Morning fine with ice a quarter of an inch thick on the water pails.
Walked on the mountain east with President Young and Kimball, from
whence we had a pleasing view of the surrounding valley which is
about ten miles wide. Abundance of timber on the mountains south
and southwest and beyond that plenty of snow. After having prayers,
we again descended and at the foot discovered a very strong sulphur
spring. The surface of the water is covered with flour of sulphur and
where it oozes from the rocks is perfectly black. The water in the
creek shows sulphur very clearly and smells bad. During the day some of
the brethren discovered an oil spring about a mile south. The substance
which rises out of the ground resembles tar and is very oily. Some
have oiled their gun stocks with it and oiled their shoes, others have
gone to fill their tar buckets and are sanguine it will answer well to
grease wagons. It is somewhat singular to find such a great contrast
of substances within so short a distance. Here is pure water, sulphur,
and oily tar within a mile of each other, and matter of curiosity all
around for the contemplation of the curious. Porter, Brother Little
and others have been out with Goodyear to view the route he wishes us
to take. They represent it as being bad enough, but we are satisfied
it leads too far out of our course to be tempted to try it. There are
some in camp who are getting discouraged about the looks of the country
but thinking minds are not much disappointed, and we have no doubt of
finding a place where the Saints can live which is all we ought to
ask or expect. It is evident the country grows better as we proceed
west, and vegetation is more plentiful and looks richer. After dark, a
meeting was called to decide which of the two roads we shall take from
here. It was voted to take the right hand or northern road, but the
private feelings of all the twelve were that the other would be better.
But such matters are left to the choice of the camp so that none may
have room to murmur at the twelve hereafter.