We passed over some sand hills today where the road was extremely dusty. After traveling a few miles over this dusty road on a warm day a white man will be equally as black as a negro. The dust here is different from anything of the kind that I have ever before seen. It bears a strong resemblance to ashes in some respects, both in appearance and smell, and seems to contain quite a large percentage of alkali.
Wednesday, September 5.
We started this morning at sunrise and passed down the Humboldt a few miles, where we met a large train of Mormon teams, 53 days from Sutter’s Fort in the Sacramento River valley, on their way to Salt Lake City. They report the miners in California as doing well, and some of them stated that they had as much gold as they wished for.
Traveled 15 miles in the forenoon and 10 in the afternoon and camped on the river, where we found but little grass.
Thursday, September 6.
Started in the morning and went down the river three miles, when we left the same and commenced ascending a mountain, and traveled 18 miles through a mountainous country and over a rough road before we again intersected the river. We then traveled down the river a mile and camped. Grass poor.
Our stock is again in poor condition for traveling, and we have yet a long road before us before we reach the Sacramento valley. Our cattle, which are our principal dependence for our food, are almost destitute of fat or suet, and are composed chiefly of hide, horns, cords and gristle and lean, flabby meat. It is not very nutritious living. Our appetites are wonderfully good. We have sometimes boiled the hide when we had plenty of time.
Friday, September 7.
Decamped at sunrise this morning and traveled 11 miles in the forenoon over a very poor and barren country.
In the afternoon we met a train of United States Government teams from Oregon, under the command of Gen. Joel Palmer. This train left Oregon early in the spring, and came by the way of California, where it is thought it remained a long time. It was sent from Oregon with provisions for the benefit of the United States soldiers who are on their way thither to assist the Oregonians in repelling the barbarous attacks of the Indians upon their settlements, it is said, and General Palmer expects to meet the command near Fort Hall.