22 EARLY DAY STORIES. 



CHAPTER III. 



Crossing the Missouri — Camp wliere Belleviie now stands — 

 Gather wild strawberries May 28, 1852 — Start west on 

 the journey from the Missouri May 29, 1852 — Join 

 Capt. Wells' train — Cross the Elkhorn River. 



There were not many emigrants camped at Traders' 

 Point on our arrival there, but they were coming from the 

 east every day in covered wagons chiefly from Illinois and 

 eastern Iowa, but some also from Indiana and Wisconsin. 

 There had been a large number of emigrants at this point 

 a few days before our arrival, awaiting their turn to be 

 ferried across the river, but a river steamboat that had 

 been used as a ferry boat had transferred the last of these 

 just a day or so before we came. This steamboat had now 

 gone down the river, leaving only two or three flat boats 

 to do the ferrying. These flat boats could carry only one 

 wagon and the team attached at a time, and it was slow 

 work. We drove the wagon on to the boat with only one 

 yoke of oxen attached, leading the other three yoke aboard 

 and tying them to the wagon wheels. The boat was carried 

 over the river mostly by the force of the current, which 

 set across obliquely from the loading place to the landing 

 on the opposite shore, but was also propelled and guided 

 by two men with setting poles, and by a man with a large 

 oar that worked on a pivot at the stern. The current was 

 very swift and the boat was carried down stream at least 

 a quarter of a mile before landing. On the return trip the 

 boat was cordelled, that is, drawn by a rope and pushed 

 by setting poles, up along the bank of the river, half or 

 three quarters of a mile to a place where the current set 

 across to the eastern shore. It must have taken nearly two 

 hours to transfer one load and make the return to the 



