Page:California Historical Society Quarterly vol 22.djvu/133

 of grass the mules wild and roads mudy it was hard for man and beast

ijth we lay by and arranged our loads, etc.

May 77' Today we divided the rideing horses by lotery they were all brought up and numbered horses and mules and as bad luck would have it I drew the smallest Spanish mule we had in the lot it was a cream coloured one I riged on a Mexican sadle and trimmings and mounted being full six feet tall I must have presented a picture truly rediculous my feet came within less than a foot of the ground he used his best endeavours to throw me off but failed, and many a hearty laugh the boys have had at my expense today

My friend Hough was more unfortunate haveing been throwed several times from a similar article of horse flesh We got ready and moved 7 miles over a very rough road and crossing quite a stream here the hard work comes for men lifting and prying out of the mud waggons we camped on the edge of the prara and a fine sight it was as far as the eye could reach nothing but a roleing plane during the day we had two poles (or toungs) broken by our mules being wild and teamers not acquainted with driving we camped tired and hungry

Saturday May 18^ We spent the first part of the day in mending our wag- gons We passed on 1 3 miles over the most beautifull country man ever beheld Prara pinks were in abundance and the odor arrising from them delightfull to one's allfactory's One that has never seen these plains can form no idea of their vastness it looked like an ocean of prara Only one thing we observed to mar the scene that was quite a number of new made graves and the voluntary thought and wish was that he had laid up for him- self treasure in heaven in seeking treasure across the plains and the thought naturally occur it may be our lot next but large hope and stout hearts will do much towards sustaining us we arrived in camp late found water but no wood This I expect will be our great trouble in passing over this wood- less country

Sunday May 20' We felt it our duty to move today as we had no wood to cook with and poor water we traveled some 12 miles to what is called Indian Creek this is inhabited by the Shawnees Most of them have left their houses on the road on account of the Emigrants haveing the Cholera We saw one half breed quite inteligent he said "great many go never get there" here we found wood and a fine spring here we found quite a number of emigrating parties before we got onharnessed there came up a shower and such showers as they have on the prara beats all I ever saw. We put up our tents but were blessed with a soft bed by the ground being well soaked this is one of the beauties of camp life

Monday^ May 21^ We got started at 8 oclock as it is a great job to harness up wild mules We stoped at noon baited our mules on the banks of a