the passing of the frontier-第14节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　brought　terror　and　dismay。　The　company　had　hardly　obtained　a　glimpse　of　the　mountains；　ere　the　winter　storm　clouds　began　to　assemble　their　hosts　around　the　loftier　crests。　Every　day　the　weather　appeared　more　ominous　and　threatening。　The　delay　at　the　Truckee　Meadows　had　been　brief；　but　every　day　ultimately　cost　a　dozen　lives。　On　the　twenty…third　of　October；　they　became　thoroughly　alarmed　at　the　angry　heralds　of　the　gathering　storm；　and　with　all　haste　resumed　the　journey。　It　was　too　late！　At　Prosser　Creek；　three　miles　below　Truckee；　they　found　themselves　encompassed　with　six　inches　of　snow。　On　the　summits；　the　snow　was　from　two　to　five　feet　in　depth。　This　was　October　28；　1846。　Almost　a　month　earlier　than　usual；　the　Sierra　had　donned　its　mantle　of　ice　and　snow。　The　party　were　prisoners！

〃All　was　consternation。　The　wildest　confusion　prevailed。　In　their　eagerness；　many　went　far　in　advance　of　the　main　train。　There　was　little　concert　of　action　or　harmony　of　plan。　All　did　not　arrive　at　Donner　Lake　the　same　day。　Some　wagons　and　families　did　not　reach　the　lake　until　the　thirty…first　day　of　October；　some　never　went　farther　than　Prosser　Creek；　while　others；　on　the　evening　of　the　twenty…ninth；　struggled　through　the　snow；　and　reached　the　foot　of　the　precipitous　cliffs　between　the　summit　and　the　upper　end　of　the　lake。　Here；　baffled；　wearied；　disheartened；　they　turned　back　to　the　foot　of　the　lake。〃

These　emigrants　did　not　lack　in　health；　strength；　or　resolution；　but　here　they　were　in　surroundings　absolutely　new　to　them。　A　sort　of　panic　seized　them　now。　They　scattered；　their　organization　disintegrated。　All　thought　of　conjoint　action；　of　a　social　compact；　a　community　of　interests；　seems　to　have　left　them。　It　was　a　history　of　every　man　for　himself；　or　at　least　every　family　for　itself。　All　track　of　the　road　was　now　lost　under　the　snow。　At　the　last　pitch　up　to　the　summit　of　the　Sierras　precipitous　cliffs　abounded。　No　one　knew　the　way。　And　now　the　snows　came　once　again。

〃The　emigrants　suffered　a　thousand　deaths。　The　pitiless　snow　came　down　in　large；　steady　masses。　All　understood　that　the　storm　meant　death。　One　of　the　Indians　silently　wrapped　his　blanket　about　him　and　in　deepest　dejection　seated　himself　beside　a　tall　pine。　In　this　position　he　passed　the　entire　night；　only　moving　occasionally　to　keep　from　being　covered　with　snow。　Mrs。　Reed　spread　down　a　shawl；　placed　her　four　childrenVirginia；　Patty；　James；　and　Thomasthereon；　and　putting　another　shawl　over　them；　sat　by　the　side　of　her　babies　during　all　the　long　hours　of　darkness。　Every　little　while　she　was　compelled　to　lift　the　upper　shawl　and　shake　off　the　rapidly　accumulating　snow。

〃With　slight　interruptions；　the　storm　continued　several　days。　The　mules　and　oxen　that　had　always　hovered　about　camp　were　blinded　and　bewildered　by　the　storm；　and　straying　away　were　literally　buried　alive　in　the　drifts。　What　pen　can　describe　the　horror　of　the　position　in　which　the　emigrants　found　themselves？　It　was　impossible　to　move　through　the　deep；　soft　snow　without　the　greatest　effort。　The　mules　were　gone；　and　were　never　found。　Most　of　the　cattle　had　perished；　and　were　wholly　hidden　from　sight。　The　few　oxen　which　were　found　were　slaughtered　for　beef。〃

