All this was the work of two or three months, in winter and early spring; not to mention a large enclosure of pickets in the center of the fort—a council house of hewn timber, and a bastion of the same material.
The number of men composing the settlement and performing all this work, did not exceed one hundred and twenty all told including old men, boys and Indian servants, just being tamed and initiated into the first rudiments of industry.
All the camps moved from Red Creek and encamped near the fort, where we tarried a few days.
April 12th.—Celebrated my birthday by a feast jointly provided by us and G. A. Smith, at his house. Ten or twelve persons sat down to a sumptuous repast.
April 14th.—We removed to Summit Creek—distance seven miles. Here we tarried one week, in course of which the rear camp, headed by Amasa Lyman, arrived in good condition.
Sunday, 20th.—All met in a general assembly, to worship God and to edify one another; being joined by the people from the fort, we had a good time. The Spirit was poured out upon us. G. A. Smith and others spake with power in the Spirit and testimony of Jesus; rebuking iniquity, worldly mindedness, unbelief, profanity, and all manner of iniquity, and exhorting the people to obey the servants of the Lord in all righteousness.
As the meeting was about to close P. B. Lewis, who lived in this settlement, was set apart by prayer, prophecy and the laying on of hands of the four Apostles present, as one of the Pacific missionaries. He had already moved into camp with his wife and teams, etc., to accompany us. We travelled eight miles to a stream called Coal Creek. Encamped and built a bridge across the deep and narrow channel, about four feet wide, and tarried here next day for the remainder of our company, some of whom had failed to obtain their animals the day before.
This encampment was about ten miles below the crossing of the same stream on the old road. I had, however, looked out a new route, which would save some eight or ten miles.
This stream forms a rich meadow bottom, of about fifteen miles long and two broad.
Abundance of cedar fuel and rich pasturage is found on the table lands which border this bottom; and iron ore abounds a few miles to the southwest, not to mention a large cottonwood grove in the upper part of the meadow, and a canyon opening into the mountains, from which the stream issues. Taken all together, this place combines materials for a large settlement.