And they could not save them. Back there in their tents and
hovels around Donner Lake starvation was doing its work steadily.
There is contemporary history also covering the details of this.
Tamsen Donner, heroine that she was, kept a diary which would
have been valuable for us, but this was lost along with her
paintings and her botanical collections. The best preserved diary
is that of Patrick Breen, done in simple and matter-of-fact
fashion throughout most of the starving winter. Thus:
"Dec. 17. Pleasant; William Murphy returned from the mountain
party last evening; Baylis Williams died night before last;
Milton and Noah started for Donner's eight days ago; not returned
yet; think they are lost in the snow.
"Dec. 21. Milton got back last night from Donner's camp. Sad
news; Jacob Donner, Samuel Shoemaker, Rhineheart, and Smith are
dead; the rest of them in a low situation; snowed all night, with
a strong southwest wind.
"Dec. 23. Clear to-day; Milton took some of his meat away; all
well at their camp. Began this day to read the "Thirty Days'
Prayers"; Almighty God, grant the requests of unworthy sinners!
"Jan.
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