The plain was thinly scattered with sage brush, and up near the base of the mountain some greasewood grew in little bunches like currant bushes.

The men with wagons decided they would take this canon and follow it up to try to get over the range, and not wait for me to go ahead and explore, as they said it took too much time and the provisions, consisting now of only ox meat were getting more precarious every day.  To help them all I could and if possible to be forewarned a little of danger, I shouldered my gun and pushed on ahead as fast as I could.  The bottom was of sharp broken rock, which would be very hard for the feet of the oxen, although we had rawhide moccasins for them for some time, and this was the kind of foot-gear I wore myself.  I walked on as rapidly as I could, and after a time came to where the canon spread out into a kind of basin enclosed on all sides but the entrance, with a wall of high, steep rock, possible to ascend on foot but which would apparently bar the further progress of the wagons, and I turned back utterly disappointed.  I got on an elevation where I could look over the country east and south, and it looked as if there was not a drop of water in its whole extent, and there was no snow on the dark mountains that stretched away to the southward and it seemed to me as if difficulties beset me on every hand.  I hurried back down the canon, but it was nearly dark before I met the wagons.  By a mishap I fell and broke the stock of my gun, over which I was very sorry, for it was an excellent one, the best I ever owned.  I carried it in two pieces to the camp and told them the way was barred, at which they could hardly endure their disappointment.  They turned in the morning, as the cattle had nothing to eat here and no water, and not much of any food since leaving the spring; they looked terribly bad, and the rough road coming up had nearly finished them.  They were yoked up and the wagons turned about for the return.  They went better down hill, but it was not long before one of Bennett’s oxen lay down, and could not be persuaded to rise again.  This was no place to tarry in the hot sun, so the ox was killed and the carcass distributed among the wagons.  So little draft was required that the remaining oxen took the wagon down.  When within two or three miles of the water hole one of Arcane’s oxen also failed and lay down, so they turned him out and when he had rested a little he came on again for a while, but soon lay down again.

Arcane took a bucket of water back from camp and after drinking it and resting awhile the ox was driven down to the spring.

This night we had another meeting to decide upon our course and determine what to do.  At this meeting no one was wiser than another, for no one had explored the country and knew what to expect.  The questions that now arose were “How long can we endure this work in this situation?  How long will our oxen be able to endure the great hardship on the small nourishment they receive?  How long can we provide ourselves with food?”