Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/161

 May 31.—This morning we set out, intending to reach the lone tower, 16 miles distant. Had some sand to contend with. Crossed stream in the forenoon, a beautiful little running stream. In the evening we crossed a stream that runs near the lone tower. The tower is about four miles from the road.

June 1. This morning our company divided, six wagons taking the advance, leaving thirteen in the rear. We traveled 16 miles today. Good road all the way. The bluffs on the left along here looked like an ancient city. This evening we camped opposite the Chimney rock. This huge mass can be seen 32 miles before reaching it, and looks like a haystack with a pole stuck in the top, but when you get within three or four miles of it, it looks like chimney on top of a peak of regular slope on all sides. The material looks like casing bricks

June 2.—This day we started early, traveled 10 miles up the river, watered and lay until 2 o'clock, when we left the river and started for Scott's Bluffs, 15 miles distant. We reached the Bluffs at 9 o'clock at night; found water and wood; pitch pine and red cedar both grow here. Here we found a trading post belonging to Rubedo (Robidoux), a Frenchman.

June 3.—This day we started late, traveled 12 miles and camped at Horse Creek. Here we can see Laramie's peak, 150 miles distant. It looks like a pillar of dark cloud rising in the Northwest.

June 4.—This morning we started at 8 o'clock, traveled 16 miles, had heavy sand first f^ve miles, balance of the day good roads. Here we find the character of the country very different from the past. The river here is narrow, deep and crooked, the bluffs here coming to the water's edge. We had low, sandy hills to cross. We stopped this evening near a trading post right in a prairie dog town.

June 5.—This morning at the end of four miles we found a trading post, where we had the opportunity of exchanging lame cattle for fresh ones by paying small