more precipitous, so, in
order to lighten the wagon-loads, one by one many articles of furniture
were left behind.

When the company reached the head of Amargosa Valley they began to
separate. At length one party found looming up before it the streaked
and many-colored Funeral Range of mountains. Nothing daunted, they
laboriously toiled up to the crest with their teams. On looking down
their hearts sank within them as they beheld a precipitous descent to a
long, deep, and narrow valley almost destitute of vegetation. This
depression was to be christened Death Valley.

It was now too late to turn back; so, unyoking the oxen, they proceeded
to lower the wagons down into the valley by hand, using chains and
ropes. By the time they had finished the task darkness had shut down
and, gathering sufficient greasewood brush to make a fire, they cooked
their evening meal with a scanty supply of water and vainly searched for
more. The food was eaten in gloomy silence, for they were lost and knew
not where they were nor how to reach the nearest settlement.

It was apparent to all, however, that they must hasten to leave this
kiln-dried desert valley as soon as possible. Abandoning their wagons
and nearly all of the surviving oxen to their fate, after incredible
hardships from lack of both food and water, about one-half of the
company of thirty souls that crossed the Funeral Range reached the
settlements alive. Succumbing to their sufferings, the others dropped,
one by one, by the wayside unknelled and uncoffined. The skeletons of
several of these unfortunate emigrants were found years afterward by
exploring parties and prospectors.

Among those who escaped was a man named Bennett, who, on reaching the
nearest town, reported that he had found a ledge of pure silver. The
reputed discovery occurred in this way. As he was wending his course
along one of the canyons he came across a spring, and, being both
thirsty and tired, after taking a drink sat down to rest. While sitting
there he carelessly broke off a piece of a rock jutting out near him,
and perceiving that it was very heavy and thinking it might be of some
value, placed a small part of it in his pocket.

After he had reached San Bernardino he happened to purchase a gun
lacking a front sight. Bennett therefore sought a gunsmith, whom he
requested to make a sight out of the metallic rock which he had found
that he might have a souvenir which would not be easily lost.

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