[William Clayton Journal] Morning fine but cold. The ox teams started at 5 minutes to 8 and the remainder shortly after. We soon met 8 of the Oregon men on their way back, having over 20 horses and the mules with them mostly laden with packs of robes, skins &c. Several of the brethren sent letters back by them ...One of the Oregon men is returning with us today and then intends to wait for the next companies and act as a pilot for them. His name is "Harris" and appears to be extensively known in Oregon and the subject of much dispute on account of having found out a new route to Oregon, much South of the old one. He appears to be a man of intelligence and well acquainted with the western country. He presented a file of the Oregon papers, commencing with February 11th 1847 and five following numbers for our perusal during the day. He also presented a number of the California "Star" published at Yerba Buena by Samuel Brannan and edited by E. P. Jones. I had the privilege of perusing several of these papers during the day but found little interesting news. Mr. Harris says he is well acquainted with the Bear River Valley and the regions around the salt Lake. From his description which is very discouraging we have little chance to hope for even a moderate good country anywhere in those regions. He speaks of the whole region as being Sandy and destitute of timber and vegetation except the wild Sage. He gives the most favorable account of a Small region under the Bear River mountains called the Cach valley where they have practised caching their robes &c. to hide them from the Indians...Mr. Harris has described a valley 40 miles above the mouth of the Bear River and 30 miles below the Bear Springs which might answer our purpose pretty well if the report is true. It is about 30 miles long and 15 miles wide, and tolerably well timbered. We generally feel that we shall know best by going ourselves for the reports of travellers are so contradictory, it is impossible to know which is truth without going to prove it.
It is 3 years today since our brethren Joseph and Hyrum were taken from us and it was a general feeling to spend the day in fasting and prayer, but the gentile companies being close in our rear and feed scarce it was considered necessary to keep ahead for the benifit of our teams, but many minds have reverted back to the scenes at Carthage Jail, and it is a gratification that we have so far prospered in our endeavors to get from under the grasp of our enemies.
[source: 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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