On this night I was called upon to marry a couple of
young people belonging to our company, without law or
license, for we were a long way from the United States.
Perhaps this was the first marriage in all these plains
among white people.

     Next morning we continued up the Platte River. This
river is said to be about sixteen hundred miles long, and is
here about one-fourth of a mile wide, and very muddy. The
Indians call it Elk River. It empties into the Missouri, a
few miles below Council Bluff. The Caw River is said to be
about seven hundred miles long. It empties into the
Missouri River, at the west line of the state of Missouri.

     On Thursday, we traveled through the most level plains
I ever saw in my life. Here is such a scenery of beauty as
is seldom witnessed. The Platte plains are lower than the
banks. There are bluffs all along here, for four or five
miles. The next day there came on a tremendous storm of
rain, wind and thunder, which lasted about an hour and a
half. We traveled up the river, and encamped all night
where wood was very scarce,-and hard to be got, and we made
our fires of some willow bushes.

     On Friday evening the company had a terrible alarm.
One of our hunters, who was in the rear, was robbed of all
he had by the Indians. They struck him with their ram-rods,
and he ran from them. Soon a war party of the Sioux Indians
appeared in view. We soon collected together in order of
battle, to be ready in case of an attack. The Indians stood
awhile and looked at us, and probably thinking that "the
better part of valor is discretion," they soon showed signs
of peace, Captain Fitzpatrick then went to them, and talked
with them, for he was acquainted with them. They then gave
back all that they had taken from the young man, and our men
gave them some tobacco, and they smoked the pipe of peace,

     The next morning we continued up this river, along
smooth banks, without any timber. That afternoon we had a
very severe hail storm, accompanied with thunder; one Indian
was knocked down with a hail stone, about as large as a
goose egg, We soon discovered a water spout, which came
down into the river. When it struck the river it made a
great foam, and then passed off in a dreadful tornado. The
next day we saw six flat-bottomed boats coming down, loaded
with buffalo robes and skins. The poor fellows in the boats
looked very dirty and ragged. We now began to see plenty of
buffalo signs; all the way previous, game had been very
scarce.

     Here we had not very good water to drink, having to use
the muddy water of the Platte River. On Sunday, we stayed
where we had tolerably good water. Companies of Indians
still came into our camp to trade with us.

     The bluffs here are getting larger and higher and wider
from the river. These plains are covered all over with
buffalo bones and skulls. I long to get out of these plains
to where we can get plenty of good water and wood. I am