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The most that troubled me on the road, was the fear of bad news from Home, when I would get here I feared for your health I think about one/3 of those who start to go through will back out a, great many are doing so now, and about one/3 will die, they deserve too before they start, and some of them are dying. a large majority of the Californians are desperate fellows, and they practice most all kinds of crime, and of course they will, in many instances pay the penalty before they get through, we have been as regular in our habits as circumstances would allow, are generly in bed about 8 oclock, I weighed the day I left Peoria 135 lbs I stept on the scales when I got here and weighed almost 141 making a gain of nearly 6 lbs in 4 weeks I lug? it to the good cakes my female friends furnished me with shall not forget them, when I get to the gold dust, the cakes lasted nearly 3 weeks, she had just got out of flour and hams as Hughes came, you can judge of our appetite when you think of 3 of us eating in 4 weeks 100 lbs flour 100 lbs hams, bacon and beef with what eggs and potatoes we wanted the cakes you saw? and a bag full Mis OBrien sent but our labor and fatigue have been same, we missed it in sending by water, there is 3 steam mills here, Flour four dollars, the Barrel?, Bacon smoked four dollars unsure - hundred cheaper than we bought at home, and more unsure than we had dreamed of, and as cheap as Hughs bought in St Louis. We shall try to get across the river this week but shall not make a final start short of a week as 10 days it is about 60 miles across, and then about 7 or 800 miles through the mountains, the 357 miles we have come we consider but a small beginning, I shall continue my travels to Charly, evry opertunity, and if I should not live to return, He may not be sorry if he keeps them, yet Damy? I shall not forget her kindness, I hope your letter will come before I start. I think if you write by the 1st July, if I get through at all it will be as soon as the letter will