nts of steam-boats or railways, or
from other persons connected with transportation companies, should be
received with great caution, and never without corroborating evidence
from disinterested sources.

There is no doubt that each one of these roads has its advantages and
disadvantages, but a judicious selection must depend chiefly upon the
following considerations, namely, the locality from whence the
individual is to take his departure, the season of the year when he
desires to commence his journey, the character of his means of
transportation, and the point upon the Pacific coast that he wishes to
reach.

Persons living in the Northeastern States can, with about equal
facility and dispatch, reach the eastern terminus of any one of the
routes they may select by means of public transport. And, as animals
are much cheaper upon the frontier than in the Eastern States, they
should purchase their teams at or near the point where the overland
journey is to commence.

Those living in the Northwestern States, having their own teams, and
wishing to go to any point north of San Francisco, will of course make
choice of the route which takes its departure from the Missouri River.

Those who live in the middle Western States, having their own means of
transportation, and going to any point upon the Pacific coast, should
take one of the middle routes.

Others, who reside in the extreme Southwest, and whose destination is
south of San Francisco, should travel the southern road running through
Texas, which is the only one practicable for comfortable winter travel.
The grass upon a great portion of this route is green during the entire
winter, and snow seldom covers it. This road leaves the Gulf coast at
_Powder-horn_, on Matagorda Bay, which point is difficult of access by
land from the north, but may be reached by steamers from New Orleans
five times a week.

There are stores at Powder-horn and Indianola where the traveler can
obtain most of the articles necessary for his journey, but I would
recommend him to supply himself before leaving New Orleans with every
thing he requires with the exception of animals, which he will find
cheaper in Texas.

This road has received a large amount of travel since 1849, is well
tracked and defined, and, excepting about twenty miles of "_hog
wallow prairie_" near Powder-horn, it is an excellent road for
carriages and wagons. It passes through a settled country for 250
miles, and within t