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Monday July 21 1879 Set out early, in advance of the Emigrant family, at about 3 miles enter upon "Big Camas prarie" a level tract of fine looking valley land about 20 miles N & S by 49 E & W. The road following along on the north side of this vally crossing brisk little streams of water coming from the Mountains on the left and skirted with willows wending their way to the Malade River in the south part of the valley. We made camp on one of these streams at about 3 oclock P.M. and were pestered almost to death by the myriad of crickets upon the surface of the ground all over this portion of the valley. The crickets were large black fellows an inch and a half in length by a half inch in diameter. They covered the ground in the evening two or three deep so that we found it impossible to make down our blankets without crushing them by hundreds. They eat holes in our blankets, eat up our sacks and our clothes did not escape. When going to bed we found them in astonishing numbers in our blankets and when we at last becoming exhausted in waiting and fighting the hateful black pests we concluded to trust no Providence and the merciful black crickets and got into bed and covered up: As we lay down solid and quick, the mashing of crickets in our blankets sounded very much as if we had fell full length in a oblong box of eggs. No one could sleep much of course. Their bite upon your fingers, toes, ears and other places was similar to the bite of a mouse and equally as sharp and painful. Falling into a drowsy condition toward morning, a huge cricket taking advantage of the situation, took position on my chin, and singling out the tenderest spot on my lower lip, already raw and much swollen from the effects of Alkali water. perhaps