from tho For. on the evening Of the 10th Of
May and after travelling over fine roads for about
one hundred and fifty miles, arrived on the 2lst
at the upper crossing on the north fork Of Platte
river. From this place we found no pure water
for Is milee, but plenty Of alkaline springs. The
nature Of the water at these places being clesr-
" indicated by the bleached bones Of many cat
tie left BY last years smigranse, which had died
from the use Of this water. We are now in
sight Of plenty Of snow and find our overcoats
quite comfortable. After leaving tho Platte and
traversing q very barren country for fft, miles,
We arrived At Sweet Water river, stream OF
good waser, quick current, about eight rods
wide end two feet deep. This stream we fol-
lowed up to within % miles Of the summit Of
times, and finding ali the fords good. We FIRST
reached the river near "Independent Rock .
(which 10 On isolated rock-hcnce its nancy and
Is about fifty feet high, two thousand feet long
and three hundred wide, composed of hard gran.
tie. There arc small lakes Of water At its base,
oil around. This rock upon the east and south
eide 10 almost entirely covered with the names Of
travellers who have passed il. The traveller will
ind the north side much the best TO view il from.
discovered upon the west side, about half way
up, the foot print Of q man. Every toe being
distinctly marked. How il came there could
come to no satisfactory conclusion. Gould
have done 20 conveniently, would have remain-
ed in this neighborhood day or two, for the
purpose Of examining the curiosities that present
themselves. II six miles after leaving this rock
you arrive at place called "Dcvil's Gate.''-
Here the Sweet Water river runs through high
granite rocks for about one thousand feet, leav.
ing two perpendicular rocks Of granite one on
each side Of the cut, about five hundred feet
riosites 10 be met with on the whole route
How grand and romantic it appeared a. stood
upon one Of these high rocks and listened to the
rumbling noise Of this little stream as it seemed
to struggle with the mighty rock for its passage
through. Its rumbling noise reminding me OF
the great Mississippi when in the spring II re.
solves TO break The icy shackles with which
winter has bound il for short time. The noise
this little stream makes at this point 10 very
that q gentleman who went up TO view this z
Few days since, fell from one Of these rocks and
was dashed to pieces. His name or the particu-
lavs could not learn. We have had not only
cool weather since We left the bluffs, but several
severe snow storms. The road up the mountain
end through the South Pass was as good % any
pert Of the road since leaving home. The a.
cent and descent being 90 gradual that you
would not know you were crossing the Rocky
"a Foe ek far .
which will indicate to you the elevation at which
you are arriving more than any thing else. Il
being, l am told, at free sing point at the warm
est seasons Of the year. The summit OF this Pas'
10 749O feet above the gulf in latitude 42-24m
% sec. and long. 100 deg. 25m. Here several o
four company were tab on sick with the mounialr
| fever, (myself among the number,) in conse
quence Of which our train laid by couple o.
days, when we were oil able to travel again
We found good grass in oil the mountains vi
crossed. We saw several grizzly bears in cross
ing the mountains, but did not succeed in get
ting any. From the summit we went to For
Briger. to which place We found good road ant
6ns grass. About forty miles before arriving
there we came to Green river, beautiful strean
Of clear, pure water, very quick current, bank
that do not overflow, and skirted with timber
enough to make things look cheering to tn,
weary emigrant who has travelled SO far will
no fuel but wild sage and buffalo chips. Thi'
stream is usually about 30 rods wide and fec
deep, but we found il, as we found all th'
streams on the route, very high. We wer'
therefore compelled to pay five dollars to hav'
our wagons crossed, letting our stock swim over
We arrived at Fort Brger June Sd, which pla
| ced " between twelve and thirteen hundred
miles from ali those we hold most dear-tron
our homes in Davenport. I remained at tn
Fort one day after the teams left, and found Mr.
Briger, owner Of the Fort, very kind, rendering