It is the most singular river I ever beheld. it is from
a quarter to half a mile wide & its shores & bed one universall
body of quick sand it is a rapid stream yet many places
A person can wade across it frequently nearly the whole
bed of the river is coverd with but few inches of water
& at other places it is deep & rapid not withstanding
it is quick sand Horses & cattle can walk down to edge
of the river & drink like walking on the edge of a smooth
sea Beach & some times while walking on the apparent
hard beach or bed of the river A man or Horse will sudd-
enly sink into the quick sand & the more he struggles
to get out the more He will sink & will soon perish of [if]
assistance is not near, whare many Horses & men have
been lost in this way on the Platt. whare we have
spent the Sabbath A man could nearly wade across
the river. we do not travel on Sunday but pitch
our tents Saturday night or encamp in the waggons
& we do not move untill monday morning this is the
order of the camp

April 19, 1847 ~ Monday

19^th It was quite cool in the morning. the Bugle Blew
at 5 for prayers & 7 for starting we travled two
abrest men walked by the side of their wagons. we
bore a no[r]therly direction untill about noon when we reac
hed the north Bend of the Platt. Prosfessor Pratt look an
observation & found it to be in, Lat. 41 27 5. the crossing
place of the Horn was in Lat. 41 16 24 making the
North Bend of the Platt 10 1/2 miles north of the ford
we formed into a circle at noon & bated while nooning
Elder Little arived with P Rockwell & two others they brought
the mail I recieved two Letters one from L Hardy of Mass who
informed me that Milton Holmes father & Mother was cut off
from the ^Church^ & He with them turned Strangites And that Aphia
his wife was a great apostate O, Milton Holmes how hast thou
fallen. the other letter was from Mrs Woodruff, which I read
with interest. Br Little brought many things that the Colonel
Kane sent as presents to the 12 & others I recieved A stop Box
Marriners compass small enough to carry in the pocket it
was A splendid present. May the blessings of God be
upon the head of Col Cane for his good feelings towards
the servants of God. during thi we camped at night
near a grove of timber on the bank of the Platt
we formed a circle from edge to edge of the bank
of the river the river on one side was our defence
we drove the tongues of our waggons out ward &
fore wheel of each waggon was placed against the
hind wheel of the waggon before it and all the
Horses & cattle taken inside the circle so that we were
secure against the Indians. the river was about one
mile wide whare we camped & on the north side joinin-
g our encampment it was deep & rapid, the face of
the country during to days travel was on the south
side of the river High Bluffs runing precepitately to the
river on the north side which we travled A level prairie
without any bluffs about 2 miles from the river a rise
of table land about 10 feet & continues of a level
no timber except patches on the river soil sandy 22 mi

It is the most singular river I ever beheld. it is from a quarter to a mile wide & its shores & bed one universall body of quick sand it is a rapid stream yet many places a person can wade across it frequently nearly the whole bed of the river is covered with but few inches of water & at other places it is deep & rapid not withstanding it is quick sand horses & cattle can walk down to edge of the river & drink like walking on the edge of a smooth sea beach & some times while walking on the apparent hard beach or bed of the river a man or horse will suddenly sink into the quick sand & the more he struggles to get out the more he will sink & will soon perish of assistance is not near, many horses & men have been lost in this way on the Platt. whare we have spent the Sabbath a man could nearly wade across the river. we do not travel on Sunday but pitch our tents Saturday night or encamp in the waggons & we do not move untill monday morning this is the order of the camp

April 19, 1847 ~ Monday

19th It was quite cool in the morning. the bugle blew at 5 for prayers & 7 for starting we travled two abrest men walked by the side of their wagons, we bore a notherly direction untill about noon when we reac hed the north bend of the Platt. Professor Pratt look an observation & found it to be in, Lat. 41 27 5 the crossing place of the Horn was in Lat. 41 16 24 making the North Bend of the Platt 10 1/2 miles north of the ford we formed into a circle at noon & bated while nooning Elder Little arived with P Rockwell & two others they brought the mail I recieved two Letters one from L Hardy of Mass who informed me that Milton Holmes father & Mother was cut off from the Church & he with them turned Strangites and that Aphia his wife was a great apostate O, Milton Holmes how hast thou fallen. the other letter was from Mrs Woodruff, which I read with interest. Br Little brought many things that the Colonel Kane sent as presents to the 12 & others I recieved a. stop box Marriners compass small enough to carry in the pocket it was a splendid present. May the blessings of God be upon the head of Col Cane for his good feelings towards the servants of God. we camped at night near a grove of timber on the bank of the Platt we formed a circle from edge to edge of the bank of the river the river on one side was our defence we drove the tongues of our waggons out ward & fore wheel of each waggon was placed against the hind wheel of the waggon before it and all the horses & cattle taken inside the circle so that we were secure against the Indians. the river was about one mile wide whare we camped & on the north side joining our encampment it was deep & rapid, the face of the country during to days travel was on the south side of the river high bluffs runing precpeitately to the river on the north side which we travled a level prairie without any bluffs about 2 miles from the river a rise of table land about 10 feet & continues of a level no timber except patches on the river soil sandy 22 mi