Late in the autumn of 1857, a company came through on the way to
California, bringing a letter from President Young, directing Hamblin to
act as guide to California. On his way to join the train, Hamblin found a
naked man in the hands of the Paiutes, who were preparing "to have a good
time with him," that is, "they intended to take him to their camp and
torture him." He saved the man's life and secured the return of his
clothing. As the caravan neared the Muddy, news came of another Indian
attack. Hamblin rode ahead and joined the Indians. He later wrote, "I
called them together and sat down and smoked a little tobacco with them,
which I had brought along for that purpose." Apparently there was a good
deal of native diplomacy in the negotiations. There were some promises
of blankets and shirts and finally there was agreement to let the
travelers proceed.
[Illustration: JACOB HAMBLIN "Apostle to the Lamanites"]
[Illustration: CHURCH PRESIDENTS
Brigham Young--above; Lorenzo Snow--above; John Taylor--above
Wilford Woodruff--below; Joseph Smith, the Prophet--center
Heber J. Grant--below; Joseph F. Smith--below]
Incidentally, they were met by Ira Hatch and Dudley Leavitt, on their
return from a mission to the Mohave Indians. The Mohaves, careless of the
Gospel privileges afforded, held a council over the Mormon missionaries
and decided that they should die. Hatch thereupon knelt down among the
savages and "asked the Lord to soften their hearts, that they might not
shed further blood." The prayer was repeated to the Mohaves by a Paiute
interpreter. "The heart of the chief was softened" and before dawn the
next morning he set the two men afoot on the desert and directed them to
Las Vegas Springs, eighty miles distant. Their food on the journey was
mesquite bread, "made by pounding the seeds of the mesquite fruits in the
valley."
Hamblin at all times was very careful in his dealings with the Indians.
At an early date he might have killed one of them, but his gun missed
fire, a circumstance for which he later repeatedly praised the Lord.
Probably his greatest influence came through his absolute fearlessness.
He was firmly convinced that he was in the Lord's keeping and that his
time would not come till his mission had been accomplished.
Without doubt, Hamblin's course was largely sustained by a letter
received by him March 5, 1858, from President Brigham Young, in which he
prophesied that "the day of Indian redemption draws nigh," and continued,
"you should always be careful to impress upon them that they should not
infringe upon the rights of others; and our brethren should be very
careful not to infringe upon their rights, thus cultivating honor and
good principles in their midst by example, as well as precept."
In the spring of 1857, Hamblin and Dudley Leavitt, at a point 35 miles
west of Las Vegas, smelted some lead ore, Hamblin having some knowledge
of the proper processes. The lead later was left on the desert. The
wagons were needed to haul iron, remnants of old emigrant wagons that
had been abandoned on the San Bernardino road.