A Forty-niner in Utah with the Stansbury Exploration of Great Salt Lake: Letters and Jounral of John Hudson, 1848-50

Forty-niner in Utah, page 120

Exploring Great Salt Lake led his expedition across the head of the lake and almost before realizing it was launched on the journey across the desert plain. With the keg and the India rubber bags filled with fresh water, the captain started on the dangerous journey on the morning of Octo- ber 27. At the end of the first day no water was found, and the mules had to go without until the next day at noon when they were given a pint apiece. Observing this Sabbath by struggling on until late at night toward the western border of the old lake, Stans- bury left early the next morning "as we had very little to detain us." By two o'clock in the afternoon the thirsty animals and men reached some "excellent cold running water" at the base of the ridge leading to Pilot Peak, after sixty hours without water for the mules. "Being completely done over," Stansbury decided to rest the mules for three days before attempting the seventy-mile crossing of the salt desert leading back to the south edge of the Great Salt Lake. Their camp was located at Pilot Springs near the spot where Fremont had bivouacked on his way to California in 1845 and the Donner Party had taken refuge in 1846." Guided by Auguste Archambeault who had been with the Fre- mont party, Stansbury loaded the mules with water and "as much grass as the mules could carry" and started across the salt flats toward "Mormon City" following Hastings Cutoff. After an all- day trek and several hours of travel by moonlight, the tired party stopped at midnight for a few hours' rest having passed during the nigh t "4 wagons & one cart, with innumerable articles of clothing, tool chests, trunks, books & yokes, chairs, & some half dozen dead oxen ."I6 A half hour after sunrise the adventurers were on the march again attired against the intense cold in "Great coats leggings & all appliances men put in req [in requisition] to keep in the animal heat." With only a single meal during the day of coffee, cold bread, and meat, they reached the western edge of the Cedar is Ibid., 25-29 October. I6 The spring in Skull Valley mentioned by Stansbury is present Iosepa on the Deseret Livestock Ranch. It was at this spring that the Donner Party, in 1846, revived their oxen and cut hay in preparation for the difficult crossing of the Salt Flats to Pilot Springs. The abandoned wagons and other paraphernalia observed by this group could have been the remnants of the wagons and other items discarded by the Donners when they became mired in the mud of the salt desert. 120