jewellery, my cloak, my pistol and
ammunition was missing. I thought Indians had been there. Suddenly I
heard human voices. I hurried up to the surface of the snow, and saw
white men approaching. I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. I
had suffered so much and so long, that I could scarcely believe my
senses. Imagine my astonishment upon their arrival to be greeted,
not with a 'Good-morning' or a kind word, but with a gruff, insolent
demand, 'Where is Donner's money?'

"I told them they ought to give me something to eat, and that I
would talk with them afterwards; but no, they insisted that I should
tell them about Donner's money. I asked who they were, and where
they came from, but they replied by threatening to kill me if I did
not give up the money. They threatened to hang or shoot me. At last
I told them that I had promised Mrs. Donner that I would carry her
money to her children, and I proposed to do so, unless shown some
authority by which they had a better claim. This so exasperated them
that they acted as though they were going to kill me. I offered to
let them bind me as a prisoner, and take me before Alcalde Sinclair
at Sutter's Fort, and I promised that I would then tell all I knew
about the money. They would listen to nothing, however, and finally
I told them where they would find the silver, and gave them the
gold. After I had done this they showed me a document from Alcalde
Sinclair, by which they were to receive a certain proportion of all
moneys and properties which they rescued. Those men treated me with
great unkindness. Mr. Tucker was the only one who took my part or
befriended me. When they started over the mountains, each man
carried two bales of goods. They had silks, calicoes, and delaines
from the Donners, and other articles of great value. Each man would
carry one bundle a little way, lay it down, and come back and get
the other bundle. In this way they passed over the snow three times.
I could not keep up with them, because I was so weak, but managed to
come up to their camp every night."

Upon receipt of this communication I wrote Mr. McGlashan from San Jose
that I was nerved for the ordeal, but that he should not permit me to
start on that momentous journey if his proposed arrangements were at
all doubtful, and that he should telegraph me at once.

Alas! my note mi