e; but otherwise you
cannot.

20 miles.

28th. We traveled up the south Fork about eight miles, when we left the
river and crossed the dividing ridge between the two forks to the north
branch of the Platte. The country is barren and sandy, with no grass.
We saw several antelope, and had one or two good chases for them, but
did not get any.

22 miles.

29th. We were compelled to ascend the bluffs to-day and travel 15 miles
without water. Three buffalo came running towards our train to-day, and
threatened to run through the train, but turned their course when
within about 20 rods of us. Col. Sublet shot two bullets through one of
them from his double shooter but did not bring him down. Litwiler
afterwards killed a bull. We stopped four hours after we got to the
river to get in the meat. It was excellent, with the exception of
having a strong flavor of musk. It will supply our whole train for a
week, besides leaving enough for 40 men. We have found great quantities
of wagons, irons, chains and other property thrown away, on the road
to-day. Abundance of buffalo, antelope and wolves are seen now.

24 miles.

30th. We got an early start this morning, and reached Ash Hollow about
noon, where we found some trees growing, which were welcome to our
sight. The road from the upper ford on the South Fork, comes in at Ash
Hollow. Camped early and found plenty of grass, with thousands of
horses cattle and mules feeding upon it. An old Frenchman with a party
of Yanktaw Indians, is camped near us, trading with the emigrants. We
have passed several good springs of water to-day. The Bluffs here are
mostly limestone, with a few cedar trees growing upon them; back of
this they have been mostly sand bluffs. We find alkali every day now.

22 miles.

31st. We had a heavy shower last night, a perfect deluge, but it was
needed, for the country was very dry. We have passed several Indian
villages to-day, belonging to the Yanktaw Sioux. One village had about
forty lodges in it. The Sioux are a noble race and very friendly, and
appear to be as much civilized as their neighbors near the settlement,
that is they know how to beg to perfection. They lately had a fight
with the Pawnees, in which they were victorious, and took a great many
ponies, which are now feeding around the wigwams. One of them came in
with a pony loaded with buffalo meat while I was in their wigwam. I saw
some Indian burials, to-day. They bury on a platform rai