ii [ 174 J 
rain; we were all well soaked, and glad when morning came. We hada 
rainy march on the 12th, but the weather grew fine as the day advanced. 
We encamped ina remarkably beautiful situation on the Kansas bluffs, 
which commanded a fine view of the river valley, here from three to four 
miles wide. The central portion Was occupied by a broad belt of heavy 
timber, and nearer the hills the pratries were of the richest verdure. One 
of the oxen was killed here for food. 
We reac hed the ford of the Kansas late in the afternoon of the 14th, 
one etinndred miles from the mouth of the Kansas river. severa anitiniag 
men Jed the way into the stream, fi swim across. The animals were 
driven in after them, and ina few minutes all had reached the opposite 
bank in safety, with the exception of the oxen, which swam some dis- 
tance down the river, and, returning to the right bank, were not got over 
until the next morning. In the mean an time, the carts had been aded 
and dismantled, and an India-rubber boat, which I had brought with me 
for the survey of the Platte river, placed in the water. The boat was 
twenty feet long and five broad, and on it were placed the body and 
wheels of a cart, with the load belonging to it, and three men with paddles. 
The velocity of the current, and the inconvenient i sesame it 
difficult to be managed, Basil Lajeunesse, one of our best sw 
in his teeth a line attached to the boat, and swam ahead in yale to reach 
a footing as soon as possible, and assist in drawing herover. In this man- 
ner, six passages had been successfully made, and as'many carts with their 
contents, and a greater portion of the party, deposited on the left bank; 
but night was dr rawing near, a and, in our anxiety to have all over before 
the darkness closed in, I put upon the boat the remaining two carts, with 
their anying load. The man at the helm was timid on water, and, 
in is alarm, capsized the boat. Carts, barrels, boxes, and bales, were in 
a moment floating down the current ; ‘but all the men who were on the 
shore jumped into the water, without stopping to think if they could 
swim, and almost every thing—even heavy articles, such as guns and ind] 
Was recovered. 
_ . Two of the men, who could not swim, came ‘nigh being Pe oon 
all the sugar belonging to one of the messes wasted its sweets on the 
muddy waters; but our heaviest loss was a bag of coffee, which con- 
tained nearly all our provision. It was a loss which none but a traveller 
in a strange and inhospitable country can appreciate ; and often afterward, 
pe excessive toil and long marching, had overcome us with fone and: 
Weariness, we remembered and mourned over our loss in the | 
Carson and Maxwell had been much in the water yesterday, and both, in 
consequence, were taken ill. The former continuing so, I remained in 
camp. A number of Kansas Indians visited us to-day. Going up to one 
of the groups: who were scattered among the trees, I found one one sitting on 
_ the gr , ainong some of the mien, gravely and fluently s veaking Frene 
with as much facility and as little embarrassment —— — 
who were nearly all of: French origin. cae . 
* 
