Morning cold but fine. Started out at nine o'clock and traveled till
one p.m., distance seven and a half miles, course a little west
of northwest. The prairie on both sides of the river is literally
black with buffalo, and to try to say as to what number we have seen
this morning would be folly. I should imagine that at a moderate
calculation, we have seen over fifty thousand. They are more tame than
they have been, and will stand till the wagons come within two hundred
yards of them. Porter has shot one about two years old, the meat looks
nice. There is no difficulty in getting meat enough. It is with some
difficulty that the horsemen can drive them away from the track as
fast as the wagons come up. It is very warm today, and no wind. I have
counted the revolutions of a wagon wheel to tell the exact distance
we have traveled. The reason why I have taken this method which is
somewhat tedious, is because there is generally a difference of two and
sometimes four miles in a day's travel between my estimation and that
of some others, and they have all thought I underrated it. This morning
I determined to take pains to know for a certainty how far we travel
today. Accordingly I measured the circumference of the nigh hind wheel
of one of Brother Kimball's wagons being the one I sleep in, in charge
of Philo Johnson. I found the wheel 14 feet 8 inches in circumference,
not varying one eighth of an inch. I then calculated how many
revolutions it would require for one mile and found it precisely 360
not varying one fraction which somewhat astonished me. I have counted
the whole revolutions during the day's travel and I find it to be a
little over eleven and a quarter miles, twenty revolutions over. The
overplus I shall add to the next day's travel. According to my previous
calculations we were two hundred eighty-five miles from Winter Quarters
this morning before we started. After traveling ten miles I placed a
small cedar post in the ground with these words written on it with
a pencil. "From Winter Quarters, two hundred ninety-five miles, May
8, '47. Camp all well. Wm. Clayton." Some have past the day's travel
at thirteen and some fourteen miles, which serves to convince more
strongly that the distances are overrated. I have repeatedly suggested
a plan of fixing machinery to a wagon wheel to tell the exact distance
we travel in a day, and many begin to be sanguine for carrying it into
effect, and I hope it will be done. Our course this afternoon has been
northwest, no wind and the prairie as bare as a poor English pasture,
the grass being eaten off by uncountable herds of buffalo. No pen nor
tongue can give an idea of the multitude now in sight continually, and
it appears difficult to keep them away from the wagons. Two calves
have been killed and brought to camp and multitudes would be killed
if the President did not prohibit the brethren from killing them only
as we need the meat. Truly, the Lord's cattle upon the thousand hills
are numerous. We are now camped on the banks of the river within a
quarter of a mile from where the range of bluffs, which have appeared
exceedingly ragged all day, strike the river, and when we move again we
have got to cross over them. President Young and Kimball have been back
on the bluffs on foot some distance and report that as far as they can
see the grass is eaten perfectly bare and the prospect for feed for our
teams is poor indeed. There are several buffalo lying dead around here,
whether dead from old age or by the hands of hunters or of starvation,
it is unknown. Many of the brethren have to cook their victuals on dry
buffalo dung, there being no wood near.