22d. Left the river this morning and traveled down the second bank of
the river, a nearly level plain covered with alkali and wild sage, but
no grass. We went to the river once, although out of the way. The right
hand road is 18 miles without grass or water, very dusty and
disagreeable. Water very bad, even that in the river; camped on the
river bank, no grass on our side. The boys swam the river about fifteen
rods wide here, and rigged a sort of ferry with our piquet ropes, and
ferried grass across on them for the night, no small job for 17 horses.