[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] June 27th 1847 Three years ago this day the Prophets Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martered. Though it was Sunday morning we Harnessed up our teams & drove 6 miles to the place whare Brs Pratt & Smith Camped in Company with Mr Harris who has been A traider & trapper in the rocky mountains & travled through Oregon to Calafornia 25 years. We found him to be a man of much experience & knowledge & acquaintance with the Country. He brought A file of Oregon Papers & one Published by S Brannon of Cala-fornia. Many of us had much conversation with him about the Country. He spoke unfavorable of the Salt Lake Country for a settlement but spoke of other places not far off that were good:
He said we generally could go through the pass as late as November but should we get blocked in with snow (we would find A small stream of water 4 or 5 miles from the Devils gate near Independance rock. This stream is 5 miles west of the gate. Follow that up A short distance & it would lead to A road that Crosses it to the west which would lead top through A large plain following to the mountains whare there is but little snow. When you come to the pass or Hill get onto some of them & you will see A large bute. Leave it to the [ ] Hand & follow down [ ] And it will lead into the open valleys. See + below. [Asterisk is Woodruff's.]
It is 275 1/2 miles from fort Laramie to the South pass.
At 9 oclok this morning I passed the dividing ridge that seperates the dividing waters of the Atlantic And pacific. We Camped at noon on muddy creek the waters of which run into the green river & the pacific. I drank its waters for the first time in my life that I tasted of waters runing into the pacific. We had a warm dusty day. I conversed considerable with Mr Harris about the country. We camped at night upon dry Sandy. Whole distance 15 1/4 mil.
+ [Asterisk is Woodruff's.] 3 miles above the gate look to the South. You will see an open pass in the Mountains. Go through that & let your Course be west till you top the Hill out of the great plain. Then look to the south. You will see a square bute. Leave that to the left. Go on & cross the green River. Then let your Course be west to Bridgers Fort; (And I think) He said we should go by blacks fork.
[source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
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