OCR Text |
Show 120 SALT LAKE QHT- r » IVDIAH TRADING PARTY. 1 CHAPTER VII. k 7 , - TERMINATION Of TBI FEELIVWORK O* 1849- A 1TINTKR AMONGN TIM ~- . MORMONS.* UPON my arrival at Salt Lake City, I found that the camp, under Lieutenant Gunnison, wi| s then about sixty miles to the southward, upon Utah Lake. , I accordingly joined him as soon as possible* The work, during my absence, had been carried forward by that officer with energy, industry, and judgment. > - . . I hacl hoped, from the representations which had been made to me of the mildness of the two previous winteip, that we should be able to keep the field the greater part, if not the whole of tho season j but, Jn the latter part . of November, the'winter set- in with grfeat and tin* usual severity, accompanied by ( Jeep snows* whSoh rendered afljr farther prosecution of the work impracticable. I was therefore com* • pelted to break up xnf camp, and to seek for winter quarters in the ^ city. These. wero not obtained without some difficulty, as the tide of emigration had. been so great that houses were very scaree, and not a small portion of the inhabitants, amonjr whom was the president himself, were forced to lodge portions. of their families in toagoni: Upon terminating the field- work for' the B6ason, I despatched three taeh, oho of whom was my guide and interpreter, with a small invoice of goods,- to trade for houses ftmong the Uintah Utahs, with directions to await my orderti at Fort . Bridger.' Beports afterward reached us that a bloody fight had taken place between, tire. - Sioux and the Yampah Utahs, which latter tribe reside in the vicinity of the Uintahs,. and great fears were entertained that the little party had been cut off by pne or the other of the contending tribes. Such a calamity, aside from the loss of life, wouldt have been- of serious consequence to • the expedition, as the horsfes I ex* pected to obtain weite almost indispensable to the return of the party to the States, tW number of dur animals having been njuch diminished by death and robbery. " It may acr well be mentioned here, that the. party thus despatched subsequently joined me m the spring, as soon as the melting of the snows rendered communication with Fort Bridger prac- |