Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/121

,  of  whom

but eight  were  females,  while  twenty-four  females  and twenty males  survived.

Revolting as  are  these  revelations,  the  half  has not been  told. Of the  dark  deeds  committed  hi  this sepulchral Sierra,  under  cover  of  night,  or  in  the light of  day  made  blacker  than  blackest  night  by  the darkness of  the  deed,  comparatively  few  have  ever been told. But enough  has  been  told  to  show  us what  men  will  do  when  forced  by  necessity. These Donners were  cultivated,  wealthy  people;  they  be- haved better in  some  respects  than  the  others,  and yet they  did  not  wholly  forbear  to  eat  of  each  other.

During the  immigration  of  1849,  and  before  that time, there  were  many  parties  who  underwent  much suffering; some' similar  to  those  experienced  by  the Donner party,  yet  there  was  no  instance  which  as  a whole  equalled  those  horrors  in  magnitude  and  inten- sity. Toward this  western  shore  had  set  the  world's tide  of  human  life  and  human  passion. So great  was the movement  of  1849  that  I  might  say  there  was almost a  continuous  line  of  waofons  from  the  Missouri river to  the  Sierra  Nevada,  an  almost  unbroken  line of light  from  the  camp-fires  at  night;  hence  it  was safe enough  for  single  wagons,  or  horsemen,  or  foot passengers even,  to  join  the  throng. And many  of these  individual  adventurers  there  were. But man likes company,  especially  when  there  is  toil  and  un- certainty before him;  and  so  at  the  east  overland societies were  organized  and  officered  bound  for  the mines, the  object  being  that  by  a  community  of  labor or capital  mutual  comfort  and  safety  might  be  in- creased.

The idea  of  association  was  to  divide  the  venture, or to  unite  the  benefits  of  .money  and  labor,  or  for mutual aid,  or  protection,  or  to  assure  attention  in case  of  sickness,  or  for  all  these  combined. One desires to  go  to  California  who  has  not  the  means, so he  drives  across   the  plains  the  team  of