| OCR Text |
Show IV PREFACE. pleasant journey; yet much can be done to lighten the labor and enhance the comforts of the voyaguer, by a proper attention to his outfit, and by proper care of his s.tock after entering upon the road. The first iten1 of importance is the 'l'EAM:. I believe it is generally conceded by those ,vho have n1ade the trip, that as safe, if not 1'IIE SAFEST animal that can be en1ploycd upon the road, is the Ox. His adaptation to subsist opon grass alone ; his capacity for great endurance, and the con1parati vely low p rice at which he may be purchased-all reco1nmend him to the favorable notice of the en1igrant. Nor do his TRAVELLING qualities fall as far behind those of the hor"e or mule, as is .generally supposed at hmne. The trip has been niade from St. J osephs, Mo., to Sacramento City, 'vith cattle, in SEVENTY DAYS, and the instances are fe'v indeed, where horses have perfunned it in less time. I crossed the Great Su blctte Cut-off, from Big Sandy River to Green l1.i ver, a desert stretch of fifty-four miles, in t,,~euty-two hours, travelling time, and there were mule and horse trains upon that rot.td at the snme tin1e, 'vbich were six hours longer in crossing than 've 'vere. I n1ade the trip 'vilh oxen, and I sl1ould unhes· it.atingly choose th01n in preference to any other aninutl, had I the trip to make again. PREFACE. v For packing, mules or horses are, of course, preferable, but it is very questionable if the packer possesses advantages over the emigrant who travels with a wagon._ The 'vagoner enjoys many comforts from 'vhich the packer is necessarily debarred, and, if not before, in ca~e of sickness, the value of the wagon will be acknow ]edged by all. Nor does the packer, with ALL EASE, leave the wagoner behind him. If he DOES, it ceases to be a query, w bether an animal can, with 1nore ease, on a tolern bly smooth road, haul a load in an easy-running vehicle DEHIND HI]\.f, 01' SUPPORT the sa1ne, and carry it upon his back. Packing is only a_n advantage in a. very rugged cout1try, \vhere ·wagons cannot ruu. Now the road over w·hich I traveled to Cailfornia, is, for the mo~t part, entirely different fro1u such as • above n1eutioned. I traveled upon the SimT.a Nevada n1ountains, in company with a train of packers, who left the Bluffs only ONE 'VEEK later than I did. They traveled the sarne route that I did, and during the last six weeks of our journey, we saw each other nearly every day. But if we give the preference to cattle, it must be bo1·ne in mind that ALL cattle are not equally fitted for the journey. The BEST, (and such only should be taken,) are of medium size, with straight, clean made limbs and small joints.Such will prove good travelers. They should be |
