Page:California Historical Society Quarterly vol 22.djvu/143

 been any rain here for 35 days and the roads are verry dry the wheels are shrinking tires get loose distance traveled 8 miles

Saturday July jth This day has been spent in overhauling loads and repair- ing waggons and the members limited to one hundred pounds including arms ammunition &c We find we can lighten considerable in old chains barrels and everything is ready for an early start tomorrow. We found a mile from camp a man left by some party he was deranged and sick with a verry bad diarea our Dr gave him some medicine and something to eat but could not get him to camp he is entirely naked and sun burnt a pitiable object we shall take some measures to get him to the Fort the party that left him are verry censurable hardly human. This evening it looks like rain hope to have a shower. Our camp is pleasantly set out with cactus the pineapple and a new species to me having a verry fine red flower today our boys picked quite a mess of wild currents and for sauce they are a treat

Sunday July 8th We camped yesterday three miles from the fort on the Platte we got our tire reset and this morning we were off in season I went over to carry letters to the Fort our party kept up the river road I struck across the Bluffs by "Warm Spring"^^ laid down by Bryant the upper one was as clear a spring as was ever seen, discharging a large quantity of water I came up with the party at two o'clock haveing taken the wrong road four miles we now begin to find it uphill work as we near the Mounts we passed a creek that had the appearance of lately haveing been swollen moveing some of the bushes and drift wood we found large quantities of hail the stones after a warm day as large as pees we camped tonight on a rise some 20 miles from the fort fair grass the road has not run as formerly near the river it keeps up today on the bluffs more, occasionly comeing in sight of the river We have passed one party with Oxen dis- tance traveled 22 m.

Monday pth This morning we were off in season at 9 oclock we came to cold clear spring these springs are soule reviveing as we come uppon them unexpected ^vc miles from this spring we came to fine creek water clear and cold abundance of grass timber &c this was the best nooning place we have had here we found a party throwing away their bacon to lighten their loads we met several return [ing] trains all ox teams re- port poor grass ahead we traveled late and camped on the Platte a few miles above where the river makes through the ridge called by Fremont the Cannon^^ good grass today we passed several parties of ox teams now we have the advantage of oxen distance 25.

Tuesday, July 10th 184P Today we have had a verry uneaven road work- ing around Laramie, at noon hour we had to run of the road some half mile side of a small creek Wood water and grass here we reset several of our tire the sun is hot and air verrv drying the wood work to our waggons shrink verrv much we moved at four oclock we camped tonight