As we were floating down the rapid stream it became more and more a rapid, roaring river, and the bed contained many dangerous rocks that were difficult to shun.  Each of us had a setting-pole, and we ranged ourselves along the sides of the boat and tried to keep ourselves clear from the rocks and dangers.  The water was not very deep and made such a dashing noise as the current rushed among the rocks that one had to talk pretty loud to be heard.  As we were gliding along quite swiftly, I set my pole on the bottom and gave the boat a sudden push to avoid a boulder, when the pole stuck in the crevice between two rocks, and instead of losing the pole by the sudden jerk I gave, I was the one who was very suddenly yanked from the boat by the spring of the pole, and landed in the middle of the river.  I struck pretty squarely on my back, and so got thoroughly wet, but swam for shore amid the shouts of the boys, who waved their hats and hurrahed for the captain when they saw he was not hurt.  I told them that was nothing as we were on our way to California by water any way, and such things must be expected.

The next day after this I went on shore and sighted a couple of antelope, one of which I shot, which gave us good grub, and good appetites we already had.  As near as we could estimate we floated about thirty miles a day, which beat the pace of tired oxen considerably.  In one place there was a fringe of thick willows along the bank, and a little farther back a perpendicular bluff, while between the two was a strip of fine green grass.  As we were passing this we scared up a band of elk in this grass meadow, and they all took a run down the river like a band of horses.  One of them turned up a small ravine with walls so steep he could not get out, so we posted a guard at the entrance, and three of us went up the canon after him, and after the others had each fired a shot, I fired the third and brought him down.  This was about the finest piece of Rocky Mountain beef that one could see.  We took the carcass on board and floated on again.

Thus far we had a very pleasant time, each taking his turn in working the boat while the others rested or slept.  About the fifth day when we were floating along in very gently running water, I had lay down to take a rest and a little sleep.  The mountains here on both sides of the river were not very steep, but ran gradually for a mile or so.  While I was sleeping the boat came around a small angle in the stream, and all at once there seemed to be a higher, steeper range of mountains right across the valley.  The boys thought the river was coming to a rather sudden end and hastily awoke me, and for the life of me I could not say they were not right, for there was no way in sight for it to go to.  I remembered while looking over a map the military men had I found a place named Brown’s Hole, and I told the boys I guessed we were elected to go on foot to California after all, for I did not propose to follow the river