82 ELDORADO 



composed of 143 men, entered the valley July 24, which 

 Brigham said he had seen in his vision. Then the 

 leader and part of his followers went back after anoth- 

 er company of emigrants. 



This time they brought fifteen hundred of both sexes 

 and all ages. There was praying and singing every 

 evening, and Sundays were devoted to fasting and 

 praver. They wrote messages to those who were to 

 follow and placed them in the end of split sticks, or 

 penciled directions upon bleached bufifalo bones by the 

 wayside. In our overland trip we followed their ex- 

 ample. Useful instruction in that way was often given 

 to those in the rear, also cheering messages that were 

 greatly prized. 



Much proselyting had been done by Mormon mis- 

 sionaries in foreign countries, with the result that thou- 

 sands of ignorant foreigners arrived, anxious to reach 

 the new "Zion," but without any knowledge of the aw- 

 ful dangers of the journey. Many had no teams or 

 wagons, but putting all their earthly possessions in 

 hand carts started on their long perilous journey. And 

 what was stranger still, mothers actually walked from 

 the Missouri river over the plains and mountains carry- 

 ing nursing infants in their arms. Little children 

 trudged along, weak and faint from hunger. Sickness 

 thinned their ranks, winter came upon them, and they 

 were onlv saved bv the timely arrival of help from 

 those who had preceded them. Thev had left a trail 

 easilv followed bv the graves of the fallen : but tliere 

 were enough left to found a commonwealth. Thev 

 found a waste of sage brush and sand, and chanp-ed it 

 to fields of waving grain, fruit and flowers. Thev took 

 a barren, sterile country, inhabited only by savage In- 



