ELDORADO 73 



I purchased my ticket by way of Central America, 

 paying $300 for my passage to New York, going from 

 San Juan Del Sur to Virgen bay, across Lake Nic- 

 aragua and down the San Juan river, along which ths 

 proposed canal is to be constructed, to Greytown 

 thence to Cuba, where a short time was pleasantly 

 spent in visiting old Morro Castle and other interest- 

 ing places in and around Havana. These were of 

 greater interest perhaps, as I had acquired something 

 of a knowledge of the Spanish language, although 

 several business houses and one hotel were conducted 

 by Americans. A few years later I spent several 

 weeks in New Granada, South America, where Span- 

 ish was the onl}- language spoken by the natives. 



Leaving the tropical climate of Havana the last of 

 December, in three days I arrived in New York with 

 the mercury several degrees below zero, without ex- 

 periencing any particular inconvenience from the cold 

 although 1 had spent two and one-half years in a warm 

 climate, ^ly habits were good and my health perfect. 

 I soon left for Chicago, going to my father's home 

 (,o miles west from there, where I purchased my horses 

 during the winter and prepared to take them across the 

 plains to California the following season. 



I had two stout, but light weight, covered wagons 

 built and reached my destination with them without 

 the loss of an animal, making the return journey in 

 little less than five months. A large company was or- 

 ganized at Council Bluffs, as in '50, of which I was 

 chosen to act as captain, being the only one among the 

 number who had been the overland route. The ex- 

 periences were similar to those of former years, except 

 that there were fewer emigrants, and as we had a better 



