▁for ▁themselves ▁or ▁miss ▁an ▁exc iting ▁life ▁changing ▁opportunity . ▁A ▁few ▁of ▁these ▁travel ers ▁became ▁wid ows ▁as ▁their ▁hus b ands ▁died ▁of ▁disease ▁or ▁were ▁killed . ▁On ▁the ▁California ▁Tra il , ▁about ▁ 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁on ▁the ▁trail ▁died ▁from ▁acc idents , ▁ch ol era , ▁fe ver , ▁and ▁my ri ad ▁other ▁causes , ▁and ▁many ▁women ▁became ▁wid ows ▁before ▁even ▁setting ▁eyes ▁on ▁California . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁sea ▁voyage ▁via ▁Pan ama ▁there ▁were ▁the ▁usual ▁ha z ards ▁of ▁travel ing ▁across ▁the ▁Ist hm us ▁of ▁Pan ama ▁by ▁can oe ▁and ▁m ule , ▁waiting ▁in ▁disease ▁pre val ent ▁Ch ag res ▁and ▁Pan ama ▁City , ▁where ▁ch ol era ▁and ▁yellow ▁fe ver ▁often ▁took ▁a ▁dread ful ▁to ll — up ▁to ▁ 3 0 % ▁of ▁some ▁groups ▁of ▁travel ers . ▁ ▁The ▁final ▁step ▁was ▁catch ing ▁a ▁p addle ▁wheel ▁steam ▁ship ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 5 - ▁to ▁ 2 0 - day ▁trip ▁to ▁California . ▁See ▁U ly ss es ▁S . ▁Grant ' s ▁bi ography ▁for ▁a ▁v ivid ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁ha z ards ▁of ▁crossing ▁Pan ama . ▁ ▁The ▁sex ▁im bal ance ▁in ▁California ▁( inde ed ▁in ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁West ) ▁would ▁persist ▁though ▁several ▁gener ations ▁as ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁females ▁gradually ▁increased ▁to ▁something ▁roughly ▁equivalent ▁to ▁the ▁numbers ▁of ▁males . ▁