ll this one of the greatest adventures on the
whole route, for from the quicksands giving away under the waggon
wheels, there is danger of upsetting, which would be a very great
disaster indeed. Blocking up our waggon bed, we started in, for our
cattle do not mind mud, or water, the men with their coats, hats, &
boots off, with a kerchief around their heads, with whip in hand, into
the Platte river we go; but we are only one team in 20 that is now in
the river, making a line from bank to bank; we were about 2 hours in
crossing, & I do not think our team pulled as hard & for so long a time
on the road, at any place; for our waggon was heavy loaded with about 15
hundred lbs, & the wheels sunk in the sand about 6 inches most of the
way, but we did not stop but once, for fear the waggon would get fast in
the yielding sands, for there were 2 or 3 teams stuck, when we crossed,
2 were mule teams, their feet being so small they sank in the sands &
could not pull out; but when we got across, one of the men who traveled
with us, went back & pulled out one team; but there was no one anxious
to go in a second time. There being abundance of grass here, we turned
out our cattle after they had rested a little, but there was know [no]
wood, so after changing their clothes, & passing around the brandy
freely; we hiched up an went on some 4 miles father [_sic_] up the
river, & encamped in a beautiful place, on the bank of a stream called
Elm creek,[46] under the shade of two large elm trees; here was good
grass, plenty of the best of wood, & some water, for the creek was very
low, & as the sun was 3 hours high or more, some went out a hunting
while the old Dr[47] Beth & I went to cooking, we soon had the best of a
fire, cooked some meat & beens, stewed some apples & peaches, boiled
some rice, & baked buiscuit, & fried some crulls, & as I had a glass
pickle jar full of sour milk, & plenty of salaratus, I had as fine cakes
as if I had been at home; & when they returned in the evening we had a
general feast; for we had had no wood to cook with before for several
days, the men had seen plenty of game but the time did not permit of
their pursuing it, saw also deer Elk and buffalo tracks. [May 28--45th
day] We started out, but I would gladly have stayed today, rested &
cooked some more, for the guides said we would have no more wood for 200
ms, & we must now take to "picking up chips."[48] When a few miles out
we came to a very bad slue, deep &