it seems to me the face of the country was broken and in many places rocky. There were also some scrubby trees, probably red cedars and hard pine of stunted growth, among the rocks. From Soda Springs to Fort Hall I can recall nothing.
At Fort Hall we were probably in camp a day or two. Captain Grant was in command at the fort. It was a Hudson Bay trading post, and a resort for trappers, mountain men, Indians of probably the Shoshone or Snake tribes, and other Indians. The fort was built of sun-dried bricks, "adobe." The walls were solid on the outside except for portholes and a gate or two. There was a square court inside, and the houses opened facing this square on the four sides. I visited the people in the fort with mother and other folks, and found women and children living there. They were very kind and sociable. I think the women living there were Indians or mixed bloods. I noticed some very pretty moccasins and other garments of deer and antelope skin, tanned and dressed. The garments were ornamented with needle work, beads, and porcupine quills, of different colors, the moccasins having red and blue colored instep pieces. Those women wore bracelets of gold or brass on their wrists, broad rings of gold or brass on their fingers, and a profusion of bright colored, mostly red, ribbons on their garments. Those bright colors I thought were in beautiful contrast with the brown skin and glossy black hair of the women. Between the visitors and these women and children conversation was very difficult, but by the use of signs and a few words, all parties managed to make themselves agreeable.
There had been no wagons beyond this fort, and I think it was the opinion of the people here that it would not be practicable to take them further; that we had better leave the wagons and resort to pack animals, but the emigrants, after a thorough investigation of the subject, determined to move on with the wagons.
Though there was no scarcity of wild game, there was a very large and fat ox slaughtered here by the emigrants. I don't know whether they had bought the ox of the people of the fort, or whether the people had made us a. present of him. But he was slaughtered, about one hundred yards from camp, and during the afternoon, we boys were at the place where
