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Show 139 In addition, Young instructed Dame to "take loads of water & make deposits along, sending back wagons, as they emptied them," and "if he discovered_gold 4 to keep it a secret. He was also told to obtain twenty wagons and a four-mule team Tor each wagon. Each wagon was to be accompanied by two teamsters and a horseman.-> Wilford Woodruff, who was apparently present at the meeting, furnished Dame with three pints of 6ugar cane seed and some King Philip and white flint corn to be planted when a suitable location was discovered." Although Young used the phrase "in case of necessities" in his written instructions to Dame, the prophet was very anxious, at this point, about removing the Saints to the desert sanctuary that he was convinced existed somewhere to the southwest. Will jam H. Dame recalled in a conversation with John D. Lee, a few days after his meeting with Young, that the prophet had told him: "this is the 4th attempt & if you cant find the Place, I will go myself when I get to Parowan. "7 It is plain that Brigham Young was losing patience with the attempts being made to discover the oasis. The Saints were leaving their homes, and they had nowhere to settle! It should also be noted that Young had apparently given up the idea of using only old men and boys for the expedition. The expedition had become far more important than when it was first proposed six weeks before. With these instructions, and the urgency of the moment sufficiently impressed upon him, William H. Dame took the mail coach back to Parowan to begin the organisation of another expedition to the desert. He ar* rived at his home four days later. 8 As in the case of George W. Bean, Brigham Young made an excellent choice in the selection of William H. Dame, for this assignment. Young had considered sending Dame with the first companies to go in March, even remarking to George A. Smith his intention to do so.9 For some reason, however, Dame did not go. At the time, he had only recently returned from the Mojave with Amasa Lyman, |
