22. The brethren found A part of a petrified leg bone of A Mamouth
it was from the knee joint downward the piece was 17 inch
long, 11 inches wide & weighed 27 lbs. we travled to day 7 1/2
miles & onooned & in the Afternoon 8 miles & camped for
the Sabbath, whole distance of the day 15 1/2 m
our road has been vary strait to day but we came over 2 1/2 miles
of the worst Bluff sandy & Hilly that we have past on
the rout. we have also past several large creek beds of
dry sand, the Bluffs on our rout to day have presented
the most singular natural senery that I ever beheld in
my travels on the earth. It has the greatest appearance
of the old walls & ruins of the castles of Europe from
the size of chimneys to 100 feet square or more, bodies
of earth & rock that Appears as though it was formed
out of clay stand erect scattering through the Bluffs
from 10 to 100 feet high, with perpendicular
sides as strait as walls of A building while all
the earth around them have been washed away
to their base with rain & time. A spring of cold
water was found in the top of one of these peaks
Apparently in a small basan of stone. there are
considerable number of rattle snakes come out of
these bluffs I sayw near A dozen to day A good
share of the rout this Afternoon the face of the
earth is barren Almost destitute of grass
~ Sunday
23rd ^Sunday^ In company with B Young & the Twelve we visited the
top of two of the Highest Bluff ruins that lie opposite our
encampment which were truly a curiosity. O. Pratt took a
Barometrical observation on the ownly tree which was red ceder
on the top of the ruins or Bluff which we visited we had
A fair view of chimney rock from whare we were. I
carried A Bleached Buffalo Bulls head on to the top &
wrote upon it with a pencil our names & distances from
several places for the Benefit of the next camp while
Br Fairbanks [blank] was on one of these Bluffs He
was bit with A rattlesnake & became vary painful before
He reached camp the Brethren commenced giving
him such things as they thought best. And he soon was
better. The camp met at half past 11 ooclok. E. Snow Addressed
the Meeting & spoke well. President Young then addressed the
camp in an Interesting manner, said He was satisfyed that
the Lord was with us & Leading us had never seen a company
of people more united than the camp had been thus far on the
journey, that we should pluck the fruits of this mission to all
Eternity that He had many things to teach us but could not
do it ownly in a stake of Zion. But He was well satisfyed
with Himself, his brethren the Twelve & the camp at large one
thing He would say to the praise of all, that was not one
had refused to obey his council on the road. His peace with
God was continually like a river & He felt that the spirit of
peace rested upon the whole camp. many good things were
said. Several other brethren followed him After which
meeting was dismissed. we intended to have rode out in the
evening, but we saw that a storm was gathering, & it soon
began to Blow vary hard About as much as we could do to
save our waggons Bows & covers from being smashed
~ Saturday
22. The brethren found a part of a petrified leg bone of a Mamouth
it was from the knee joint downward the piece was 17 inch
long. 11 inches wide & weighed 27 lbs. we travled to day 7 1/2
miles &nooned & in the afternoon 8 miles & camped for
the Sabbath, whole distance of the day 15 1/2 m
our road has been vary strait to day but we came over 2 1/2 miles
of the worst bluff sandy & hilly that we have past on
the rout. we have also past several large creek beds of
dry sand, the bluffs on our rout to day have presented
the most singular natural senery that I ever beheld in
my travels on the earth. It has the greatest appearance
of the old walls & ruins of the castles of Europe from
the size of chimneys to 100 feet square or more, bodies
of earth & rock that appears as though it was formed
out of clay stand erect scattering through the bluffs
from 10 to 100 feet high, with perpendicular
sides as strait as walls of a building while all
the earth around them have been washed away
to their base with rain & time. A spring of cold
water was found in the top of one of these peaks
apparently in a small basin of stone. there are
considerable number of rattle snakes come out of
these bluffs I saw near a dozen to day a good
share of the rout this afternoon the face of the
earth is barren almost destitute of grass
~ Sunday
23rd Sunday In company with B Young & the Twelve we visited the
top of two of the highest bluff ruins that lie opposite our
encampment which were truly a curiosity. O. Pratt took a
barometrical observation on the ownly tree which was red ceder
on the top of the ruins or bluff which we visited we had
a fair view of chimney rock from whare we were. I
carried a bleached buffalo bulls head on to the top &
wrote upon it with a pencil our names & distances from
several places for the benefit of the next camp while
Br Fairbanks [blank] was on one of these bluffs he
was bit with a rattlesnake & became vary painful before
he reached camp the Brethren commenced giving
him such things as they thought best. And he soon was
better. The camp met at half past 11 ooclok. E Snow addressed
the Meeting & spoke well. President Young then addressed the
camp in an Interesting manner, said he was satisfyed that
the Lord was with us & Leading us had never seen a company
of people more united than the camp had been thus far on the
journey, that we should pluck the fruits of this mission to all
Eternity that he had many things to teach us but could not
do it ownly in a stake of Zion. But he was well satisfyed
with himself, his brethren the Twelve & the camp at large one
thing he would say to the praise of all, that was not one
had refused to obey his council on the road. His peace with
God was continually like a river & he felt that the spirit of
peace rested upon the whole camp. many good things were
said. Several other brethren followed him after which
meeting was dismissed. we intended to have rode out in the
evening, but we saw that a storm was gathering, & it soon
began to blow vary hard about as much as we could do to
save our waggons bows & covers from being smashed
"Journal (January 1, 1847 – December 31, 1853)," May 22, 1847 - May 23, 1847, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed November 7, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/jR9v