Gold Rush Era Letters

some six weeks before I shall be able to hear from you as we have no post office in less than two hundred miles of us but we are going to make an Effort to get one in our immedi= ate vicinity; though I may be more fortunate than the balance as I directed Cook Matheny who had with R McDoniel left Eli Cook and was going through on pack mules, to write to the Post Master at Sanfrancisco [San Francisco] to forward my letters to Sacremento [Sacramento] City if he attend[ed] to it I will receive my letters by the return of our wagons in thre [three - paper torn] weeks. I Expect to go down myself when the wagons return.

I think the prospects are full as good as if not better than when I left home. I feel almost confident of making a fortin [fortune] in the coming year and if so hey dey [heyday] for a merry time we will have and that brings me to another Idea. If our Expectations were well founded you should about this time be giving me another pledge of love if that is so I need tell you cheer up & be of good heart for I know you will be so with your beautiful children around you. And the thought that while you are reading this your husband is accumulating gold enough to make you & them comfortable & Independent for life and that already that is when you receive this one third of the time will have alredy [already] Expired for which he left you & them. have no fear of our suffering for provisions as accounts from below show that there is more in Sanfrancisco [San Francisco] then they can possibly consume in the country in the next twelve months & more arriving every day. as for personal security we are assured by those who have spent some time in the mines that a man is more safe there than he would be in St Louis the miners have Established a code of laws for their own protection which have been found amply sufficient. I must now bid you fare will [farewell] again my love. I shall endeavor to Keep you regularly informed of our success. There will be a mail once a week from the lay for the states. You must direct your letters to Sacremento [Sacramento] City California. Tell Hetty to do the same with directions to the Post Master to Keep them till called for.

Tell my noble boy my Weldon, my first born to be a good boy and father will bring him a pony when he comes back and lots of pretty things for the baby. Tell Father to write to me and tell me the news in general about busines [business] & Tell Witter & John to write also. Take good care of your health. Send me a dozen kisses in your next letter. I must now bring my letters to a close. I should like to give you a description of the natives of this country but I must defer it to some future time suffice to say Fremonts [Fremont's] description is correctt [correct] about their wardrobe a bunch of grass serving the females for a fig leaf, the lords of creation disdaining Even so slight a covering. Farewell my adorable lovely beautiful affectionate wife believe me more than ever your affectionate Husband B. A. Watson