day we were brought
to a sudden stop by a patch of dense woodland which it took a whole
day's chopping to open up enough for our wagons to pass through. From
there we chopped and pushed our way through what seemed an impassable
wilderness of high peaks and rock-bound canons, and then faced a great
rough gulch. Believing it would lead out to the valley, our men again
set to work vigorously, and for six long days they chopped until they
were almost exhausted. Then a new party of emigrants caught up with us
and, aided by three fresh men, the eight-mile road through the gulch
was finished. It did not lead to the opening we had expected, but
into a pretty mountain dell, but we were happy, because we found the
searchers there with Mr. Stanton and Mr. Pike. They reported that we
must go back on the newly made road and cross a more distant range of
mountains in order to strike the trail to the valley. That was a
moment of terror, even to the most courageous of our valiant band, but
everyone forced a smile and a cheerful word as we started to retrace
our way. We had five days more of traveling and road-making, and
climbed a mountain so steep that six yoke of oxen had to pull each
wagon up the steep ascent. Then we crossed the river flowing from Utah
Lake to Great Salt Lake and at last found the trail of the Hastings
party, thirty days after we set out for the point we had expected to
reach in ten or twelve days.

"While we rested we took an inventory of our provisions, and found the
supply was not sufficient to last until we should reach California.
Here was a predicament! Mr. Donner called for volunteers to ride ahead
on horseback to Sutter's Fort, to tell of our sorry plight and ask
Captain Sutter to send back provisions by them for us, as we traveled
toward them. Mr. Stanton and Mr. McCutchen said they would go to the
fort, and rode away on their errand of mercy.

"Our wagons, meanwhile, wound their slow way along, far behind the
horsemen, who were soon out of our sight, and two days later we found
a lovely green valley where there were twenty wells of clear,
sparkling water to cool our parched throats, which were only used to
the alkaline pools from which we had been obliged to drink. Close
beside the largest well we found a rough board, stuck in the ground
with strips of white paper pinned to it, and around the board pieces
of the paper were strewn on the turf, as if they had been torn off the
board. 'There has been some