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Journal of Western Travel
by John McTurk Gibson
edited by Weldon Hoppe
May 24th, 1859 -- This morning we left the bottom, and took the bluff road, met George Harding's Company. George went on to California, the others returned, George Nixon among the rest. Wallace Hamilton traded his mare to one of them for a yoke of oxen, I bought some whiskey in the afternoon, got behind the wagon, took a cut-off which turned out to be about six miles long, the day was warm, and toting a two gallon jug pretty heavy work, so to lighten the load I tasted semi-occasionally, and I believe once or twice too often, as I cannot give a very connected account of the other proceedings of the day. I was not so far advanced however, that I could not perceive the first appearance of the Alkali, it looks as if the ground had been sowed over with flour, and tastes like the strongest kind of soda.Powell
Travelled eighteen miles. We got one gallon of whisky. Gibson is a sleep this evening from the effects.