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So curious is it that no sooner did we realize a small share of hard life than we commence to complain of what we brought [unclear] ourselves knowingly and expecting even worse than what we then experienced. The next morning we commenced our journey again about noon we came to a pool of dirty water we camped here for dinner refreshed ourselves and started again on our journey that night we camped within ten miles of the Platt River but had to spend another night without wood or water we however felt more cheereful tonight at the near prospect of relief. In the morning we rose very early and were again on the road in about three hours we struck the great Plat River at grand island ten miles below Fort Karney we were so starved out for want of cooked victals that we determined to spend the remainder of the day and night here. The river at this place is about a mile wide having a large green island in the centre, the water will average about one foot in depth all the way a cross it is however very hard for man or horse to cross on account of quicksand indeed you may say the river is nothing more than a moving bed of sand you could no drink it unless you were almost famished with thirst we could not use it untill it lay in a vessel for an hour to settle.On the banks of the river there was a thick belt of Cottonwood timber about one eight mile thick our camp was in this wood shortly after encamping as we were standing on the edge of the river we saw some huge animal moving on the island we soon found that it was a buffalo Joe and Jim took hold of their guns [unclear] into the river and waded across to the island but they could not get within of him it is almost impossible to shoot a single Buffalo they are so cautious. We feasted gloriously today on baked bread stewed rabbit and plenty of tea and coffee we made up for the privations of the three previous days. We also cooked a supply for the road so that we would have no delay but proceed on our journey at night we had another