The wagons started at five o'clock this morning before breakfast, to
find more grass as this is all eaten off. We traveled till 6:30 being
about three miles, and then turned out the teams to feed. The morning
very cool. There seems to be very little rain in this country and no
dew. Breakfasted on goose and mouldy bread. At twenty minutes after
eight, the teams started again and after traveling about two miles
came to a very pretty stream of good water, (Wood River) about ten
feet wide on an average, but at the fording place about a rod wide. We
were detained some here, but all got over safely. We then traveled on
a table or prairie gently ascending for four or five miles but very
even and good traveling. At 1:00 p.m. we stopped beside a small lake to
rest and feed teams, having traveled about ten miles today. The wind
south and strong. One of Orson Pratt's horses is very sick, supposed
to be the bots. He has lain down several times in the harness within
the last three hours. I am not astonished, as the wagons and everything
else is shrinking up, for the wind is perfectly dry and parching;
there is no moisture in it. Even my writing desk is splitting with the
drought. At 2:30 p.m. we started again and traveled till about 6:30
over tolerable level prairie, distance about eight miles, and nearly a
southwest course. The wind was strong from southwest till sundown and
then turned to northeast. The clouds of dust were almost sufficient to
suffocate everyone. I rode Heber's horse this afternoon and went before
the wagons. Saw many antelope, and the brethren had a good chance to
kill one, but they missed it, although three of them shot at it. We
camped at night close to Grand Island where there is an abundance of
rushes for cattle. There is also a white substance that seems to ooze
out of the ground around here, and tastes like salt, but not so strong
as common salt. Brother Orson Pratt's horse is better and the day has
passed without accident.