"the morning beautiful [ ] about noon the wind began to blow cold from the north [ ] this night we camped in the open prairie without wood or water"
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William Clayton's journal:
"Friday 30 Arose at half past 5. Morning cool and pleasant. The teams have filled themselves with rushes [] Started at 20 minutes to 8 and soon after the Camp started I started ahead on foot and have travelled about 5 miles. The prairie level and green with grass [ ] we travel on the first bench about ¾ of a mile north of the timber on Grand Island [ ] there are many wild geese on the prarie, also buffallo dung but none very recent [ ] there are immense patches of blue grass which from appearances the buffallo are fond of [ ] there is also numerous patches of buffallo grass which is very short thick on the ground and curly like the hair on a buffalo’s hide and much resembles it only in color. About a mile from where we camped last night, we passed a place where the Indians have camped no doubt during their hunt [ ] they must have been very numerous for their camp has covered a number of acres of ground [ ] Prest. Young & Kimball and A. Lyman are gone ahead on horse back to look out the road [ ] we have thus far followed the Indian trail but it is now so grown over and so old it is scarce discernable [ ] the wind blows strong from the North and the dust is very bad the atmosphere is dull and cloudy our course to day has been about West. At a quarter to 12 we stopped to feed beside a small creek of clear good water having travelled about 8 miles[ ] the grass along this creek is long and plentiful [ ] we are about half a mile from Grand Island."
