y had a team like him. All repaired to their
tents, to have a feast, we drove down to the river, where there was
plenty of grass & wood, & encamped for the remainder of the day; we
jerked most of our meat,[60] baked, boiled & fried some; it was fine
beef, some said that it was better than any beef they had ever eat. In
the morning [June 18--66th day] we renewed our journey, quite refreshed.
Passed the ferry[61] of the north fork of Platte river; it is kept by
some french, & indians, they have 3 boats well fixed with ropes &
pullies, & cross with ease, and expedition, they charge 5 dollars per
waggon, 50 cts for every animal, & person; this is a heavy tax on the
emigration, besides, this vast amount of money is in a manner thrown
away, if the general government would take possession of or build
ferries on the principal streams on this route & the prices be reduced
one half or more; it would be a little something in Uncle Sams pocket, &
remove an obstruction, I might have said destruction, because property,
& even lives are lost, by trying to swim their teams across for as small
as the sum may seem, many have not got it, for they have probably laid
out all their money for their outfit, for most of those who go by land,
are perhaps not able to go by water, but let the case be as it may, no
one let him have ever so much money, likes to have it extorted from him.
There is no reason why a ferry should not be kept here at a reasonable
rate, for ferriage. On the high bluffs, on the south side of the river,
is plenty of excellent pine, & cedar timber, as the gunwales of their
boats show, for they said they got them there, & provisions for a few
men, could be had at a reasonable rate, of the emigrant. [June 19--67th
day] Fine roads this morning, we came to the top of a hill, where we had
a view of the Sweet water mountains,[62] distant some 40 miles, we
turned down to the right, & encamped in a beautiful little valley, good
grass but the water, what little there was, is charged with alkali but
there is no better anywhere near; a great many camped hear [_sic_]
to-night, it had the appearance of a large town, & in a tent near by
ours, they were fiddling & dancing, nearly all night; this was the first
dancing I had seen on the plains, although I had seen some choose
partners on the Steamboat, for the first sett on the plains, but there
had been so much sickness on the Platte, that perhaps they were
rejoicing that they had left it. [Ju