An Interesting Sketch
The Outfit Required
The Platte River
Botanizing
Five Hundred and Eighteen Wagons for California
Burning "Buffalo Chips"
The Fourth of July at Fort Laramie
Indian Discipline
Sioux Attempt to Purchase Mary Graves
George Donner Elected Captain
Letter of Stanton
Dissension
One Company Split up into Five
The Fatal Hastings Cut-off
Lowering Wagons over the Precipice
The First View of Great Salt Lake.



Presenting, as they do, an interesting glimpse of the first portion of
the journey, the following letters are here introduced. They were
written by Mrs. Tamsen Donner, and were published in the Springfield
(Illinois) Journal. Thanks for copies of these letters are due to Mrs.
Eliza P. Houghton of San Jose, Mrs. Donner's youngest daughter.
Allusions are made in these letters to botanical researches. Mrs.
Donner, C. T. Stanton, and perhaps one or two others who were prominent
actors in the later history, were particularly fond of botany. Mrs.
Donner made valuable collections of rare flowers and plants. Her
journal, and a full description of the contents of her botanical
portfolios, were to have been published upon her arrival in California.