a split in the train, owing to
which 10 wagons left us and drove on, leaving seven wagons behind. This
we consider no detriment, although the men belonging to those wagons
that left us are all of them whole-hearted, noble-souled companions.
Small trains travel faster than larger ones, and the difficulty of
finding good camping grounds for a small train is not so great as for a
large one. We were sorry to part with them, but we parted in friendship
and peace, as all ought to do on this journey. Some of them wish to
travel to Fort Laramie, which is 330 miles from Fort Kearney, before
stopping, but we wish to rest our horses one day in every seven, and
are determined whenever we can find grass to make that day the Sabbath.
We are all very busy keeping the Sabbath, which is done here after this
fashion: Exercises of the morning, shaving and cleaning with a plunge
bath in the Platte river. Forenoon, setting wagon tire, repairing
wagons. Afternoon, shoeing horses, washing clothes &c. &c. Evening,
rest--which is all the time we get to rest. Our stopping days are no
resting days to us, but our horses need it--they look well now, and we
mean to keep them looking well if we can. We have three blacksmiths in
our train, and one wagon maker. We set the tire on Ainsly's wagon this
morning in a manner that would be new to blacksmiths in the States. Not
having any means of welding tire, we took them off from the wheels,
took all the felloes off, and then put leather cottrells or rings on
the spokes, thereby raising the shoulder of the spoke and enlarging the
circle of the wheel, then put the felloes on again, and then heated the
tire, and set it as tight as the best blacksmith could do, with a forge
and bellows to cut and weld the ties at. This valley is lined with
buffalo bones and carcasses, their skulls lie about in every direction.
One of our men found 18 yesterday in one spot at the foot of a high
bluff. They were probably driven over the bluff by the Indians. We saw
no buffalo to-day, although there were plenty of signs, they appear to
come down to the river at night to get water, and go back to the plains
in the morning. The bottom is about two miles wide here, and on the
bluffs may be found some few scattering cedars. Litwiler killed a noble
buck to-day. Its horns were in the velvet, and the meat good. It made
us plenty of meat for the whole company, and some to spare. Saw a
beaver dam at this place.

27th. We struck our tents