Overland route to California, description of the route, via Council Bluffs, Iowa: keeping the north side of the Platte River for the whole of the distance, lying near that stream, thence over the South Pass via the great Sublette and Bear River cut-offs, and the Truckee river road, over the Sierra Nevada to Sacramento Valley

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14 OVERI~AND HOUTE 284 the Platte river. Fivo miles further on from this spring you \Vill come to a 5 WIDE CREEl{. Good grazing, but no timber ; and five miles from this creek (which is easy to ford) you will find tho road runs 5 NEAR TI-lE PLATTE RIVER. Go three and a half miles and you \Vill see 3b WILLOWS, SOU'rH OF THE ROAD. These are the last species of timber of any kind, on the north side of the river, for a distance of two hun­dred miles, except one Ceda'r tree.­Buffalo Chips will be found in abun ... dance, and when dry, they answer a good purpose for fuel. From the wil­lows you go e>n two miles, and reach a 2 CREEK WITH HIGII BANI{S. Good crossing· FrGm this creek one and a half miles, you wi11 seo 1 ~ ISLANDS IN RIVER, upon which are plenty of low willows.. The stream is oasi1y waded. The road continues over a low country for several miles 301 TO CALIFORNIA. 15 301 from here. After going two miles you como to a 2 MUDDY CREEK, where the water is tolerably good, but the feed poor.­The road runs 2 NEAR THE RIVER, after which you leave the river for about seven miles, (during \vhich you will find but Httle grass,) when you reach 7 BLUFF FORK OF RIVER.­This fork is about six rods wide and eighteen inches deep ; rather steep on the east bank, but good to ford. Here we saw an immense number of Buffa­lo. No place to camp. After getting along ono and a half miles, 1~ ROAD ASCENDS THE SANDY BLUFFS. Road very winding, but tolerably firm. It continues on these bluffs for four and a half miles, when you reach 4n LOW LAND. Tolerably good grass may be found here. Four miles further, you strike 4 SOFT SANDY BL.UFFS, which 322