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river a beautiful little stream but so small that in any other country it would be called a rivulet. The next day about noon we struck the little Blue River the most singular river I saw in this strange country it is about three hundred miles long about twenty broad and three deep it runs through a level prairie the water even with the surface of the ground the water is a very fine taste and of a deep blue color if you take some up in a glass it has the appearance of having been colored there was plenty of fish swimming about which could plainly be seen through the water. We now met plenty of game ducks [unclear] Rabbits Prairie Chickens in abundance and we fared in most luxurious style. Our road lay parallel with the river and almost along its banks through the day I was charmed with the looks of that beautiful stream, at night we camped on its banks the pretiest camping ground we yet had. After supper we got out our flutes had some music and singing and enjoyed ourselves till a late hour of the night. In the morning we resumed our journey again all day along the banks of the Blue still the same beautiful color in the water the same level prairie on either side at noon we came to a Ranch called Pawnee Ranch I went in to ask some questions of the proprietor but on intering the door was struck dumb on seeing on the counter a human skull with the following inscription on the forehead "died from asking to many questions" I drew back again quickly without making any inquiries of the churlish owner I suppose he was much annoyed from travellers and put up this [hedion] warning as an answer to to all who [unclear] by. We camped on the stream had our dinner and let our cattle grazed for a couple of hours and then resumed our journey today we met some of Major B Russell,s return trains from Camp Floyd Utah and Pikes Peak there was three seperate trains of fortly [forty] wagons each every one drawn by six yoke oxen, the drivers were principally Mexicans not half as civilised looking as