CHAPTER I. Birth, Parentage.—­Early Life in Vermont.—­Sucking Cider through a Straw.

Chapter II.  The Western Fever.—­On the Road to Ohio.—­The Outfit.—­The Erie Canal.—­In the Maumee Swamp.

Chapter III.  At Detroit and Westward.—­Government Land.—­Killing Deer.—­“Fever ’N Agur.”

Chapter IV.  The Lost Filley Boy.—­Never Was Found.

Chapter V. Sickness.—­Rather Catch Chipmonks in the Rocky Mountains than
Live in Michigan.—­Building the Michigan Central R.R.—­Building a
Boat.—­Floating down Grand River.—­Black Bear.—­Indians Catching
Mullet.—­Across the Lake to Southport.—­Lead Mining at Mineral
Point.—­Decides to go Farther West.—­Return to Michigan.

Chapter VI.  Wisconsin.—­Indian Physic.—­Dressed for a Winter Hunting Campaign.—­Hunting and Trapping in the Woods.—­Catching Otter and Marten.

Chapter VII.  Lead Mining.—­Hears about Gold in California.—­Gets the Gold Fever.—­Nothing will cure it but California.—­Mr. Bennett and the Author Prepare to Start.—­The Winnebago Pony.—­Agrees to Meet Bennett at Missouri River.—­Delayed and Fails to Find Him.—­Left with only a Gun and Pony.—­Goes as a Driver for Charles Dallas.—­Stopped by a Herd of Buffaloes.—­Buffalo Meat.—­Indians.—­U.S.  Troops.—­The Captain and the Lieutenant.—­Arrive at South Pass.—­The Waters Run toward the Pacific.—­They Find a Boat and Seven of them Decide to Float down the Green River.

Chapter VIII.  Floating down the River.—­It begins to roar.—­Thirty Miles a Day.—­Brown’s Hole.—­Lose the Boat and make two Canoes.—­Elk.—­The Canons get Deeper.—­Floundering in the Water.—­The Indian Camp.—­Chief Walker proves a Friend.—­Describes the Terrible Canon below Them.—­Advises Them to go no farther down.—­Decide to go Overland.—­Dangerous Route to Salt Lake.—­Meets Bennett near there.—­Organize the Sand Walking Company.

Chapter IX.  The Southern Route.—­Off in Fine Style.—­A Cut-off
Proposed.—­Most of Them Try it and Fail.—­The Jayhawkers.—­A New
Organization.—­Men with Families not Admitted.—­Capture an Indian Who
Gives Them the Slip.—­An Indian Woman and Her Children.—­Grass Begins to
Fail.—­A High Peak to the West.—­No Water.—­An Indian Hut.—­Reach the
Warm Spring.—­Desert Everywhere.—­Some One Steals Food.—­The Water Acts
Like a Dose of Salts.—­Christmas Day.—­Rev. J.W.  Brier Delivers a
Lecture to His Sons.—­Nearly Starving and Choking.—­An Indian in a
Mound.—­Indians Shoot the Oxen.—­Camp at Furnace Creek.

Chapter X. A Long, Narrow Valley.—­Beds and Blocks of Salt.—­An Ox
Killed.—­Blood, Hide and Intestines Eaten.—­Crossing Death Valley.—­The
Wagons can go no farther.—­Manley and Rogers Volunteer to go for
Assistance.—­They Set out on Foot.—­Find the Dead Body of Mr. Fish.—­Mr.
Isham Dies.—­Bones along the Road.—­Cabbage