'At the Extremity of Civilization' : A Meticulously Descriptive Diary of an Illinois Physician's Journey in 1849 Along the Oregon Trail to the Goldmines and Cholera of California, Thence in Two Years to Return by Boat via Panama

From the time Dr. Lord left for the goldmines of California, he recorded in astonishing detail his observations of the Oregon Trail, the physical and social climates of Northern California, and the trip through Panama, all in a polished work of great literary merit.