Across America; Or, The Great West and the Pacific CoastRusling, James Fowler
History
Across America; Or, The Great West and the Pacific Coast
Rusling, James Fowler
Overland journeys to the Pacific; Pacific States -- Description and travel; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
At night our mattrasses proved too narrow for three, after all, and
Halsey's shoulders or knees were constantly punching into either L. or
me. He and L. usually slept right along all night, but I got scarcely
a genteel wink from Bear River to Boisè. By sunrise ordinarily we were
up, and then came a general smoke and talk over the night's experience.
By nine or ten A. M. we halted for breakfast, which usually consisted
of chicory coffee, stringy beef or bacon, and saleratus-biscuit.
Sometimes we got fried potatoes in addition--which helped the meal out
somewhat--but not often. Late at night we stopped for dinner (only two
meals a day), which was generally only a poor edition of breakfast over
again, with the courses perchance reversed. Bilious and aguish with
that accursed mountain-fever still hanging about me, I need scarcely
say, I had little relish for such a bill of fare, and indeed scarcely
ate a "square meal" from Bear River to Boisè. Fortunately, among other
extras, Mr. Halsey had had the forethought to lay in a half a bushel
of apples, just fresh from the tree at Salt Lake, and these we all
munched _ad libitum_ as we journeyed along. They were always juicy
and cool, piquant and delicious, when nothing else was palatable; and
for my part, I really don't see, how I would have got through without
them. We were three days and three nights on the road continuously,
never stopping except forty minutes or so at a time for meals. The last
twenty-four hours out, the weather was raw and cold even for November;
and as we rolled into Boisè, with every joint aching, the lights of a
town never seemed more winning and welcome. At the Overland House, they
were already full. But they gave us a good hot supper, followed by a
"shake-down" in the parlor, and every comfort at their disposal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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