The Indians were not without some knowledge of the retreat of their ancestors before the western movement which was going on rapidly in those days. Their viewpoint therefore justifies both the fear and the dislike of the white man. The pioneers, realizing the attitude of the Indian, did all in their power to assure him of their friendship, but it was not easy on a journey such as that to cultivate any particular acquaintance. Elder Woodruff's journal shows the remarkable interest that he took in whatever related to the customs and manners of the Indians. Speaking of the Sioux, he says: "We found ourselves traveling over their hunting grounds. Some eight or ten days prior to our encampment on the 11th of May, there had been a large band of some 500 to 1,000 located at one place. They had taken the brains out of a large buffalo. Generally they took the hide and some of the meat, and sometimes they broke the bones for the {284} marrow. In one place we found a hundred calves with nothing taken except the tongues, the legs to the knees, and the entrails. In another place thirty-five buffalo calves were found dead where they had been washed up in heaps in their unsuccessful effort to cross the river. On one of the bluffs, I found a medicine bag tied to a stick six feet long, the stick having been stuck into the bank. I also found a saddle tied to a large buffalo for the purpose, I supposed, of showing the next party of Indians which direction the buffaloes had gone. "Wishing to explore the country somewhat, I left my horse to feed in the valley while I went on to an elevated bluff. While gone, the horse started off, and not seeing the camp, took an opposite direction and I was compelled to run after him. In doing this, I ran through a great camping ground of the Sioux where lodges had been on their hunting expeditions. Here I left my gun and followed my horse until I overtook him. On my return I examined the ground more minutely and estimated that there had been something like 500 lodges. There were acres of ground covered with buffalo wool where they had dressed the skins of buffaloes and wolves, etc. I brought in a good dressed white wolf skin with me. The day following, many of the brethren went out and brought in parts of robes, leather, etc., which had been left. The next day, the pioneers made a journey of eleven miles. The bluffs, for the first time on the journey along the north fork, came boldly up to the river front so that we were obliged to go over these bluffs with our wagons.