[William Clayton Journal] It was decided to remain here today to rest the teams, but our ten obtained leave to go on to Sweet Water, expecting to meet the company, and after reading the letter of instructions from the council to this camp my wagon proceeded on slowly. At the "Springs" we saw an aged Indian Squaw near the road, dwelling in a shelter composed merely of wild sage and apparently dependent on passing emigrants for subsistence. She is doubtless left to perish on account of age and infirmity but it is likely she will live some time on what she receives from those who pass by. When we arrived near the summit of the dividing ridge or south pass two Indians rode towards us and motioned for us to stop. Not seeing the other wagons coming after we stopped to wait for the wagons and the Indians soon arrived. They made signs that a large party of them were over the mountain north and they wanted to "swap." While they were conversing a number more rode over the ridge and soon after a still larger number. About this time the wagons came in sight and when the brethren saw so many Indians they were alarmed. John Pack rode back to the main camp to get some of the brethren to come up, but J[ackson] R[edding] said he should "not budge a foot." The brethren behind were much alarmed, some expecting to be scalped and one W. Carr ran and hid himself in the sage bushes. No one returned with John Pack but Norman Taylor and the wagons proceeded towards us. In the meantime, after learning the object for which the Indians sought us, that none of them were armed except two, and by a certificate that the first visitor was a Shoshone chief, Brother [Lisbon] Lamb and myself signified that we would trade with them and soon some of them returned with antelope, buck and Elk Skins and robes to trade. I traded some balls and a little powder for 1 robe 1 Elk Skin 2 Buck skins and 9 antelope skins and a pair of mocassins. Lamb bought 5 antelope skins.
While we were trading, the other wagons arrived and also commenced trading. The Indians about 60 in number, about 20 of them boys, all mounted seemed highly pleased to trade with us which we did mostly through the chief. By request of the chief I gave him a certificate stating that he appeared friendly and wanted to trade with the whites &c. The chief gave us a very strong invitation to go to their camp to trade and made signs that they would feed us well and we should sleep with them. I answered him by signs that we should camp when we arrived where the road crossed the sweet water but they were very anxious to have us then turn off the road and camp. After we started the chief came up and wanted to swap a good mule for my spy glass but I refused. I had let him look through it and he seemed very wishful to try it. When they saw we were determined to go on they left us, and returned to their camp while we pursued our journey to the first crossing of Sweet water where we arrived and camped at 6 o'clock, having traveled 14 miles . . .
[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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