Gold Rush Era Letters

noble spring of cold water where we rested awhile and reached camp by sun down [sundown] in time for supper. I think my curiosity is entirely satisfied in climbing mountains it is rather too much work.

Our road the first part of this week continued up the sweet water [Sweetwater River] frequently crossing & recrossing [re-crossing] the river to avoid hills & sand banks. On Wednesday about three oclock [o'clock] we passed through the South pass of the Rocky Mountains by the term "pass" you must not imagine some de= file in the mountains just wide enough to admit a wagon to pass, sur= rounded by high rocks, and difficult of ascent, but on the contrary. Our ascent from the hill at the head of the sweet water [Sweetwater] has been so gradual that you could scarcely tell that we were going up at all. The "pass" is twenty miles wide a beautiful undulating plain almost as level as the prarie [prairie] south of town it is so level that without instruments it would be impossible to determine the exact point of culminating.

I forgot to mention that we found on Wednesday Mon Tuesday evening the first bank of snow close to the road. it was really somewhat strange to see a bank of snow 5 feet in thickness on the ground it was in a ravine. The thermometer at noon usually reaches 70 or upwards I cannot account for the snow remaining so long unless the air being so dry is the cause of it. Ice forms in our buckets every night on Saturday morning at 7 we reached Sublettes Cut off [Sublette Cutoff] on the big [Big] Sandy upon consulting about the propriety of immediately undertaking the long drive we had about concluded to start at 3 P M. when the doctor decided it would be very dangerous to go on with B. F. Taylor & Slaterly who were confined to their beds with a severe attack of bloody flux we therefore had to remain in camp untill [until] Monday morning at 1 AM when our sick being better we started on the "cut off" [cutoff] we had no difficulty in crossing it having more water along than we used. The weather being cool having had a shower of rain yesterday the first for a month & the road first rate untill [until] we got within ten miles of Green River when it became hilly we reached Green River at 10 P. M. all very tired & wanting rest it was 12 before we got supper. I think I earned fifty dollers [dollars] today whether I ever get it or not. We found a great many wagons ahead of us to cross the river in a miserable little boat just large enough to hold one wagon and the current running with the most fearful rapidity we lay at the ferry in dust shoe mouth deep untill [until] friday [Friday] morning at three A.M. when we commenced crossing and got all over safe by 8.

We have had to keep our mules about three miles from the river to get grass. on last friday [Friday] one man killed another for a very slight provocation on the opposite side of the river the murderer fled. On the fourth of July, I went down to the camp of the government troops situated 1/2 mile below the Ferry and saw the Immaeritall [Immaterial] Col Simondson reviewing some fifteen or twenty men. the rest of the batalion [battalion] having deserted. he was so drunk on alchol [alcohol] for which he gave twenty five dollars a gallon that he could scarcely stand he is truly one of Uncle Sams [Sam's] hard bargains but I will say more about him in future fare well [farewell] My Dear sweet little wife alas I wish I was with you B A Watson