The road up Goose Creek is miserable, and we found no good grass till night.—About 3 miles from morning’s camp I visited a low cliff of soft sand stone, where I saw inscribed “Capt. Findley July 11, 1849.” The man to whom we gave hard bread a few days since stole a sack of flour from a mess in the Rock Island train who had permitted him to tent with them for a week or so; but the flour was found and our grateful gent had to slope.
Today, I saw six Root Digger Indians, who had hidden their nakedness with castoff garments they had picked up on the road. I was behind the train, and was beset by the ragged devils, but rode by them though they looked saucy enough to be mischievous had they not been rather intimidated by the sight of a packing train just coming in view around the hill; two of them following A. McFarland more than a mile, searched his pockets, but left him when he offered “fistiana” resistance. Mr. Platte, late of Rock island, camped with us tonight. He is driving an ox team, having wintered with his family at Fort Laramie, and taken an early start. He has a roadometer attached to his wagon, and intends publishing a Guide Book. I looked over his manuscript and find it very correct. A company of packers, via Salt Lake, are also near us. They procured potatoes for $2.50; flour for $25.00 per 100 lbs. and radishes and lettuce in abundance. They tell us that it is about 120 miles out of the way, which I think is correct. Persons who left on that route when we took the Cutoff are several days behind. The streams on this side of the city are all high, and the rates of ferriage most exorbitant; on the whole I think that we “hit the nail on the head” by not coming that road.
Where we camped last night, four Indians made an attempt to steal horses from McKee’s train two nights ago, which resulted in the killing of one Indian by the guard.
We moved on about a mile this morning to a point where the waters of the Humboldt are brought to a stand still. Here we found a little grass, and remained encamped till 3 o’clock p.m. We left our camp, (if a solitary tent for a company of forty men and a few packs be worthy of the name,) and started across the desert—so long dreaded. We arrived at the junction of the Carson and Truckie routes, and finding that all the travel had gone the former road, we took it. Five miles further, after passing a few salt springs, we came upon what really deserved the name, for a more completely barren waste cannot well be imagined. For miles and miles extended a perfectly level surface of hard baked clay without a spear of grass or the slightest elevation of earth. Nothing could be discovered upon it save here and there a black speck far off the road which we found to be water casks which had been blown away from the road by the wind. We travelled upon this barren plain five miles before night closed in upon us, and noticed hundreds of water kegs and great numbers of wagons that had been left. We now gave our horses a little hay, and about a half bucket each of water, which we procured from one of the wagons. The water being now all used up all the wagons remaining in the company were left, except Harris’ and Swezy’s. We started on in about an hour, and travelled probably 8 miles when we again fed hay and rested an hour. Started on again, we could see nothing but the faintly glimmering stars above, and the horses ahead of us—feel nothing but our steps grating through the sand or patterning in the dust—and smell nothing but the effluvia which indicated too vividly the presence of the carcasses of dead horse along the road. Travelling 8 miles further we stopped about sunrise and rested and fed for the last time on this forty mile stretch, and after breakfast pushed on over the deep sand for 9 miles, during which we suffered a little for the heat of the morning—the forenoon here being the hottest part of the day, as the afternoon winds serve to cool the air. Within about three miles of Carson River we met a train of returning Californians; each man having three mules, with which they are making great headway. We arrived at the Carson River, a larger stream than the Humboldt, and which, like it, is lost in the sands of the Great Basin. There being no grass here we travelled up the river 5 miles, waded three sloughs for grass and encamped.—Here let me say, that the Humboldt has not a tree upon its whole extent—the nearest approach to timber being a few willow bushes, none thicker than your wrist. On the Carson, however, we find a few scattered cottonwood trees.
On the 7th we were out of sight of snow—the first time since the 22nd May. Today, we again are greeted with the glittering mountain sheets of shining snows.
From Salt Lake City
[Emphasis added.]
If we could rest our horse on the excellent grass of Carson valley before crossing the Mountains, I think we could go over with flying colors, but as it is, we have to push ahead, even at the risk of killing them all. We have now been on short allowance ever since we left the Sink, and many of the company are as short up as we are. We have lived since we left Humboldt on a half pound of bread, and about two tablespoons full of rice per day. We were reduced to this by having lost about 60 lbs. flour and 20 lbs. went by having it stolen, by some poor, hunger-driven-to robbery devil.
Reader, my dinner is over, and if ever any one enjoyed slap jacks and fat pork—this and nothing more—that individual was your humble servant. I am in a good humor now, and with a few closing remarks, I shall cut your acquaintance, for the present, though I may soon endeavor to cultivate it again.
I have walked two-thirds of this twenty-four hundred mile trip; been out of “grub” part of the time—the very time, too, I had to work the hardest; and must say that I cannot regret having taken the journey. I have never, yet, seen the elephant, nor do I believe any one else, who came over with the same outfit, has had any cause to complain, unless he be a person who has had no curiosity to gratify—no ambition to sustain him in difficulties, or who is constitutionally too lazy to enjoy good health. We are at length here, in the land of our golden dreams, and shall endeavor to make up for lost time. I must claim the indulgence of my readers for these badly written sketches. No one, but a person who has crossed the Plains, can imagine the difficulty with which I have written. Sleep is all we ever desired, after supper, or when we were resting during the day, and I have had to snatch from my covetous eyelids, what little time I devoted to this journal.—I thought I could have made an interesting book. My material was ample, and had I been seated in My sanctum, I might have made my “impressions” readable—as it is, I have done my best, and, hoping again to hold converse with you from this distant land under more favorable auspices. I am, as ever,
Your friend and servant, E. H. N. P.
The report of the riot on the 13th of August and the destruction of the city of Sacramento by fire on the 4th, we are inclined to believe unfounded, as our Junior makes no mention of the riot in his letter written on the night of the 13th, nor does the Placer Times of the 14th give any account of it. We take the following extracts from the letter:
“I have heard nothing further from Lt. Mitchell since I wrote last. He was then on Middle Fork of Yuba; and every account we receive from there, tells of extensive failures.
“The boys are nearly all in from the Plains. I have heard of all of them except Rockwell and Snook. The last I heard of Sammy he had not yet got in; though he has by this time, undoubtedly. Rockwell has probably got in, but I have not yet heard from him. Ives, C. B. Jones, & c. came in ahead of Lynn, but it was a satisfactory arrangement—they await his arrival at Hangtown. All the Warren boys are in and up about Weaverville.—Perkins, and Graham have gone into business at Hangtown. Graham was down here a day or two ago. Theodore and John McFarland are at Cold Spring. R. W. Miles has arrived and gone to digging at Cold Spring. The Galesburg boys are nearly all there. John McGaw, Applegate, Henderson, Birdsall, A. Knowles, Watson, Chapins, and several of the other boys from Oquawka, are also there. Dr. Knowles opens a store there this week.—Dr. McDill has gone into partnership with Dr. Plumer of Rock Island at Placerville. Some extraordinary tales are told about “big lumps” down in the Southern mines on the tributaries of the San Joaquin. The operation of the foreign tax has driven away many of the miners from that district.”