[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 18th Sunday I wrote A letter Home to Mrs Woodruff By Br Eames who wishes to return back. I perused several papers to day, but did not find much news. Br O Pratt took an observation of his Barometer.
President Young called the captains together & gave them instruction to travel in the morning two abrest & let all who were not driving teams carry their guns & walk by the side of the waggons. Let no man go away hunting to get [out] of sight of the camp. The Bugle was to be blown at half past 8 oclok at night when all was to go to prayers in their several waggons & retire to bed by 9 oclok. The Bugle will Blow at 5 oclok in the morning to arise & pray & two hours will be allotted the camp to dress pray cook eat feed Horses Harness &c & start at the blow of the Bugle at 7 oclok. This is the order of the camp.
Travellers have frequeently spoken of the Platt River. In relation to it I will [say] It is the most singular river I ever beheld. It is from a quarter to half a mile wide & its shores & bed one universal body of quick sand. It is a rapid stream yet many places A person can wade across it. Frequently nearly the whole bed of the river is coverd with but few inches of water & at other places it is deep & Rapid. Notwithstanding it is quick sand Horses & cattle can walk down to edge of the river & drink like walking on the edge of a smooth sea Beach & some times while walking on the apparent hard beach or bed of the river A man or Horse will suddenly sink into the quick sand & the more he struggles to get out the more He will sink & will soon perish if assistance is not near. Many Horses & men have been lost in this way on the Platt. Whare we have spent the Sabbath A man could nearly wade across the river.
We do not travel on Sunday but pitch our tents Saturday night or encamp in the waggons & we do not move untill Monday morning. This is the order of the camp.
[source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
No comments:
Post a Comment