4^th Thermometer stands at 33° this morning I feel
some better than I did last night we started on
our journey this morning 5 waggons abreast which made
5 roads this was to be in readiness in case of an attack from
the Indians we travled 3 miles & saw some waggons on the
opposite side of the river. going down the Platt soon one of the
men waded the Platt & came to us, to see who we were. He info-
rmed us they were traders from fort Laramee He had been
there 3 years had not tasted Bread for 2 years, was 16 days from
Laramee the grass was green & good on the south side to that
fort but burnt of on the North side He waided the Platt to
come to us A mile across it & did not go but little above his
knees He would take letters to us to Sarpee who lived near
winter Quarters so the campe stoped & wrote 52 letters to
our familys I was ahead of the company with O Pratt taking
observations & did not know untill the time was nearly up
I then in great haste scribbled a few lines to my wife An epistle
was written to the Church &c. Three Brethren accompanied the
Frenchman accross the Platt to the other men was 9 in all
had not seen an Indian since they left Laramee, stated their
was a ferry at the fort &c agreed to take our letters safe
we drove on 3 miles more & bated our teams untill the Brethren
returned they made A report to the camp of what was
said to them. A council of the whole camp was then called
to deside whether we would cross the Platt or continue up

the North side of it we were convinced that it wood
be better for us as a company to cross the river or take the
old travled road to Laramee as their was good grass on
the way on that side while the Indians were burning
it all off on the North side of the river where we were
travling but when we took into consideration the
situation of the next company & thousands that would
follow after & as we were the Pioneers & had not our
wives & children with us we thought it best to keep on
the north side of the river & brave the difficulties of
Burning Prairies & make A road that should stand as
a permanant rout for the Saints indipendant of the
old emigration rout & let the river seperate the emigrating
companies that they need not quarrel for wood grass
or water & when our next company came along the grass
would be much better for them than it would on the
south side as it would grow up by the time they would get
along. A vote was called & it was unanimous to go on
the north side of the river. So the camp again moved
on, but during the nooning Col Markham drilled the men
in a military capacity, they unshiped the cannon & carried
it on wheels. the Frenchman informed us that He never
saw so many Buffalo ogn on the rout this year they had to
stop several times to let the Herd pass so they could get
along, we saw many deer & Antelope to day & also wolves
And a few Buffalo one large Bull came across the
river to us, we rode onto the bank before him & He run
clear back again upon a loap & again crossed below us
we camped at night at a gravel creek or slew A large
Herd of Buffalo lay but a short distance before us
we travled in all to day 9 m 9 miles