Autobiography Volume 2 circa 1865
was the day 3 years from
the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith
It was Sunday morning but we harnessed
up our teams and drove to where brothers Pratt and Smith had camped
with Major Harris who had been travelling through Oregon and California
for 25 years and had much acquaintance with the country. He brought
a file of Oregon papers and one published by S. Brannon of
California. We had much conversation with him and
he spoke unfavourably of the Salt Lake Country for a settlement
but spoke of other places not far off that were good
Meeting With Mr Bridger
We parted with Major Harris next day after doing some
trading with him and in our afternoon's travel met Mr Bridger of
the fort on the way with two men going to Fort Laramie. He
was expecting us and wished to have an interview with President Young
and the Twelve and we also wished to have an interview with him
so we immediately returned to the creek upon which we had
nooned and camped for the night and Mr Bridger and his men
camped with us.
We met in council with Mr Bridger and
spent some hours in conversation and found him to have been a great
traveller and had ^professed^ an extensive knowledge of nearly all Oregon and
California—the mountains lakes rivers springs valleys mines ore &c
He spoke more highly of the Great Basin for a settement than
