far West and adopted their manners and customs. Whenever he grew weary
of one nation he would go to another. To the Missionaries, he was
often very useful. He possessed the faculty of easily acquiring
languages and could readily translate most of the Bible into several
Indian dialects. His own conduct, however, was frequently in strange
contrast with the precepts of that Holy Book. He next turns up as a
hunter and trapper; when, in this capacity, he became more celebrated
for his wild and daring adventures than before he had been for his
mild precepts. By many of his companions, he was looked upon as a man
who was partially insane. Williams proved to be a perfect enigma and
terror to the Mexicans, who thought him possessed of an evil spirit.
He once settled for a short time in their midst and became a trader.
Soon after he had established himself, he had a quarrel with some of
his customers about his charges. He appeared to be instantly disgusted
with the Mexicans, for he threw his small stock of goods into the
street of the town where he lived, seized his rifle and started again
for the mountains. His knowledge of the country over which he had
wandered was very extensive; but, when Colonel Fremont put it to the
test, he came very near sacrificing his life to his guidance. This
was probably owing to the failing of Williams' intellect; for, when
he joined the Great Explorer, he was past the meridian of life. After
bequeathing his name to several mountains, rivers and passes which
were undoubtedly discovered by him, he was slain by the red men while
trading with them.]

[Footnote 15: Five years ago this settlement contained, about thirty
inhabitants, mostly Mexicans. It was frequently subjected to various
kinds of annoyances from Indians. On one occasion it was attacked by
the hostile Utahs and Apaches, who killed and carried off as prisoners
a total of sixteen settlers. Among the slain was a Canadian who fought
so skillfully and desperately before he was dispatched, that he killed
three of his assailants. When his body was found, it was literally
pierced through and through with lance and arrow wounds, while the
hand, with which he had caught hold of some of these weapons, was
nearly cut to pieces. Around his corpse, there were a dozen horses'
tails which had been cut from the horses which were owned by the dead
warriors, and left there, as a sign of mourning, by the Indians.]

On reaching the river, two of the party, M