valley is one of the most sublime places I ever saw; it is from appearance from 30 to 50 miles wide from north to south the length of which I am not able to determine; the soil is rich and beautifully set over with fine grass intermixed with patches of sage; the mountains to the north in places are thickly set with pine and cedar[1] timber.
September 7. Road beautiful and level; traveled 16 miles; crossed one small stream and encamped on the northern margin of a large lake;[2] had an abundance of fine grass; no wood except sage.
September 8. Road continues delightful; had 10 horses stolen last night by the Indians; travel 10 miles and encamped on a small stream[3] affording good grass and a few small willows. A dreadful occurrence a few minutes after we were in camp,—a sudden death of one infant by that disease which has been fatal before in our company,—the whooping cough.
September 9. Attended to the burial of the deceased this morning before we started; made a start at 10 o'clock; traveled six miles over a delightful road and encamped at a spring; found no wood, and but little grass.
September 10. Made a late start; traveled a west course over a tolerable level road, though very stony in places; found no grass nor water for 25 miles; at one o'clock this morning we gradually descended a long slope; found a good spring affording an abundance of water, and grass, with a few willows.[4]
September 11. Laid by all day to rest our teams.
September 12. Made a small move of five miles and encamped on a small branch; found tolerable grass and cedar timber in abundance.
September 13. Made a start; traveled three miles, met the men who had accompanied the pilot[5] in search of water; found none; we returned to our old encampment and stopped for the night.
September 14. Laid still all day waiting the return of the pilot; he returned late in the evening; found no water.
September 15. Dispatched a company of men with their pack horses loaded with water and provision in search of water.
September 16. The hunters returned this morning at nine o'clock; found water in 25 miles; in a few minutes the companies were in parade for their oxen, made a general collection of stock; between four o'clock and sundown about 80 wagons left the branch for the next encampment; travel all night. At daybreak we reached the place of encampment at a small mountain stream,[6] winding its way through a level valley; found no wood except sage which grew in abundance near its margin; having come 25 miles, we stopped to take some refreshment and rest our teams.
September 17. After taking some refreshment we yoked
Page:Route of Meek Cut-off, 1845.djvu/4
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4
Lawrence A. McNary
