Wilford leaves for the Salt Lake Valley with the first company of pioneers.
12th A cool morning. Mercury stands at 41, we had a strong
S. wind through the day we travled 8 miles & nooned we then
travled 4 miles & camped for the night on the bank of
the North fork of the Platt I rode onto the Bluffs to take a
survey of the country which was about 3 miles from the
river & we found both on the Hills & flatts through the
days travel that we were traveling over the Soux Hunting
ground there had been A large band from 500 to 1000 we
should Judge from there signs over the ground from 8 to 10
days before us, they took the braiens out of the large Buffalo
generally their Hides & some of the meet & broke up the
bones for the marrow, 12000 calves were found dead in one
place with nothing taken but the tongues, legs to the knee
& entrails another place 35 calves were found dead
& washed in heaps whare the Buffalo had been chased
acrosse the river & run over the calves in rising the
bank of the river. I found on the Bluff their
medicine bag tied to a stick 6 feet long stuck up in the
bank it was what is called kinikinnick composed of
tobacco & bark to smoke I Also found a saddle tied to a large
buffalo dung I supposed to show the next party which
way the Buffalo had gone I left my horse in the valley
to feed while I went onto a Bluff to see the country &
He started off not seeing the camp took the back tract
& I had to run After him & while following him,
I run through the great Soux encampmen whare
they had had there lodges while on their hunt I left
my gun there & followed my horse untill I overtook
him with the Assistance of Br Fowler who came out from
the encampment & stoped him I then rode back got
my gun examined the ground & should judge their
had been 500 lodges there was Acres of ground cove[re]d
with Buffalo wool whare they had dressed there skins
they left much stuff scattered over the ground such
as peaces of dressed Buffalo & wolf skins mogascins [moccasins]
&c I brought in a good dressed white wolf skin
distance of the day 12 mil
I could see the Bluff between the forks of the river
about 10 miles above us the Bluffs that I passed over
to day were more fertile & coverd with more gra[ss] [page torn]
than any I had seen on the Platt before A young
Buffalo was killed & brought in in the evening
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I dreamed last night we had arived at our journey end whare we were to build up a stake of Zion. As we came unto the place there was an open vision of a temple presented before me I asked some brethren that stood by me If they saw it they said they did not I gazed upon it & it was glorious it appeared as though it was built of white & blue stone the sight of it filled me with Joy and I awoke, & behold it was a dream
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