I forgot to make an entry for a while, sorry! Our journey through the prairies and valleys was… difficult, but overall pretty good. We often encountered strange animals like pronghorns and prairie dogs, it almost feels like a whole new world. Apparently these pronghorn weren't related to deer, that's what Mr. Grey told me. We also saw many buffalo as we passed through, father killed many along the way, probably to show off, but the meat was delicious!
The endless stretches of grassland and distant hills are something you’d see in a dream, truly beautiful. But… we did have some hiccups. We were often accompanied by natives, some of whom were very handsome, but when we would awaken in the morning… our horses and oxen were gone! This happened on two separate occasions, and on one we were raided by some other natives. Though, most of the natives we encountered were so very kind! Even as we passed through Nebraska and Wyoming, the infamous Lakota tribe was kind to us. The only major complaint I have about the plains is the constant heat. Father told us that we were reaching temperatures of 100 degrees! Back in Virginia it got warm, but not quite this warm. Along with the heavy sun beating down on us, the mosquitos were a pain! We often couldn’t drink because the still water was infested, but we made sure to top up at forts and streams.
Before we got to Fort Bridger, Mr. Darcy, the man in charge of our party, let me ride on the back of his wagon! While he did, I took the chance to draw an image of our landscape. It was getting more mountainous the closer we got to Laramie Peak. Mrs. Darcy told me that it was called the Black Hills. They definitely lived up to their name… but I don’t think my picture does it quite the justice. A while back we saw some other landmarks and canyons, but Hastie's rendition of them was much more… exaggerated.
Right now, we are all stocking up on supplies. When we arrived, we found a letter from Hastie about our journey ahead. Apparently we would be passing through a desert, about 40mi. There would be no water and little food for cattle, so it would be best to stock up at Bridger. I guess some other people also joined our group, Mother told me to be kind to them if they spoke to us. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous though, I'm not so sure how far 40 miles is, but it seems like a long way without water. I'll make sure to ration it carefully, I don't want sister and brother to be too thirsty.
Until next time!
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