Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/105

 ves upon

the spot  just  in  time  to  reap  a  rich  harvest. It was in this  year,  and  the  year  previous,  that  the  Mor- mons, having been  previously  expelled  from  Nauvoo, Illinois, made  their  way  out  of  the  accursed  land,  and found an  encampment  at  Council  Bluff  on  the  Mis- souri river, which  was  the  rendezvous,  or  place  of preparation  for  a  further  westward  journey,  a  journey which should  place  the  Rocky  Mountains  a  barrier between them  and  the  hated  gentiles.

The third  sfreat  overland  emigration  was  in  the spring and  summer  of  1849,  when  Gold! was the watchword along  the  line,  and  Ho  for  the  diggings! was painted  on  the  canvas  wagon-covers ;  when  ava- rice warmed the  heart,  and  fired  the  brain,  and  steeled the sinews;  when  in  the  dreams  of  the  ox-drivers wagon loads  of  yellow  nuggets  rolled  out  of  rocky canons into  pastures  green  as  Arcadian  vales,  wherein the cattle  might  graze,  and  drink  from  the  Pactolean streams that  watered  it.

It was  during  the  middle  one  of  these  great  migra- tions that the  Donner  tragedy  occurred. It was  in 1846  when  a  party  attempted  a  new  route  from  Fort Bridger, round  the  southern  end  of  Great  Salt  Lake, and through  the  Truckee  pass  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. The company  was  composed  of  George  Donner,  wife, and five  children ;  Jacob  Donner,  wife,  and  seven  chil- dren; J. F.  Beed,  wife,  and  four  children;  W.  H. Eddy,  Breen,  Pike,  Foster,  and  others,  with  women and children;  in  all  about  eighty  souls.

The journey  across  the  plains  under  favorable  con- ditions was by  no  means  an  unpleasant  one. Though somewhat monotonous,  it  was  capable  of  being  made both healthful  and  pleasurable. Many a  one  who, reduced by  disease,  had  set  out  upon  this  journey with little  hope  of  ever  reaching  the  end,  arrived  in California  well  and  strong,  like  a  man  newly  made; many a  one,  alas! set out  well  and  strong  who  met death ere  his  journey  was  completed. In company