NO. 8 DRAWINGS BY GEORGE GIBBS BUSHNELL 3 



Again the journal (p. 143) : "June 5. — Large trains could be seen 

 this morning wending their way along on both sides of the Platte. 

 The river here is nearly three miles wide, interspersed with islands, 

 some of which are thinly covered with very small cottonwood and 

 willow." That day the wagons, 160 in number, were overhauled and 

 many were repaired. 



June 7. — "To-day buffalo were seen for the first time, which 

 created no little excitement." 



Ju>ic ig. — 'T visited Chimney Rock this morning, as the command 

 wended its way along the river." 



June 22. — Arrived at Fort Laramie. "Fort Laramie is situated 

 on Laramie's creek, a rajiid stream, about 60 yards wide, with a firm, 

 pebbly bottom. This stream rises among the Black Hills to the west, 

 and falls into the North Platte, about half a mile below the fort. 



"This fort is built in the form of a quadrangular figure, and of 

 unbaked clay, or adobes ; the wall is about twenty feet high, with 

 a small palisading on a part of it. There are two block-houses at 

 the corners, diagonally from each other . . . Over the main entrance, 

 which faces the river, there is also another small block-house. The 

 buildings are made inside, the wall forming a part of them." There 

 were no trees about the fort. Game was formerly plentiful, but. 

 "has greatly diminished since emigrants have made it the great 

 thoroughfare to Oregon and California." Fort Laramie is 639 miles 

 from Fort Leavenworth. 



August I. — "It was at the side of the river, and at this place, 

 that I saw the celebrated spring generally known as the Steamboat 

 spring . . . This place is immediately at the point where the two 

 trails turn off for California and Oregon, and within a short distance 

 of the Salt lake ..." 



August 7. — "We descended a long hill, which brought us into a 

 sandy plain, which extends to b^irt Hall, and on the banks of the 

 Port Neuf ..." 



August 10. — "Our encampment last evening seemed to be the 

 terminus of Snake River valley, as the appearance of the river 

 entirely changed after a march of about five miles, which brought 

 us to the American falls . . . The scene was truly magnificent ..." 

 Manv rapids in the river, islands and masses of rock in the stream. 



August II. — "We crossed Ogden's river about 12 o'clock. The 

 road turns oft' to the south for California, which was taken by the 

 Calif ornians who were still along ..." 



