90 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



as we progressed. For baking our bread we had what we 

 called a " Dutch oven ;" a large skillet wdth a lid, surrounded 

 with a battlement for holding hot coals. The "rising" was 

 saleratus, and this it took so much of in our hastily got up 

 meals that the loaf, or " pone," as we called it, was as yellow 

 as corn bread and hardly fit to eat. Hot coals, however, 

 w^ere often so scarce that w^e were fain to fry our dough in 

 fat. The other utensils were a frying pan, camp kettle, and 

 tin pan for kneading trough. A large coffee-pot we had 

 awhile, but it soon got lost or battered beyond use, and then 

 we fell back on the black camp-kettle wherein to brew our 

 Java — when we had any. 



On the 17th we were caught in a blinding snow-storm and 

 were detained four da3^s. Our time was spent caring for the 

 oxen, gathering wood and idling around camp. We left here 

 on the 21st, and crossed Bear River, which flows into Salt 

 Lake. 



Our road throughout the journey had been a natural one 

 except at the fords, where the banks had been dug away. 

 Whenever a bluff lining a valley came too near a stream, the 

 road would diverge and pass over the hill until the valley 

 became passable. The ascents were generally difficult and 

 required doubling of teams, while the descending slopes 

 w^ere often scenes of serious accidents to men, oxen and 

 wagons. We crossed but one bridge before reaching Utah, 

 and that was built by a trader who charged toll. In the part 

 of the country we were now in, however, we came across an 

 occasional " dug-road," built by the troops the last spring, 

 which enabled us to get along when otherwise it would have 

 been impossible. 



By November 1st w^e had no provisions left but flour ; bacon, 

 beans, rice and coffee all gone. Of course, with our wagons 

 loaded with the material for the manufacture of life's staff, we 

 would not want ; neither need sailors adrift suffer for lack of 



