, of whom
but eight were females, while twenty-four females and twenty males survived.
Revolting as are these revelations, the half has not been told. Of the dark deeds committed hi this sepulchral Sierra, under cover of night, or in the light of day made blacker than blackest night by the darkness of the deed, comparatively few have ever been told. But enough has been told to show us what men will do when forced by necessity. These Donners were cultivated, wealthy people; they be- haved better in some respects than the others, and yet they did not wholly forbear to eat of each other.
During the immigration of 1849, and before that time, there were many parties who underwent much suffering; some' similar to those experienced by the Donner party, yet there was no instance which as a whole equalled those horrors in magnitude and inten- sity. Toward this western shore had set the world's tide of human life and human passion. So great was the movement of 1849 that I might say there was almost a continuous line of waofons from the Missouri river to the Sierra Nevada, an almost unbroken line of light from the camp-fires at night; hence it was safe enough for single wagons, or horsemen, or foot passengers even, to join the throng. And many of these individual adventurers there were. But man likes company, especially when there is toil and un- certainty before him; and so at the east overland societies were organized and officered bound for the mines, the object being that by a community of labor or capital mutual comfort and safety might be in- creased.
The idea of association was to divide the venture, or to unite the benefits of .money and labor, or for mutual aid, or protection, or to assure attention in case of sickness, or for all these combined. One desires to go to California who has not the means, so he drives across the plains the team of
