The morning cold with strong southeast wind. The first division commenced ferrying over the river at five o'clock and took a wagon over every fifteen minutes. After breakfast I went over and wrote a letter for Elder Kimball to James Brown at Pueblo, then walked up to a high bluff on the northwest to view the country, but not being able to see far from it, I went to another over a mile farther northwest. Although this last was very high I could see nothing but a succession of high ranges of bluffs as far as I could see, except the narrow space through which the river winds its course. Seeing some heavy thunder clouds rising very rapidly from the northwest I returned to camp and arrived just before the rain commenced. Elders A. Lyman, Thomas Woolsey, John H. Tippets and Roswell Stevens started at 11:15 on horses and mules for Pueblo. President Young, Kimball, Richards and Pratt accompanied them to the Laramie fork and then held a council, kneeled down and dedicated them to God and blessed them. The four then forded the river and went on their journey, the others returned to camp. At half past 1:00 p.m. it commenced raining heavily accompanied by hail, lightning and very loud thunder, which lasted till 3:30 p.m. During the storm, the horses were mostly secured in the old fort. The ferrying ceased till it was fair again, and about five o'clock the first division were all over. The boat was then manned by the second division, John S. Higbee, captain. They averaged a wagon across in eleven minutes and one in ten minutes and one in ten minutes and twenty seconds. The quickest trip made by the first division was thirteen minutes. About seven o'clock it commenced raining again from the southeast and rained heavily, consequently the brethren quit ferrying, leaving three companies of about fifteen wagons on the other side. All the wagons would have been taken over today if it had not been stormy.

There is a report come in that there are 2,000 wagons on the road to Oregon, but a little distance behind, but we are satisfied the report is exaggerated. There are eighteen wagons camped about three miles below and one of the men who has come to the fort says that they have counted over 500 wagons. They have lost four horses by the Indians.

Friday, June 4

Morning very fine. Laramie peak shows very plain. The brethren commenced ferrying at 4:40 a.m., and at eight o'clock the last wagon was over. I walked up to a high bluff with Carlos Murray and picked up some stalactites clear as crystal supposed to be isinglass. The bluff is very high and almost perpendicular and it is dangerous to get to the crystals.

At nine o'clock President Young, Kimball, W. Richards, A. P. Rockwood and T. Bullock walked up to Fort Laramie and returned soon after eleven o'clock. They have learned very favorable reports about Bear River Valley, being well timbered, plenty of good grass, light winters, little snow and abundance of fish, especially spotted trout, in the streams. About half past eleven o'clock Brother Crow's company came down and joined in with the second division and at twelve we started on our journey again, following the Oregon road. We traveled three miles and at 20 minutes past 1:00, halted near some good grass to let our teams feed. The weather is very warm though many light clouds are flying. The bluffs come near the river and are very high, steep, and look like sand. During the halt I went up on a very high bluff near by with my glass. I found it very difficult of ascent. From the top I could see Laramie peak very plainly and also some hills a long way off to the northwest. The country looks very hilly as far as can be seen and the snow on the peak shows quite plain. At half past two we continued our journey and found the road sandy and very uneven. At the distance of seven and three quarters miles from Fort Laramie we descended a very steep pitch or hill. All the wagons had to be locked and we were some time getting down. We went on half a mile farther and formed our encampment in a circle at half past five, having traveled eight and a quarter miles today. At half past five we had a shower accompanied by a little lightning and heavy thunder. I will now give the list of names of Brother Crow's company who have joined the camp today to go with this pioneer camp. They are as follows:

Robert Crow, Elizabeth Crow, Benjamin B. Crow, Elizabeth Jane Crow, John McHenry Crow, Walter H. Crow, Geo. W. Therlkill, Matilla Jane Therlkill, Milton Howard Therlkill, James William Therlkill, William Parker Crow, Isa Vinda Exene Crow, Ira Minda Almarene Crow, Archibald Little, James Chesney and Lewis B. Myers, seventeen in number, making the total number of souls in this pioneer camp, after deducting four gone to Pueblo, 161.

Lewis B. Myers is represented as knowing the country to the mountains, having traveled it, and I am told that he came as a guide to Brother Crow. They have five wagons, one cart, eleven horses, twenty-four oxen, twenty-two cows, three bulls and seven calves.

Inasmuch as there have been some changes in horses and mules, I will endeavor to state them and give the number we started with from Fort Laramie. Two horses killed by accident. Two horses stolen by the Pawnees at Gravel creek; one mule traded for a pony by Brother Markham; three horses and one mule gone with the brethren to Pueblo; one horse traded by O. P. Rockwell for three cows and two calves; one horse traded by John Pack for three buffalo robes; one horse traded by T. Brown for a pony at Laramie; one pony traded by J. S. Higbee to the Sioux for a pony. These changes with the addition made by Brother Crow's company make the number as follows: horses 95, mules 51, head of oxen 100, cows 41, bulls 3, calves 7, dogs and chickens, and 77 wagons and 1 cart.

Saturday, June 5

The morning pleasant though somewhat cloudy. Elder Kimball gave George Billings a lecture about abusing his team, kicking them, etc. He gave George some very good advice. The horn sounded early to start but we were detained till half past eight on account of several oxen being missing. About that time they were found and we pursued our journey. After traveling a little over four miles we ascended a steep bluff. The road runs on the top of it a little distance in a very crooked direction, the surface in some places being hard, uneven rock, which shakes and jars the wagons very much. In one place there is a little descent and at the bottom a very sharp turn in the road over rough rock. Here Brother Crow's cart turned over. However, it was soon righted and no injury done to anything. At the west foot is a steep, sandy descent but not difficult. The bluff is a half a mile across. About a half a mile from the west foot we turned from the river nearly a west course and crossed a low gravelly channel where it appears the river has run sometime and perhaps does now in high water.