gers, grind-stones, and gold workers been left at home and lighter wagons provided, a large number would have made much better progress than they are now making.

Much sickness has prevailed amongst the emigrants, and many have died. The different roads leading to the frontiers are lined with graves, and I understand that several have died near the crossing of the South Fork.

The cholera has made its appearance amongst the Pawnees and carried off quite a number of the tribe, but as they have started on their summer's hunt they will, doubtless, get beyond its reach.

PAWNEE.

MORMON EMIGRATION

Aug. 9. Copies from Frontier Guardian. "On Saturday, the 14th instant [July], about noon, the last wagons left winter quarters, and began to bend their way westward over the boundless Plains that lie between us and the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. Slowly and majestically they moved along, displaying a column of upwards of 300 wagons, cattle, sheep, hogs, horses, mules, chickens, turkies, geese, doves, goats, &c., &c., besides lots of men, women and children. In this company was the Yankee with his machinery, the Southerner with his colored attendant-the Englishman with all kinds of mechanics' tools-the farmer, the merchant, the doctor, the minister, and almost everything necessary for a settlement in a new country. Provisioned for nine months from the time of starting, they were led by Messrs. Geo. A. Smith and Ezra T. Benson...." Calls it "our American Piedmont."

NEW FORT LARAMIE

Aug. 29. Fort Laramie, August 1, 1849. Written by "An Emigrant."

"... The old fort is now used for store-houses, stables,

&c., and after the completion of the new one, which is to be erected in the immediate vicinity, will doubtless be used for stables solely." Timber for construction of the new fort is no nearer than the Black Hills, ten or fifteen miles distant. Censures the plan of pretentious forts. The two have already cost over a million dollars. Fort Kearny is garrisoned by two companies of infantry and one of Dragoons; Laramie by two companies of Rifles and one of infantry. "Each post is supplied with eight heavy 12-pound howitzers and ammunition enough to send all the red men of the Western Prairies to their happy hunting grounds forthwith.”

There are scarcely 3000 Indians in the country. A squadron of mounted troops should leave Leavenworth in the spring with one or two light mountain howitzers and constantly patrol the road. The horses would live on grass and cost nothing. General Kearny's expedition was the thing and had immense influence on the Indians.

"The American Fur Company, having sold Laramie, intend to erect a trading post at Scott's Bluffs, some forty miles below."

Correspondent, "Joaquin". Fort Laramie, July 21, 1849. Gives a list of marked graves, as seen from the road, between St. Joseph and Fort Laramie, fifty-eight in number. Includes George Winslow, age 25, Newton, Mass., and "Rachel E. Pattison, June 19, age 19 [18]." No clew to her home or connections. Trains left the regular road two or three miles for grass, and so many graves were far from it. There were four graves at the upper crossing of the South Platte, but he discovered by accident that eighteen were buried together a mile from the road. The greatest fatality was among Missourians and western people generally. The epidemic was scarcely felt at all among the people from the eastern states, because they were well equipped and had all kinds of medicines.

According to statistics kept by an intelligent gentle

man at Laramie, 5500 wagons with 32 people per wagon passed; number of deaths from the Missouri river to this point, one and a half per mile a low estimate. This traveler ridiculed the famous scenery in the Scott's Bluff region. "Conceive a line of hills about as high as a three or four story house, composed of sand and gravel, to be washed by the rain in a few shapes tending to the perpendicular, and you have a first rate idea of Platte scenery." A loud smack of eastern provincialism.

SALT LAKE CITY EMIGRANTS' DUMPING GROUND

Sept. 17, 1849. Quotes from the Frontier Guardian "the paper published at Kanesville, Iowa, by Mr. O. Hyde. . . ." The news from Salt Lake was brought by A. W. Babbitt, who arrived at Kanesville September 3, in thirty-six days from the valley. He was water-bound eight days. He came with one man, seven horses and a light wagon "in which he brought the mail". Twelve to fifteen thousand California emigrants passed through the valley this season, and about 3000 calculated to winter there. The valley had been a place of general deposit of goods of all sorts by emigrants, which sold at very low prices. For a light Yankee wagon sometimes three or four heavy ones would be given. Pack horses and mules, worth about $25 or $30, would bring $200 in the most valuable property at the lowest price.

TROUBLE AMONG THE INDIANS

Daily Missouri Republican, September 17, 1849.

We learn from the Frontier Guardian, of the 5th inst., that Mr. REED, a gentleman connected with the Missionary Station at Bellevue, has returned to Kanesville, from a journey into the Northwestern country, some 300 or 400 miles, with the Omaha Indians, who were out on their summer hunt. At this distance, they were in the neighborhood of the Pankas Indians. They were very successful in their hunt, killing and packing away about sixteen or twenty tons of buffalo meat. While there the

soon as the improvements are completed, will be occupied by Rev. Francis J. Clerc, of Broadbrook, Conn., who has received a call to the Rectorship."

FROM THE PLAINS

Daily Missouri Republican, October 25, 1849.

GREEN RIVER, CALIFORNIA TERRITORY.
August 19th, 1849.

I have another opportunity of writing to you, rather unexpectedly presented by meeting the express rider, (Mr. S. Thomas,) from Fort Hall to Fort Leavenworth. Since I addressed you from Laramie, little has presented itself of general interest to your readers, but to us pilgrims bringing up the rear, scenes and occurrences have been constantly coming to view as far as this point, that had no parallel on the eastern part of our journey. From Laramie the Rocky Mountains really start their foundation; and although it is three hundred miles from there to the summit, it is nothing but a succession of knolls and knobs until you turn over the culminating point to Pacific Spring, where the water runs westward. In reference to the adjacent country there is nothing rising to the dignity of a mountain on this whole route. From Laramie grass began to fail for our stock, and the utmost diligence had to be used to sustain them. From thence after the first fifty miles, dead cattle and fragments of wagons come in sight, and as far as here, I have counted about one thousand wagons that have been burnt or otherwise disposed of on the road. Destruction seems to have been the prevailing emotion of everybody who had to leave anything on the trip. Wagons have been wontonly [wantonly] sacrificed without occasion by hundreds, being fired for the apparent purpose of preventing them from being serviceable to any body else, while hundreds have been used by piecemeal for fuel at nearly every camping ground by each successive train.

From Deer Creek to the summit, the greatest amount of property has been thrown away. Along the banks of the North Platte to where the Sweetwater road turns off, the amount of valuable property thrown away is astonishing-iron, trunks, clothing, &c., lying strewed about to the value of at least fifty thousand dollars in about twenty miles. I have counted about five hundred dead oxen along the road, and only three mules.

The reason of so many wagons having been disposed of, was the apparent necessity of packing, in order to insure a quick and certain transit to the mines; and people did not care for the loss of any personal goods, so they reached there.

Let people who come out this way next season, beware of crossing the Platte at Deer Creek. Keep up the south side as high as possible—at least up to the "Mormon Ford," and higher if possible-before they strike over to Sweetwater. During this summer there was a ferry at Deer Creek, and the bulk of the emigration crossed at it, but the road is much worse, and every one regrets having crossed so low.

The last train of the Pioneer Line day before yesterday took Sublette's Cut Off, and left us at the junction of the Oregon and California roads. They were all well, and are bound to get through.

Many of the St. Louis boys have left their names and respects to any of their friends behind, on the smooth trees and rocks along the road, and it is sometimes cheering to see a well known name pencilled at a crossing or watering place.

Death seems to have followed the emigration out thus far, although in a mitigated degree as to numbers. Eight or ten of those below are buried in the Pass, and there are some others also who have no identity on their graves.

JOAQUIN.