[William Clayton Journal] Morning fine and warm. After breakfast I went to the top of the high bluff expecting to get a good view of the country west but was disappointed in consequence of the many ridges or bluffs but a little distance beyond us. At 7 o'clock the camp moved forward and immediately after saw a graveyard on the left of the road with a board stuck up these words written on it: Matilda Crowley. B. July 16, 1830, and D. July 7, 1846. On reflecting afterwards that some of the numerous emigrants who had probably started with a view to spend the remainder of their days in the wild Oregon, had fallen by the way and their remains had to be left by their friends far from the place of destination, I felt a renewed anxiety that the Lord will kindly preserve the lives of all my family, that they may be permitted to gather to the future home of the Saints, enjoy the society of the people of God for many years to come and when their days are numbered that their remains may be deposited at the feet of the servants of God, rather than be left far away in a wild country and oh, Lord, grant this sincere desire of thy servant in the name of thy Son Jesus. Amen. After traveling 1 1/2 miles we crossed a very shoal stream of clear, cold water about 5 feet wide. There is [little] grass here but a number of Bitter Cotton Wood trees growing on its banks. There being no name on the map to this creek it was named "Bitter Cotton Wood Creek" to designate it in our future travel...We continued on the banks of the river till 20 minutes past 6 at which time we formed our encampment having traveled this afternoon 8 1/2 miles and during the day [19]. As usual there is plenty of grass on the river banks but no wood. There are some dry buffalo chips and wild sage which answer tolerably well for cooking. The land over which we have travelled except in the several places above mentioned, is perfectly barren except wild sage which abounds but there is scarce a spear of grass to be seen. These granite ridges continue from the Rock Independence to this place, mostly on the North side the river. Here they receed from the river a few miles and then cease. There are two of the Missouri companies camped, one about half a mile and the other a mile west of us, as we are given to understand we have got a long distance to travel without grass or water. It is stated that a man from one of these companies left his company a few days ago and went ahead to examine the route &c. On their arrival here they found him in one of these rocky hills hid up for fear of Indians. He reports that he has been to the "Pass"61 and that we shall find water about 14 miles from here. He has come from the Pass in two nights and hid up in the day time to avoid Indians, but has seen none. He says it is not over 28 miles to the "Pass" from here.
After we camped Burr Frost set up his forge and set some wagon tire and repaired the wheels of the wagon for one of the Missourians . . .
[George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1995, http://amzn.to/william-clayton]
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