May 27: "fine through the day...in the evening thunder storms [ ] distance traveled 12 1/2 miles"
May 28: "damp [ ] drisly [ ] traveled 11 1/2
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Chimney Rock can now be easily seen in the southeast. It was a pleasant sight to the pioneers.
This photo above belongs to O. Ned Eddins from his website Mountains of Stone. Scotts Bluff was another landmark the emigrants they looked for. The photo below was taken at the top of Scotts Bluff looking out across the land today that the pioneers are traveling through. I like to think it looked then just like it does today in Nebraska.
William Clayton:
"Thursday 27 The morning very fine [ ] we have seen a number of romantic spots on our journey, but I considerer our view this morning more sublime than any other. Chimney rock lays S.E. oposite detached bluffs of various shapes and sizes [ ] to the S.W. Scotts Bluffs look majestic and sublime [ ] the prarie over which our route lays very level and green as far as we can see [ ] bluffs on the north low about 3 miles distant [ ] the scenery is truly delightful beyond imagination [ ] I have finished making Dr Richards map to Chimney Rock [ ] Pratt has measured the width of the river at this place by the sextant and found it to be exactly 792 Yards [ ] at 10 minutes to 8 we continued our route and travelled near the banks of the river till ¼ to 12 being 8 miles[ ] the route very good hard and good travelling although a little crooked [ ] Porter Rockwell has killed two antelope and Amasa Lyman one which were brought to the wagons & distributed.
There are some heavy thunder clouds in the South and West and a nice breeze from N.E. [ ] at 2 P.M. we continued our journey over the same kind of dry level prarie keeping not far distant from the banks of the river and making a straight road [ ]at the distance of 4-1/8 miles passed the meridian of the northern most peak of Scotts bluffs being 19¾ miles from the meridian of Chimney Rock [ ]these bluffs are very high steep and broken like many others resembling ancient ruins [ ] they are probably 2 miles from North to South extremity, but not very wide [ ] we travelled till a quarter to 5 and formed our encampment in a circle near the banks of the river which from this place seems to bend for some distance to the North having travelled this afternoon 5¾ miles and during the day 13¾ mostly N.W. [ ] Er Kimball and Woodruff pointed out the road this forenoon P.M. [ ] Er Kimball rode with me in Johnsons wagon while I read some of his journal to him [ ] the evening is very cold wind N.E. and rains some [ ] feed is good and the Camp generally well [ ] another antelope was brought in by the hunters"
