"When we stopped at noon, many of the buffaloes walked along side of our wagons so that it would have been easy to shoot them down. O. P. Rockwell did shoot one through the neck and she dropped dead. It was a two year old heifer and good meat. We {280} had great difficulty in keeping our cattle and horses from getting among the herds; and if they had got mixed, it would have been almost impossible ever to get them again. "We traveled eleven and one-fourth miles this day until we came to the bluffs that made down to the river and then we camped for the night. Brother William Clayton had prepared a mile-gage on the hind wheel of his wagon so that the distance could be measured easily. "Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith, and myself went on the highest bluff near by and took a survey of the surrounding country without glasses, and the scene before us, north, east, and west as far as our vision extended, looked as rough as the sea in a storm with the ridges and valley mostly sand and scarcely any green thing upon it except a little scattering grass, and the Spanish soap root, which the Mexicans used for washing. The top resembles a pineapple. I brought in one root twenty-four inches long and two inches in diameter. I pounded a little of it and found that it would fill a dish with suds like soap." The bones of buffaloes had been more or less abundant since the company left Loup Fork. This probably indicated the eastern limit of the buffalo range. Among their bones there were frequently found skulls of human beings, probably Indians. On Sunday the 9th the camp moved four miles and laid over for the day. Timber grew scarcer and the pioneers learned the value of the buffalo chip for making fires. At this season of the year, the cottonwood trees became green and were not fit for fires. "I wrote two letters for Brother Wolsen to take with him to Pueblo. One was to Brother Ferguson and the other to Brother Bevin. We had a meeting and a good one. The spirit of God ruled over the camp. Peace, quiet, and contentment pervaded almost every heart. The Twelve met and it was thought best for the brethren not to start for Pueblo until they arrived at Laramie. I rode with the Twelve and others four miles up the river and saw large herds of buffaloes come to water." The tenth was cold, the thermometer standing at 33 degrees, with a moderate wind. Before leaving camp, a letter was put in a board by sawing an opening the width of the saw. It was nailed {281} to a post which was planted firmly in the earth. The letter was for the next company which was expected along in six or eight weeks. On the board were the words: "Open this box and you will find a letter; 316 miles from Winter Quarters; Pioneers; Latitude 40 degrees." The letter contained an account of the journey.