Iter Califfornian - March 29th 1852?

Steamboat Ohio Lake Erie

 

Sister Mate

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Walton received us going from Franklin over a tremendous rough road and with weather rougher by far. Thence to Hancock where we arrived about 12 oclock. Lucius left about one and Whit. about 5 in the afternoon. I got to Elvira about 11 and remained there till about 41/2 when I took the express train and had a quick trip to Dunkirk and thence to Erie which place, beautifully situated on the shore of the Lake, received us about 4 in the afternoon. We then went aboard the boat Ohio expecting to sail that night for Cleveland with the promise of arriving there in the morning. We sailed from the shore that night to a pier off from the shore so as to prevent any one from going off and there lay to till morning when the harbor was frozen. We proceeded however about two miles and there stopped, for the north wind had packed the drifting pieces of ice and the frost had glewed them together so that to proceed farther was impossible and here the wheel became damaged so as to need some repairs, but before these were made our track behind was drifted full so that retreat was impossible. We were about three hundred - one third more than there were births to sleep on. The rest on chairs, tables and the floor passed the nights, long tedious and cold. Yesterday something like a hundred left us on the ice which I thought of doing this morning but rain during the night and wind broke our communication with land and we have probably made about two miles of progress this morning and have again become fast in the floating ice, the wheel again being somewhat damaged. When again ashore I will leave this with Uncle Sam while I shall proceed on my journey. And now a word to you about things in Franklin etc. 

I packed up my Latin books and sent them home except my Grammer which I mean to leave with Ade for she has not Adamses. You may have what I left. I paid Reynold for your Virgil which was 81 cents and you may pay that amount to Elvira if you have the means for she paid me $3.00 for her chair it being 50 cts more than I intended to receive. Steine has my Xenophen which you may get when you can if she is through with it.

I wish you to learn Greek. You had better get you a grammar I think and study it some and when you go to Franklin go into a class while you remain there. You can use my reader.

Be sure to go to Holyoke next fall unless something uncommon prevents. If you have not money enough to carry you through Barlow or Lucius must help you to it and you can easily repay it after graduating. 

I shall tell Ade to help you through if she gets a decent kind of a place to teach and then you must help her in return. I’ve no doubt but you can now teach almost anything better than the preceptress at Franklin and give even better satisfaction but who else will believe it unless you have graduated? The books I have with me are my Greek Lexicon, Homer’s Odyssie, Shakespeare and Campbell's poems - a present from Reynolds. He gave you credit on his books for the three dollars you overpaid him which I forgot to mention to you when at home. 

In going from Walton to Hancock I left my umbrella at a tavern where we changed coaches. I wrote back to the landlord to send it to Franklin, to George Reynolds. You may some of you enquire of him for it. 

Thus far I wrote when I was on Lake Erie expecting hourly the ice would blow away and give use a chance to speed on our way, but after staying aboard 7 days I with two others who were on their way to Oregon, men from Delhi, left the boat and went to land - some ten miles off - on the ice. About that journey I have already written home - it was long, difficult and dangerous. We went ashore at a place called Quincy, about 23 miles east of Erie from whence we set sail.

My baggage was left on the boat. Mr. Holmes, a gentleman who was with me then and is with me now also, wrote his name and direction on two cards, one of which the Capt. nailed to his trunk and the other to mine that we might get them at Chicago. So we went on to Batavia and fitted out with team provisions etc. but when our train was ready to start our baggage had not yet come so we left my waggon to get the trunks which we expected in a few days as we had heard that the boat after lying in the ice for 20 days had come to land. Holmes stayed for the trunks and I went to Buffalo Grove to see Ade. There I stayed 4 days and then went to Savanna and took a boat the same night for Burlington and landed there the next night about 2 or 3 oclock and there I expected to meet with the train I was going to travel with and I stayed there about 3 days and saw them not, neither did I get a letter from them as I expected to do. Then I travelled on 60 miles near to the Desmoine River and there waited 3 days longer as I was suspicious they were yet behind. I then started on, expecting I should have to foot it to St. Jo. but fell in with the train at night after traveling about 40 miles.

We have traversed a splendid country this side the Missouri but there is no timber. The Platte is a swift, broad, shallow and very muddy stream and it has a beautiful valley.

We shall soon see snow on the mountains bordering our trek. I’m both pleased and displeased with this journey. I already begin to contemplate it again under more auspicious circumstances and I hope with better company.

We have extremely warm days here but cold nights and O! how the gnats, musketoes and black flies bite one. Every exposed part of me is swollen and inflamed from their bites. 

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