The　travelers　knew　that　the　supplies　they　had　could　not　last　long。　On　the　12th　of　November　a　relief　party　essayed　to　go　forward；　but　after　struggling　a　short　distance　toward　the　summit；　came　back　wearied　and　broken…hearted；　unable　to　make　way　through　the　deep；　soft　snow。　Then　some　onesaid　to　have　been　F。　W。　Graves　of　Vermontbethought　himself　of　making　snowshoes　out　of　the　oxbows　and　the　hides　of　the　slaughtered　oxen。　With　these　they　did　better。

Volunteers　were　called　for　yet　another　party　to　cross　the　mountains　into　California。　Fifteen　persons　volunteered。　Not　all　of　them　were　mensome　were　mothers；　and　one　was　a　young　woman。　Their　mental　condition　was　little　short　of　desperation。　Only；　in　the　midst　of　their　intense　hardships　it　seemed　to　all；　somewhere　to　the　westward　was　California；　and　that　there　alone　lay　any　hope。　The　party　traveled　four　miles　the　first　day；　and　their　camp　fires　were　visible　below　the　summit。　The　next　day　they　traveled　six　miles　and　crossed　the　divide。

They　were　starving；　cold；　worn　out；　their　feet　frozen　to　bursting；　their　blood　chilled。　At　times　they　were　caught　in　some　of　the　furious　storms　of　the　Sierras。　They　did　not　know　their　way。　On　the　27th　of　December　certain　of　the　party　resolved　themselves　to　that　last　recourse　which　alone　might　mean　life。　Surrounded　by　horrors　as　they　were；　it　seemed　they　could　endure　the　thought　of　yet　an　additional　horror。。。。　There　were　the　dead；　the　victims　who　already　had　perished！。。。

Seven　of　the　fifteen　got　through　to　the　Sacramento　Valley；　among　these　the　young　girl；　Mary　Graves；　described　as　〃a　very　beautiful　girl；　of　tall　and　slender　build；　and；　exceptionally　graceful　character。〃　The　story　brought　out　by　these　survivors　of　the　first　party　to　cross　the　Sierras　from　the　starving　camp　set　all　California　aflame。　There　were　no　less　than　three　relief　expeditions　formed；　which　at　varying　dates　crossed　the　mountains　to　the　east。　Some　men　crossed　the　snow　belt　five　times　in　all。　The　rescuers　were　often　in　as　much　danger　as　the　victims　they　sought　to　save。

And　they　could　not　save　them。　Back　there　in　their　tents　and　hovels　around　Donner　Lake　starvation　was　doing　its　work　steadily。　There　is　contemporary　history　also　covering　the　details　of　this。　Tamsen　Donner；　heroine　that　she　was；　kept　a　diary　which　would　have　been　valuable　for　us；　but　this　was　lost　along　with　her　paintings　and　her　botanical　collections。　The　best　preserved　diary　is　that　of　Patrick　Breen；　done　in　simple　and　matter…of…fact　fashion　throughout　most　of　the　starving　winter。　Thus：

〃Dec。　17。　Pleasant；　William　Murphy　returned　from　the　mountain　party　last　evening；　Baylis　Williams　died　night　before　last；　Milton　and　Noah　started　for　Donner's　eight　days　ago；　not　returned　yet；　think　they　are　lost　in　the　snow。

〃Dec。　21。　Milton　got　back　last　night　from　Donner's　camp。　Sad　news；　Jacob　Donner；　Samuel　Shoemaker；　Rhineheart；　and　Smith　are　dead；　the　rest　of　them　in　a　low　situation；　snowed　all　night；　with　a　strong　southwest　wind。

〃Dec。　23。　Clear　to…day；　Milton　took　some　of　his　meat　away；　all　well　at　their　camp。　Began　this　day　to　read　the　〃Thirty　Days'　Prayers〃；　Almighty　God；　grant　the　requests　of　unworthy　sinners！

