August 1st. Remained camped to-day, preparing hay for crossing the
Desert, which commences 20 miles from the slough or meadow. There is an
abundance of grass at this point for all the stock that can ever reach
here. We have to wade to get it, then cart it to the channel, and boat
it across that in a wagon box. A man with his wife came into the camp
last night on foot, packing what little property they had left on a
single ox, the sole remaining animal of their team; but I was informed
of a worse case than this by some packers, who said they passed a man
and his wife about 11 miles back who were on foot, toiling through the
hot sand, the man carrying the blankets and other necessaries, and his
wife carrying their only child in her arms, having lost all their team.
2d. We still remain at the meadows. A team came in yesterday evening
from Sacramento, loaded with provisions. They ask for rice $2.50 per
lb.; for flour $2.00; bacon $2.00; whiskey $2.00 per pint, and brandy
$3.00 per pint. We killed a cow this evening which we had picked up a
few days ago at a camping ground, where she had been left on account of
lameness. She was not exactly beef, but she was better eating than dead
mules and horses by the road side; we divided her up in the train and
among the starving people who are about us, only saving a small amount
for ourselves, which we jerked and dried.
3d. We are still lying by. About two miles below our camp are some
falls in the river, at which point the meadows terminate. There is no
more grass from here until we reach Carson River, about 66 miles.--Some
of the teams that left us above Fort Kearney came in to-day, entirely
destitute of provisions, and had been so for some days, although they
had contrived to starve along somehow. We heard of them before they got
here, and saved a little beef for them.
4th. Sunday. Broke up camp and started again. We had stopped three days
to recruit our horses before taking the desert, and although we have
taken the utmost pains with them, they are weaker now than when we
stopped. My advice to all is not to make any stop at this point, but
push on to Carson River, for there is so much alkali in the water and
grass here that your stock will not recruit. There is no water for the
next 20 miles fit for stock to drink. We lost one horse to-day from
watering beside the road, four miles before we got to the sink. He died
in thirty minutes after drinking, in the greatest agony. Two others
were much injured, so much so, that we could only get them to the sink
with the greatest difficulty. Trimble and Sublet also lost one. Beware
of shallow water along here.