June 27, 1847 ~ Sunday

June 27^th 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 mou-
ntains & travled through Oregon & Calafornie 25 years we found
him to be a man of much experience & knowledge & acquaintan[ce]
with the Country. He brought a file of Oregon Papers & one
Published by S Brannon of Calafornia 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 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 to a
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 [blank] hand & follow down [blank]
And it will lead into the open
valleys see * below

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 considerably
with Mr Harris about the country we camped at
night upon dry sandy whole distance 15 1/4 mil

* 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

June 28, 1847 ~ Monday

28^th we parted with Major Harris after doing some traiding with
him He promised to meet us again on bear River, we travled to
little Sanday & nooned the stream was high, in the afternoon
we travled 2 miles & met Mr Bridger of the fort on the way
with two other men going to fort Laramie. He was expecting us & was
to have an interview with President Young & the Twelve and also we
wished to have an interview with thehim. So we immediately turned
onto the creek we nooned on & camped for the night & Mr
Bridger & his men camped with us, we met in council & spent
some hours in conversations, we found him to have been a great
traveller and a great knowledge of nearly all Oregon & Calafor[nia]
the Mountains, lakes, Rivers, Brooks, springs, valleys, mines, ores, &c &
ie if what he told us was true. He knew of gold, silver, copper, lead, coal
Iron, Sulpher & Salpeter, mines. He spoke more highly of the great