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

Orc0u ana pOrk. mere JOun0 6predu upon tue
table o, every meal, antelope, cooked in varie-
almost all that could have expected ut hotel
in the States. Mr.. Briger il an old mountaineer,
having been in this part Of country some twenty
years; Ispent my time very ngreeably in listen
ing TO his recital Of his many adventures with
the Indians in this section Of the country. In
speaking Of the sssouth pass" which Ibelieve
Col. Fremont has the credit of laying the road
through, he informed me that before Mr.. Free
mont ever saw the south pass he had made a
wagon track in hauling out his goods 10 trade
with Indians Fort Brger is situated in beau
tifu valley containing about five thousand acres,
we'll watered with clear water running from the
high mountains that surround it upon every side,
and filled with fine trout. The land is exceed
ingly rich, but cannot be titled on account of the
coldness Of the climate. II freezes in this little
valley at night in the warmest season Of the
year. The elevation here is only about five hun
dred feet below that Of the summit Of the south
pass. From here we took the Fort Hall road
until within about fifty miles Of the Fort when
we took cutoff. But were coming again !
would by oil means come by Salt Lake, as il is
the best valley on the whole route to recruit both
man and beast, and but little further than to take
all the cut-offs, and about hundred miles nearer
than the road we come.
I have kept journal Of my trip, and Of all
streams, grass, &C., and may sometime, If il will
benefit any one publish il. We had good roads
until we struck the Humbot valley. A valley
that will never be forgotten while life lasts, BY
any Of this years overland emigration. II had
always been represented a beautiful valley,
abonnding with the finest grasses. We all there
fore hastened to reach this much desired sp 4,
thst we might here rest ourselves, and recruit
our stock. But, oh, what disappointment: We
reached the place where the river rises and found
it an alkali swamp, SO bad as TO make il almost
impossible to get our stock, unencumbered BY
wagon through, without miring-many indeed
lost their stock here. The whole valley from
its head 10 its aisk was overfowed, and we found
il almost impossible to get any grass at all, and
when We were 30 fortunate as to find little we pro-
cured it by wadng from knee to waist deep in mud
and water, ,miring ourselves sometimes so bad to
be unable to get out without assistance. Tne
road we also found very sandy, and all the wa
ter SO strongly impregnated with alkali as TO ru-
in onr stock, as far as travelling was concerned.
My stock was in fine condition when reached
this valley, and Notwithstanding our utmost ex-
ertions to keep them so, we found them failing
very fast-unti thought it advisable TO leave
my wagons-by this means got my stock all
through, but very poor some Of them. There
will be more stock killed in consequence Of this
river, than there would have been had every
emigrant returned from its heud to the States,
without stopping one dav to recruit. saw ma
nv on the route who had started with good out
fits, packing some little things upon their backs
and footing it to the gold mines. There is no;
more than one horse out OF every three that will
ever come through. And have seen more
property left upon the road in wagons, clothing,
&c. than it would take to build four such rail
roads ne the one.under contemplation from X ck
Island to Peru. TIE great desert Of fifty miles,
which we crossed in leaving the Hunbolt river
and coming TO Clrson or Salmon trout river,
would have been nothing had our stock been in
order, but as tbey were, Il was with difficulty
that we got them over the sand in the latter part
Of it being very bad and think il will be inn
possible to cross il all in short time, for the
smell arising from the dead animals left upon u.
A gentleman who had the curiosity to count,
told me that he had counted forty dead animals
within fifteen miles. ! know that when we
crossed I was never without the range Of the
smell that issued from them, from this you can
Judge what il must be little later.
Afte, coming up SIlmon-trout river some ''r-
ty miles, we found good grass once more. Tae
road up This river is very sandy and rocky, seve-
raj stretches Of ten and twenty miles without
grass, or water. About eighty miles, after stri.
king this river, we arrived Al Carson valley
one Of the most beautiful places I have seen
since Ileft--abonnding with fine seed grass and
clover. There has been q ranch established
here this spring and many old miners have come
over to prospect for gold. The road up this va
ley we found good until you arrive at the mouth
Of the Kenson which is about one hundred and
seventy miles from Sacramento. And here
came the tug Of war. Every man would say at
ter looking at the road tor the next fifty miles,
that il would be impossible to get wagon over,
on account OF the steepness Of some OF the as
cents and the large rocks that you have to go
over, but still they do take many of their wagons
through, but many more are left. Sierra Neva-
da mountains were worse to cross than usual,
on account OF the vas: bodies of snow upon them,
we travelled for twenty miles at one stretch over
snow some twenty feet deep.
Inow come to speak of things that would
never had seen. ! do not refer 10 the immense
loss Of property by the emigrants, nor to the ia
tigues Of the trip which oil had to undergo II
is not that the youth and the gray-headed old
man, with their packs upon their backs, were
compelled to foot il over barren country with
the burning rays Of July sun pouring down up
on their heads. But tits Of the starvation OF ma
ny, nay, the most Of the emgrants, that wish
to say few words I would forbear speaking
upon this sahiect, that might spare the feelings
OF those who have friends and relatives on the
route, did not know that reports will reach you
highly colored by reporters, that they may have
some startling news for their respective papers.
would here state that large amounts OF provis-
ions have been sent out to meet the emigrants
with instructions TO give unto every man that
hath not, enough TO last him. saw none, nor
do believe any have, or will, ssarve to death.
But have known them to be weeks without
bread and no meat but what their horses or mules
furnished them. Yes many OF them have been
compelled having lost all their own stock, to 1--we
on the horses that died on the road from star'a'
ton and fatigue. OF such food there was al
abundance, and | tell you, as horrid as II may
sound to you, who are surrounded with all the
luxuries Of life, that man will parfake OF such
before he will starve. could not eat meal
but what some one was around me telling how
long it had been since he had tasted food.
never refused such an one something to eat. al
though knowing full well had not enough pro-
visions to last US in. however arrived IN Car
con valley just as my provisions gave out, where
I found provisions for sale at the following Pr,'
ces: Flour So per pound; pork s. per pound
sugar $2 per pound; whiskey Sc per pint!
mention this last article because ! have seer
soma buy IL nd do without the others, depend