The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1894-03-14
Notes From Journal Kept by Mrs.
Francis n. Sawyer in a Jour-
ney Across the Plains,
MAY 9 To AUGUST II, 1852.
Revised and Compiled for the Enter
tainment of the Readers of the
Breckenridge News.

July lS.-Sabbath day. | have no
been feeling well for several days.
have taken cold Ny chest is sore ant
it pains me very much. | am taking
medicine for it, and think that / viii
soon be better.
We came to Mary's river, or Humboldt
as some call it, to-day. All the emf
grants dread this river, but we found
some gra.s, which is more than we ex
pected, as Mr.. Sawyer says that there was
very little here when he came out in 40
Distance travelled, thirty miles.
July l9.-The Digger Indians came to
camp near us last night and stole two
horses. The man on guard went to
sleep and let the Indians slip past him.
These are the most thieving Indians on
this route, and will be glad when we
are out of their range.
We forded the North fork of Mary's
river this afternoon.
Distance travelled, twenty-nine miles.
July 20.-A company of men went out
yesterday in pursuit of those Indians
who stole the horses.
Neither the water or the weather is
good on this river, and the dust is very
bad We forded the river four times to-
day, within distance of ten miles, to
avoid going over the hills.
Distance travelled, thirty miles.
July Give had a hard march of
seventeen miles to-day over the hills
without stopping except to water our
mules at an excellent cold spring which
we found in the hills; had to keep trav-
cling till we came to grass We forded
to the North side of the river and went
into camp. We will travel on this side
for some distance now, as we were in
formed by some packers to-day that
the best grass was on this side.
Distance travelled twenty-five miles
July 22.-Mr. Sawyer killed another
antelope to-day and we are feasting
Game of all kinds is very scarce this
year on the road and have been wish
ing for some fresh meat for some time.
My husband took some of the meat over
to another camp neal us and made the
people present of it. In return for his
kindness the men came over to our camp
with bottle OF old whisky and treated
our men. These men keep whisky for
sale and they retail it at two dollars a
drink. That seems like high price for
Ennop Int 20 haul
from the States or from California, over
the mountains, across the great desert
and up this river for two hundred miles,
so you see it is bound to be a costly
drink.
We had more mosquitoes tonight,
more than we had ever caught up with
before. We drove off the road to the
river, intending to camp there, but the
pesky insects were so bad that we were
compelled to abandon the idea OF camp
ing. thought that they would
surely eat us and the animals up before
we could get back to the road. We
travelled till ten o'clock at night before
they left us. 1t turned cool at that time
and we pitched our camp.
Distance travelled thirty-ive miles
July 23.-The mosquitoes were SO bad
this morning that we had to leave camp
at daylight without our breakfast. We
travelled till the sun got too hot for them,
then stopped and cooked our breakfast.
They are not quite so bad tonight. Mr..
Sawyer is not feeling well tonight.
Distance travelled twenty-five miles.
July 24.-We have laid by this after
noon because Mr.. Sawyer is too sick 10
travel. He has high fever and bad
headache. His bones all ache and he
thinks he has touch OF mountain fever.
lie is doctoring himself to-day and hopes
to be better soon. This river is the worst
place on the trip to be sick. The weather
is bad. the water is not good and the
mosquitoes annoy you to death OF nights.
Distance travelled twelve miles.
July %. Sabbath day. My husband is
better to-day, though he don't feel any
too good yet.
We had the good fortune TO get camp
tonight where there are no mosquitoes.
Distance travelled twenty three miles
July 2G-They changed my carriage
mule into the wagon today and put one
OF the wagon mules into the carriage. /
did not admire the change, but submit
ted, and, sure enough, bad luck came OF
it. While crossing a slough the mule l
was driving mired down and before they
could unharnass him, he began jumping
and kicking and broke one of the shafts
to the carriage. was so sorry that felt
like crying, for thought that We would
have to leave my carriage behind. How
ever, Mr.. Sawyer went to work and men
ded ii, SO that now il is almost as stout
as II ever was.
Distance travelled twenty-five miles.
July "a We passed trading post to-
day and were informed that 1t was one
hundred miles from there TO the sink OF
this riyer-and wont be glad to see the
end sink out OF sight