Morning very fine and warm. From this place we can see a huge pile
of rocks to the southwest a few miles. We have supposed this to be
the rock of Independence. After breakfast I went to view it and found
that it was a vast pile of rocks extending from south to north about
five hundred feet and in width, one hundred feet. The rocks are large
and seem piled on one another with the edges up. There is no earth
on the ridge but a little drift sand in which there are currant and
rose bushes growing. I saw a large mouse on the top which had a long
bushy tail like a squirrel. It sat up and acted in every respect like
a squirrel, but in size and color resembled a mouse. At 8:35 the camp
proceeded onward. After traveling three and a quarter miles we arrived
on a bed of saleratus which was a quarter of a mile across and on which
were several lakes of salt water. This place looks swampy and smells
bad. The beds of saleratus smell like lime, but the saleratus itself
is said to raise bread equal to the best bought in eastern markets.
Lorenzo Young gathered a pail full in a short time with a view to test
its qualities. Large quantities may be gathered in a short time and
when pulverized it looks clean and nice. We are now satisfied that the
water we saw from the hills yesterday must have been some of these
lakes as the Sweet Water is not yet in sight, but these being high,
show at a long distance. The water is not very salty but brackish and
tastes sickly. It is reported by travelers that these are poisonous,
but it is probable that all the poison there is about them is their
salt causing cattle to drink freely when they can get no other water,
and the more they drink, the more thirsty they get till they burst
themselves, which is said to be the effect of drinking the poison,
viz., to burst. As we passed along a little farther we saw another
large lake to the left and one to the right of the same nature, their
banks mostly white with saleratus. At twelve o'clock we arrived on
the banks of the Sweet Water, having traveled seven and a half miles
over a very sandy road destitute of wood, water or grass. The distance
from the upper ferry of the Platte river to this place is forty-nine
miles by the roadometer. There has formerly been a ford here but lately
emigrants have found a better ford higher up the river. At this place
the river is probably seven or eight rods wide and over three feet deep
at the ford, but in some places it is much deeper still. The current
is very swift, the water a little muddy, but pleasant tasting. By
watching it closely it is easy to see on the surface numerous small
bright particles floating which at first sight might be supposed to be
salt, however the water itself has not the least saline taste. On the
banks of the river there is plenty of good grass but destitute of wood
there being only one solitary tree to be seen and that stands beside
this fording place. The only chance for fuel appears to be the wild
sage and other small shrubbery occasionally growing in spots on the low
banks. After we halted, Sister Harriet Young made some bread using the
lake saleratus and when baked was pronounced to raise the bread and
taste equal to the best she had ever used and it requires less of this
than the common saleratus. A number of the brethren went back during
the halt and filled their pails with it calculating to make use of it
during our future journey. The day has been very hot and no wind which
makes it unpleasant traveling. Elder Woodruff and Brown again joined
the camp on our arrival here and reported that they had spent the night
in one of the gentile camps which are now some miles ahead of us. There
are many high hills or ridges of the granite rock in the neighborhood,
especially in the east and west, all entirely destitute of vegetation
and which present a very wild and desolate as well as romantic aspect.
I can describe their appearance only by saying that it seems as though
giants had in by-gone days taken them in wheelbarrows of tremendous
size and wheeled up in large heaps, masses of heavy clay which has
consolidated and become solid, hard rock. The rock Independence lies
a little west of where we have halted and after dinner I went to view
it as well as many others. It lies on the north bank of the river in
this shape: The extreme southeast corner reaches to within about three
rods of the river and runs in a direction northwest while the river
at this place runs nearly a west course. It is composed of the same
barren granite as other masses in this region and is probably 400 yards
long, 80 yards wide and 100 yards in perpendicular height as near as
I could guess. The ascent is difficult all around. Travelers appear
to have ascended it mostly at the southeast corner where there are
some hundreds of names of persons who have visited it, both male and
female, painted on the projecting surfaces with black, red, and some
with yellow paint. About half way up there is a cavern about twelve
feet long and three feet wide at the bottom but at the top about ten
feet wide and eight feet high, formed by a very large heavy mass of
rock having sometime fallen over an opening or cavity leaving scarcely
room enough for a man to enter. However there are three places by which
it may be entered though not without difficulty. There are a number
of names inside the cavern put on with black paint, doubtless being
the names of persons who have visited it. On the top of the rock the
surface is a little rounding something like a large mound with large
masses of loose rock lying scattered around. Proceeding forward you
descend, when nearly half way of the length, to a considerably lower
surface which continues some distance and then rises high again to
about the same height as the first section. On the top there are a
number of small pools of water, no doubt collected during heavy rains
and having no chance to run off, they stand until evaporated into the
atmosphere. Some of the pools are eight inches deep and taste like rain
water. It is more difficult descending from the rock than to ascend
it on account of its being hard and slippery and nothing to hang on,
and a visitor has to be careful or he will arrive on the ground with
bruised limbs. At three o'clock p.m. they started on and on arriving
at the rock found it to be one and a quarter miles from noon halt. We
put up a guide board opposite the rock with this inscription on it.
"To Fort John 175¼ miles. Pioneers, June 21, 1847. W. R." The
letters W. R. are branded on all the guide boards at the doctor's
request so as to have a mark that the Saints might know; and his
brand is generally known by the Saints. After traveling on the banks
of the river one mile beyond the rock, we forded over and found it
nearly three feet deep in the channel. All the wagons got over without
difficulty or much loss of time. We then continued a southwest course
four and a half miles farther and arrived opposite Devil's Gate which
lies a little to the west of the road; and a quarter of a mile beyond
this, the road passes between two high ridges of granite, leaving a
surface of about two rods of level ground on each side the road. The
road then bends to the west and a quarter of a mile farther, passes
over a small creek two feet wide but bad crossing on account of its
being deep and muddy, requiring caution in the teamsters to prevent
accident. President Young, Kimball and others went to view the north
side of Devil's Gate and returning reported that the devils would not
let them pass, or meaning that it was impossible to go through the
gateway so called. We proceeded on a little farther and at 6:35 formed
our encampment on the bank of the river having traveled this afternoon
seven and three quarters miles, and during the day fifteen and a
quarter. The feed here is good and plentiful and a little cedar can
be obtained at the foot of one of the rocky ridges about a quarter of
a mile back. After we had camped I went back to view the Devil's Gate
where the river runs between two high rocky ridges for the distance of
about 200 yards. The rock on the east side is perpendicular and was
found by a barometrical measurements by Elder Pratt to be 399 feet 4¼
inches high. The one on the west side is about the same height but
not perpendicular bending a little from the river gradually to the
top. The river has a channel of about three rods in width through this
pass which increases its swiftness and, dashing furiously against the
huge fragments of rock which have fallen from the mountain, makes
a roar which can be heard plainly in the camp. One of the brethren
fired off his rifle at the foot of the rock and the report resembled
much like that of a cannon. Others tumbled fragments of rocks from a
projection at the entrance about 150 feet high, which made a very loud
rumbling sound caused by the echoes. The scenery is one of romantic
grandeur and it seems wonderful how the river could ever find a channel
through such a mass of heavy, solid rock. The view from this evening's
encampment over the surrounding country is sublime. To the east, south,
and southwest the Sweet Water mountains tower high and appear spotted
with snow; and about twenty to thirty miles distance from the river to
the west are also hills and ridges interspersed as far as the eye can
reach, except the land immediately on the river which appears even for
many miles. These high, barren, rocky ridges on the north side of the
river seem to continue for many miles.