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41 after journeying about four days more the country became so mountanious that we were forced to make two parts of our loads, we built a small hut in the woods by the roadside put in about half our provisions and leaving two of our party in charge we started once more on our journey. We were now on the most elevated range of the mountains all around us was clouds and snow the air was very opprefsive after climbing a small hill you would pant like a sheep on a hot day the hight of this dividing range is about eighteen thousand feet. In the afternoon after leaving our companions we commenced to decend very rapidly we continued going down all the afternoon in the evening we reached the Platt River which we found to be the last of our decending. The river here is thirty miles in a straight line from the outside of the mountains and about a mile higher it is a huge mountain torrent at this time roaring and tumbling tearing trees and rocks along in its headlong course yet we camped on its banks having the cheerlefs prospect of having to ford it early in the morning. I never camped yet during the whole trip with more complete lownefs of spirit we had left part of our company behind probably we would never see them again we met parties returning from the mountains who gave unfavorable accounts of the mines they also reported that the Indians were showing signs of hostility and gave it as their opinion that they would mafsacre all the white men on the mountains add to all these the knowledge that dangers and difficulties were increasing every day on the road we began to think that we would have to abandon our tea? wagons and pack our provisions through. On a cold mountain side cold and shivering no covering from the night air it was as cheerlefs a prospect as any one can imagine. At that time if I was at home with the same experience acquired I think nothing could induce me to leave the comforts of home for the dangers and difficulties of gold hunting.