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Show 10 A TRIP ACROSS THE PLAINS, \Ve used the dried stalks of the Lobelia lnflata, as fuc% at this place. Thel'e is scarcely any timber, gt·owing en or near the banks of the Platte, except a few cotton and willow trees, nnd very often none even of these. 'fhe breadth of the river valley, varies f1·om three to six or 8 miles. From this point to the ford of the South Fork of Platte, a distance of 160 miles, wo tra veiled up the river valley, suffering considerably from cold and wet weather, having no fuel but dry prairie grass, and the ''Bois de V nche," or Ruffalo chips, (the excrement of the Buffalo, dried by years of exposure to the sun.) 'fhese chips n111-ke a very good fire, whC:'n you have nothing better. While travelling over this part of the route, we passed hundreds nfherds of this animal. 'fhe flesh of the calves and cows is very good, but that of the eld~rly males is rather tough.' fhere are also plenty of Antelope~. Bears, Wolves, Hares, Pr~irie Dogs, (a small animal resembling the Squirrel, ) ~V :ld Geese & Ducks, Snipes and Prairit! Chickens. Several species of good Fishes are frequently found in the streams. 'r he ra ttle-snuke~ p rai ric dog und bur rowing owl, are frequently found llv1ng together, amicably, in the sumo burrow. Natural history docs not, probably, afford an example of animals so dissimilar in forrn and habits occupv-iJlg the sn me berth, , " \Ve reached the ford of South Platte on the 26th of A~ nil, t_he weathe1· ruring the whole dny very cold and snow ln! J v_Iole ·~ tl y. The rive}' at this point is about one hal r ?'ule In w1dth, but v~ry shallow, the greatest depth not bcmg mo1:e th~n _two feet. Later in the seafSon, during the June ratns, It Is much deep8!·. The bed of this stream is ve_ry sandy, ~o much so, that if a wagon ''sticks" for a few minutes, It becomes a difficult nlatte1· to got it out fro1n the accumulations of sand. On arriving a~ the opposite shore, a very inhospitable ~cene presente? Jtself-large flakes of snow flying across \.he ba~·r.en plu1n and bluff-.;, and not a v_estige of any thing 1~sembhng fuel, e_xcept the Buffalo chtps, which were so ~etted by the melt1ng snow as not to be in very good bur'll~ ~.ng ORlJER. A gallon or two of •'cognac," when applied 1nternally, had the effect of lulling the senRibiJities of a number of the company, and bringtng on a state of happy AND LIFE IN CALIFORNIA .. 11 Jorgetfv.lness. But those who drank none felt much better next morning. This example would go far, townrds establishing the position, that water is calculated to answer in all kinds of weather. We had been compelled to leave n number of mules and horses before this time, on account of scarcity of grass nnd ~~·~in, and several n1ore were added to the number, by the iat1gue and exposure endured in Cl'ossing this stream. Next day we tra veiled to Cash Hollow, on the North Fori{ of. Platte, distant 14 n1iles. There are several lon g . steep hills to descend in this distance. Before reaching the ~allow we met a train of wagons, belonging to the A· rnencan Fur Company, loaded with furs and skins. On nl'riving at this camping place, we found plenty of wood and water; the \\eathet· was also warrn and pleosant. Between the ~tates and this point, the road is generally very good, equal to any road of the same length in the • 'States." Not supposing we would be troubled by the Indians~ a rnnnber of g_uns w.ere bt'okcn and thrown away at this p_lace, OUr ObJeCt b?lllg to lighten the loads 8S much as pOSSible. After leflvmg the flollow we struck the bank of North Platte, a st ream entirely different frotn the South ~ork, and the main Platte, after the junction of the two !orks. The latter are wide and shallow. while the former 1s narrow and of conside rable depth. A bout ton miles travel brought us to an encan1pment of Sioux Indians. In t h~so ten mil~s we had considcrnble hen ~y sand road. ~h ese .~ndtans received us ve t·y kindly, and exhibited thea· Cel:tlllcates of "mo\·al character," and friendship towards em19ra~1ts .. We, in turn. gave them some small prese nts. fhts tnbc have at present about fifte~n hundred lod9es, each one large enough to contain five persons with thou· baggage. These lodges are got up in the following rnnnner. About eight poles, about fifteen o1· twenty feet long, are arranged in the fot·m of a cone; one extremity of t .. hc pole_s being placed around the circumference of the circle, whtle the othet· extremity forms the apex of the cone. :\ number of Buffalo robes dressed on both sides nre sewed t..)g~the1:. and fitted accu1·ately to this frame work. An opcrung 1s )eft at the top to give exit to the smoke. This is |