〃Jan。　13。　Snowing　fast；　snow　higher　than　the　shanty；　it　must　be　thirteen　feet　deep。　Can　not　get　wood　this　morning；　it　is　a　dreadful　sight　for　us　to　look　upon。

〃Jan。　27。　Commenced　snowing　yesterday；　still　continues　today。　Lewis　Keseberg；　Jr。；　died　three　days　ago；　food　growing　scarce；　don't　have　fire　enough　to　cook　our　hides。

〃Jan。　31。　The　sun　does　not　shine　out　brilliant　this　morning；　froze　hard　last　night；　wind　northwest。　Landrum　Murphy　died　last　night　about　ten　o'clock；　Mrs。　Reed　went　to　Graves's　this　morning　to　look　after　goods。

〃Feb。　4。　Snowed　hard　until　twelve　o'clock　last　night；　many　uneasy　for　fear　we　shall　all　perish　with　hunger；　we　have　but　little　meat　left；　and　only　three　hides；　Mrs。　Reed　has　nothing　but　one　hide；　and　that　is　on　Graves's　house；　Milton　lives　there；　and　likely　will　keep　that。　Eddy's　child　died　last　night。

〃Feb。　7。　Ceased　to　snow　at　last；　today　it　is　quite　pleasant。　McCutchen's　child　died　on　the　second　of　this　month。

〃＇This　child　died　and　was　buried　in　the　Graves's　cabin。　Mr。　W。　C。　Graves　helped　dig　the　grave　near　one　side　of　the　cabin；　and　laid　the　little　one　to　rest。　One　of　the　most　heart…rending　features　of　this　Donner　tragedy　is　the　number　of　infants　that　perished。　Mrs。　Breen；　Mrs。　Pike；　Mrs。　Foster；　Mrs。　McCutchen；　Mrs。　Eddy；　and　Mrs。　Graves　each　had　nursing　babes　when　the　fatal　camp　was　pitched　at　Donner　Lake。＇

〃Feb。　8。　Fine；　clear　morning。　Spitzer　died　last　night；　and　we　will　bury　him　in　the　snow；　Mrs。　Eddy　died　on　the　night　of　the　seventh。

〃Feb。　9。　Mrs。　Pike's　child　all　but　dead；　Milton　is　at　Murphy's；　not　able　to　get　out　of　bed；　Mrs。　Eddy　and　child　buried　today；　wind　southeast。

〃Feb。　10。　Beautiful　morning；　thawing　in　the　sun；　Milton　Elliott　died　last　night　at　Murphy's　cabin；　and　Mrs。　Reed　went　there　this　morning　to　see　about　his　effects。　John　Denton　trying　to　borrow　meat　for　Graves；　had　none　to　give；　they　had　nothing　but　hides；　all　are　entirely　out　of　meat；　but　a　little　we　have；　our　hides　are　nearly　all　eat　up；　but　with　God's　help　spring　will　soon　smile　upon　us。〃

There　was　one　survivor　of　the　camp　at　Donner　Lake；　a　man　named　Lewis　Keseberg；　of　German　descent。　That　he　was　guilty　of　repeated　cannibalism　cannot　be　doubted。　It　was　in　his　cabin　that；　after　losing　all　her　loved　ones；　the　heroic　Tamsen　Donner　met　her　end。　Many　thought　he　killed　her　for　the　one　horrid　purpose。*

*　Many　years　later　（1879）　Keseberg　declared　under　oath　to　C。　F。　McGlashan　that　he　did　not　take　her　life。　See　〃History　of　the　Donner〃　Party；　pp。　212；　213。


Such　then　is　the　story　of　one　of　the　great　emigrant　parties　who　started　West　on　a　hazard　of　new　fortunes　in　the　early　days　of　the　Oregon　Trail。　Happily　there　has　been　no　parallel　to　the　misadventures　of　this　ill…fated　caravan。　It　is　difficult　without　reading　these；　bald　and　awful　details　to　realize　the　vast　difference　between　that　day　and　this。　Today　we　may