The Genteel Gentile, Letters of Elizabeth Cumming, 1857 - 1858

Genteel Gentile, page 014

preceded us about three weeks had about 6000 animals, & in the same storm, (which metus on the summit of Rocky mount tins & met them near t& point) they lost z animals. In passing through the last desert (mauvaises Terres) we were two or three days passing through this Golgotha. 20.30 bodies m view at a time sometimes. There was no wood to burn-& the weather intensely cold--only Sage bushes for fuel-which burns like paper--so we cui up the deserted U. S. waggons for fuel-fine, large new waggons-harness & all left most of them with their six oxen, (ar mules as might be) lying by their sides. We gathered the yokes from the dead oxen. & chooped The morale was worse than the physique. In the very cold weatfier, the teamsters seemed more like madmen than human beings. Much Sin abounded. The cold & privations seemed to make them crazy! Alfred is well. I am well-but have not had a shoe on till to-day far a &-foot frost bitten, ¬ being able to stop to take care of it, it swelled & burst & I had a very bad foot. We have been here long enough&the weather has moderated sufficiently to improve it. I have been afraid I might be per- manently lame-the inflamation in the jw being so bad-1 do not walk yet, except with pain & difficulty-but it is much better-1 found some letters from friends here-but none from you-Direct ai before-the mail, if it comes through again, this winter, will stop here-w stop here. You will see by the papers what B. Young has been doing -his position. A. would have gone on to Salt Lake, but we 14