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Show 56 NATIONAL WAGON ROAD GUIDE. We remarked, that if we were now at sea, it would be a very prudent matter to take in sail; but that ,vhere we then were, we should doubtless make a safe run with all sails set, but that some kind of a storm "vas' bre\ving for us. The sun was scorching hot ; not a cloud visible, or a breath of air to be felt, and we were all oppressed with extreme lassitude, therefore stirred not, as we feared no storm ; for should rain come upon us it would be but a god-send. At this mo1nent we heard the low run1 bling of tl1under, and presently a livid, bronze-like, rather than a black cloud, was seen rising over the summit' of the Humboldt mountains, eight or ten miles distant to the southeast ' and immediately thereafter, like a great arched dome of half red molten iron, had it spanned the entire eastern hori zon. It appeared, "'hat it proved to be, a terr ific storm cloud. Occasional flashes of lie:htninO' were seen but u 0 ' little thunder was heard. Soon, however, a heavy continuous roar became audible, and in less time than it has taken to relate its progress thus far, the cloud was nearly over our heads; the Inountains completely hidden from our ;view, and a roaring storm of some kind was close upon us. ~s hastily as possible v1e put our ,vagon and camp eq~1ppage in a position to receive it; our affrighted animals all rushed into camp, and immediately · struck us ; a storm of wind and sand, from the great American desert; but without one d'rop of rain! The sand and .. • . ) NATIONAL WAGON ROAD GUIDE. 57 dust darkened the air, and penetrated every crevice of our tent and wagon, where air could find its way. For a half hour a sha.rp prickling sensation was felt upon the back of the bands and face, accompanied by a sensation as though spider webs were drawn closely over them. This we attributed to electrical agency, perhaps properly, for during the storm the magnetic needle cut up all manner of antics~ and ranged to all parts of the compass, as well as north and south. And this ~as our first great sand storm. I • A FAMILY SLIDE. All have heard of, and many have seen, land· slides; and they generally occur from the breaking out of a body of water upon a hillside or mountain ; but the family slide occurred from just the opposite cause, a very deep, dry dust, upon a similar locality, a hillside. All who have crossed the plains, ren1ember well the Goose Creek mountains. It was on passing down these mountains that the · slide occurred. 'fhe road lay along the bed of a dry ravine, a part of the way over very large loose stones, and a part where there was but little else than deep, dry dust, more closely resembling light, dry ashes than sand ; with now and then a few rods together, so steep, as to r equire all hands to hold back, by a ·rope fastened to the axle. / It was at just one ,of these places that a lady, and the mother of a family, having as a matter of convenience Npon the plains, adopted the |