(Sunday). We made one of the most fatiguing marches of the
entire trip, and employed our minds in contrasting our celebration of
the American Independence of to-day with that of last year. In no very
pleasant mood, we made a march of fourteen and a half miles, and
encamped on the North Fork of the Platte River. When we arrived at the
river we found all the bluffs of sandstone, of curious shapes and
colors, looking like stupendous churches or other buildings in various
styles of architecture, surmounted by lofty minarets, turrets, spires
and domes. At night, the scene might easily be taken for a city
standing near us.

The road all through the march was about six inches deep with dust, and
not a green thing was visible to cheer the aching eyes, half blinded by
the glaring light which was reflected by the heated sand--not a blade
of grass, nothing but sage, from one end of the march to the other.

One of our men shot a sage hen near the close of the march, and when we
came into camp we set about to ascertain whether these fowls can be
made into good food; a stew was made, but the word _good_ would be, I
fear, a superfluity.

This afternoon First Sergeant Gerber took a party of men, the writer
being one, and went some few miles up the river, to get a flat-boat
which one of the guides informed us was hidden there. We found the
boat, and as it grew dark launched it, commencing a passage down the
rapid current of the Platte. We had not gone far, however, before the
vessel upset, and the whole cargo of rifles and men was subjected to a
cold bath. After some trouble in righting the boat the passage was
resumed, two or three rifles and several hats making up all the losses
that were sustained. But the members of the party also suffered
considerable loss of blood during the trip, drawn by mosquitoes--they
were so very troublesome that we had to wear handkerchiefs over our
faces and gloves on our hands, and these were but a partial protection
against their assaults.

_July 5_ (Monday). We commenced operations this morning by hauling our
boat out of the water and repairing and caulking it, and covering it
with canvas. We christened the vessel _The Sapper_, and I painted the
name on the side. We launched the boat, towed it to the crossing and
rigged up a rope ferry. All being ready we carried over two wagons,
loaded with timbers, which are to start to-morrow morning, together
with a party of men, to build a bridge over a creek.