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concluded we would stop here until Monday, & let our animals recruit? built me a house of willow boughs to shield from sun & rain = saw here a good many sage hens = ducks etc & some water snakes,, found a indian jug made of willow twigs coated with pitch to make it tight, Sunday 2nd in camp Monday 3rd started very early & struck the main emigrant after about 4 miles travel, saw from the clouds of dust where it was before we reached it = the many waggons & teams passing had pulverized the dry soil & the wind had blown it out of the track so that the road in some places was worn 2 feet deep in the earth = & the grass along the road ^ was gnawed down into the very ground by the starving animals, & this & the bushes were covered with a thick coating of dust,, travelled fast to hurry over the poor feed as fast as possible crossed the river to noon = poor feed = travelled about 30 miles & crossed the river again in hopes of finding better feed = but was disappointed = on guard from 2 1/2 to 5 oclock = Sept 4th started early = passed many emigrants = Families = & single = Women on horseback & on foot as well as children = passed some Mormons on their homeward way from California they gave us encouraging news = gold plenty = also provisions = they say the grass is poor ahead = & that most of the cattle must starve = we hundreds or thousands (would be better) have done already = we see dead animals = Horses & cattle = lying all day along the road = where they have given out & died & flocks of ravens upon & over them = it is a sickening sight = stopped a short time to noon & in the afternoon travelled over the mountains about 20 miles found Springs near the centre of the distance, but grass all eat off near them = camped late at night = twp of our company did not reach camp Mr Horn & Nichols = 5th started early = after travelling about 8 miles found tolerable grass & stopped to let our animals feed = after starting came across Mr Nichol = Mr Horn & Mr Baldwin & Howard = fellow voyageurs camped late & found fair feed as they valley here was quite wide