Year: 1859

D dreds OF miles, produces very Httis


burnt. up grass in patches, end good
many i'll favored weeds of no known OF


presumed value. OF wood, the Platte
ond its tributaries have at intervals g


shred of tho eternal Cottonwood of the


Plains, much of it the more scrubby and


worthless species known as Bitter Cotton


wood, with very little of the equally


worthless Box Eder-and that is all


But, l40 miles this side Of Laramie, We
leave the Platte, which here comes from
the south. and strikes nearly forty miles
across barren divide to its tributary
the Sweetwater. which we find just by
Independence Rock, quite landmark in
this deso!ate region, with several low
mountains of almost paked rock around
it, having barely soil enough in their crew
ices to support a few dwar6sh Pines. =
Five miles above this is the Devils G ate
"a passage of the Sweetwater through a
perpendicular cannon 25 feet wide and
said to be 600 feet high-a passage
was still clay. Here large party of
Mormons we're caught by the SHOWS of
Winter while on their way to Salt Lake
some years since, and forced to encamp
for the Winter, so scantily provided that
more than hundred of them died OF hun
ger aud hardship before Spring. Many
more must have fallen victims had not
supply trsia from Salt Lake reached the m
early in the Spring. And here is foun-
tain of cold water-the first that bad
seen for more than a hundred miles,
though there is another on the long stretch
from the Platte to the Sweetwster which
is said to be good, but droFe of cattle
we're making quite too free with it when
we passed. Here the weary crowd of
emisrants to California were to gather
yesterday for celebration Of tho "Glo-
rious" Fourth, and was warmly invited
to stop aud participate. and now | heart
ily wish | had, since l find that all our
haste was in vain.


1t sas midnight Of the Sd when We
reached the mairoute station known as
the Three Crossing, from the fact that so
many fordiDgs of the Sweetwater (here
considerably larger than at its mouth, 40
miles or more below have to be made
within the next mile. We had been de-
layed two huors by the breaking away
of our two lead mules, in crossing deep
gully after dark--or rather by the fruit
less efforts of our conductor to recover
them. bad been made sick by the bad
water | han drank from the brooks We
crossed during the hot day, and rose in
a not very patriotic, certainly not joy
ful mood, unable to eat, but ready to-
move on. So We started a little after
sunrise, and. at the very first crossing,
one of our lead mules turned about and
ran toto his mate, whom be threw down
and tangled SO that be could not get up,
and in minute another mule was down
and the two in im minent danger of drown.
ing. They were soon liberated from the
harness and got up, and we went out; but
just then an euigrant on the bank espied
a carpet bag in the watermine, of course
and 6,bed it out. An examination
was then had, and showed that my trunk
was missing--the boot of the stage bav.
ing been opened the night before our ar
rival at the Station aud culpably left un-
fastened. We made hasty search for
the estray, but without success, and after
an hours delay. our conductor drove off,
leaving my trunk still in the bottom of
the Sweetwater, which is said to be ten
feet deep just below our ford. | would
rather have sunk thousand dollars
there. Efforts were directed to be made
to fish it out; but my hope of ever seeing
it again is faint one. We forded the
Sweetwa ater six times yesterday after that
without single mishap; but | have hard
Ily yet become reconciled to the loss of
my trunk, and, on the whole my Fourth
of July was not happy one.


Our road left a southernly bend OF
Sweetw ater after dinner and took its way
over the hills, SO as not to strike it again
till after dark, at point three miles from
where | now write. We we're now near
] ly at the summit of the route, with snowy
mountains near us in several directions,
and one large snow-bank by the side OF a
creek we crossed ten miles back. Yet
our yesterdays road was no rougher,
while it was decidedly better, than that
of any former day this side of Laramie,
as may be judged from the fact that, with
late start, We made sixty miles with one
(six mules) team to our heavy-laden wag'
on. The grass is better for the last TWEEN
ty miles tbsu ou any twenty miles pre-
vlously; aud the swift streams that fire.
auently cross cur way are cold and sweet


But, unlike the Platte, the Sweetwater
has scarcely tree or bush growing on
its banks; but up the little stream on
which | am writing, on box 10 the Mail
Conpapy's station tent, there is glorious
water, some grass, and more wood than
have seen SO close together since e.
merged from the Gold Diggings on Vas
quer's Fork, five hundred miles away
A spow-bank. forty rods long aud several
feet deep, lies just across the brook; the
wind blows cold at night, and we had
little rain squall-just enough to lay the