dead bodies around her shanty, and the nights are too cold to watch
them, but we hear them howl."

"Feb. 26. Hungry times in camp; plenty of hides, but the folks will
not eat them; we eat them with tolerably good appetite, thanks to the
Almighty God. Mrs. Murphy said here yesterday that she thought she would
commence on Milton and eat him. I do not think she has done so yet; it
is distressing. The Donners told the California folks four days ago that
they would commence on the dead people if they did not succeed that day
or the next in finding their cattle, then ten or twelve feet under the
snow, and they did not know the spot or near it; they have done it ere
this."

"Feb. 28. One solitary Indian passed by yesterday; came from the lake;
had a heavy pack on his back; gave me five, or six roots resembling
onions in shape; tasted some like a sweet potato; full of tough little
fibers."

"March 1. Ten men arrived this morning from Bear Valley, with
provisions. We are to start in two or three days, and cache our goods
here. They say the snow will remain until June."

This closes Patrick Breen's diary. Its record has always been considered
reliable. None of the statements made in this diary have ever been
controverted.

The Indian spoken of refused to be interviewed. To quote the language of
Mr. John Breen, "he did not seem to be at all curious as to how or
why there was a white man alone (as it must have seemed to him) in the
wilderness of snow." The Indian was trudging along with a heavy pack on
his back. As soon as he saw Mr. Breen, he halted and warned him with
a gesture not to approach. Taking from the pack a few of the fibrous
roots, he laid them on the snow, still cautioning with his hand not to
approach until he was well out of reach. As soon as the Indian was gone,
Mr. Breen went out and got the roots, which were very palatable. It is
probable that this was one of the band of Indians seen by Clark, Cady,
and Stone.

When Patty and Thomas Reed had been returned to the cabins by Aquila
Glover, they had been received by the Breen family, where they remained
all the time until their father came. The Breen cabin was the first
one at which Mr. Reed arrived. His meeting with his daughter is thus
described by Mr. Eddy, in Thornton's work: "At this camp Mr. Reed saw
his daughter Patty sitting on the top of the snow with which the cabin
was covered. Patty saw her father at some distance, and immediately
started to run