206 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



Big Blue, a steep descent is made to the low, bottom 

 lands near the river. The usual width of the Big 

 Blue is about a hundred yards, at which time alone 

 it is fordable. It becomes much swollen by heavy 

 rains, and very rapid in its current. 



Arising from the bottom of the Big Blue Biver, the 

 emigrants are again upon the high and undulating 

 prairie. Every variety of scenery is presented to the 

 view, and springs of water, issuing from the cliffy 

 banks of the small branches and ravines, and shaded 

 by groves of trees offer many places for rest and re- 

 freshment. Fourteen miles from the Big Blue, one 

 of its tributaries, exceedingly difficult to cross with 

 large wagons and teams, is met with. After passing 

 it, the trail runs over a smooth inclined plane for the 

 distance of twelve miles, to another encamping place 

 for emigrants, upon the banks of a small creek. 

 From that creek there is a gradual ascent for the dis- 

 tance of about fourteen miles, and then a beautiful 

 valley, through which flows a small stream, meets the 

 eye of the wearied emigrants, and offers groves of 

 oak to serve for places of rest. Then there is another 

 gradual ascent, through a country which is more 

 sandy and less fertile than any met with upon the 

 former part of the route, for more than twenty miles. 

 The Little Blue is then reached, and the train con- 

 tinues along up the banks of the stream for the dis- 

 tance of about fifty miles ; the road being dry and 

 firm, except in a few ravines. The trail then diverges 

 from the stream to the right, ascending over the 

 bluffs, into the high table land of the prairie, and 

 continues to ascend gradually until the bluffs overlook- 

 ing the valley of the Platte River, are reached. The 

 soil along this part of the trail is sandy, and the grass 



