as he did in
crossing the desert; that having nothing to eat but the piece of dried
meat, which being somewhat salt, made him thirsty, and having no water,
his tortures became almost insupportable, and that when he reached the
first water camp, his tongue was swollen so that he could not keep it
in his mouth, and had turned black; that he expended his half dollar,
(which was all the money that he had) for water, which enabled him to
reach the river, where he got a meal of victuals on credit, and went to
work cutting grass and getting it across the river at sixpence a
bundle, and was making five dollars a day at the business. He left the
road where we struck the river for us to come up to where he was, and
he would have all the grass ready for us that we should want gratis,
but finding grass, we were not compelled to tax him.

We had a California court in camp to-day. A couple of Irishmen got a
man drunk, and after getting him to lie down, laid themselves down one
on each side of him. Presently a man from Pike co. Ill., came along,
and said that they were picking his pockets. Seeing that nobody else
would interfere, I went to him, tumbled him over and took the money
away from him, when the bystanders, a crowd of whom had gathered
around, picked him up and kicked him out of the camp. When this was
settled some men came forward and stated that the other one had picked
another man's pocket who was then drunk in a gully near bye, then
tumbled him over, and found as drunk as he pretended to be, he got over
it very easily when his turn came. He jumped upon his feet and denied
the charge so vehemently, and with such brazen impudence, that many
thought I was mistaken and wrong in holding him to it. I insisted on
taking him to the man who was robbed, which was done, when he admitted
that he picked his pocket, but said the man was his brother, which we
found to be true; this so enraged those who had spoken in his favor,
that they whirled him around and commenced kicking him out of the camp.
In the affray he drew a revolver, which was instantly knocked out of
his hand. A man on the bank of the river seeing the revolver ran for
it, which led to another scuffle, those who were kicking him supposing
him to be a friend to Barney, but the man succeeded in getting the
pistol, which he instantly threw into the river.

A man was found dead in a wagon on the desert this morning; he probably
died of hunger and thirst. The Carson River is ab