Show letter from elder john D lee for the deseret news MB ma on the ath of nov I 1 safely reached the city of carowan parowan Pa Par rowan orwan without the loster an ani animal or i file break 0 of a wagon in the whole company we then cheerfully went to work with all our might t to arrange our oar affairs and situate our families in this city that according to counsel counselee couns elwe we might leave them comfortably while we would i go and select a site and build a fort for ow our defence the brethren that joined our company irr in iron county sold out their improvements prove ments in full faith of helping to form another settlement south of the waters of the santa clara and rio vi virgin HV uthe seventy of the weather and failure of the mill caused a detention of three weeks the most moat of our wagons were loaded and ready for a start when I 1 received a letter from prest B young advising us to tarry till another season and thereby strengthen the settlements already planted the policy was doubtless good however revolting the disappointment may have been to my beelin feelings ge 1 and past ex experience admonished me that to hearken was better than an to sacrifice atie afie kenyons were now blockaded with snow and and ice which rendered the pass to the timber and poles dacula difficult if accessible at all for wagons under these considerations I 1 felt justified to spend a few days in explore exploring ing i the country believing that the fhe time th thus us occupied would world be more conducive to the spread of the cause of zion in the mountains ains than to sit by the fi fireside resides reading or otherwise passing off the time of an inclement season consequently I 1 set out on the ath day of january 1852 in company with C duncan J steele C ir Y webb L gwm win barton J and miles iles anderson B jones Z judd R IL gillespie dil galespie GU lespie and J H dunton making in all 12 men 4 wagons 13 horses and 15 days provisions the company was organized and I 1 was voted to be then their captain about 2 pm we took up our line of march on reaching coal creek we found ourselves orits elves approaching pro aching achini a milder atmosphere the ground was bare and but gle attle frozen at this point is a flourishing flouri shine settlement forming the company that but a few weeks ago came here have made astonishing progress in the formation of their new but pleasant settlement six miles further brought bt us to shirts creek 3 feet mid and I 1 theeo stream runs S W and at mare es itself into a small lake of alt water to it 0 or er 1 r whdeh h point bro peter shirts has baa t W tad CON tra ra lt manufacturing salt an article not interior inferior t athe I 1 blown we now entered a valley I 1 leading south k about t 2 miles in width and some 15 in length ct completely elt clothed thed with the most meet choice rich grass is for fuel in HI abundance oo on the no mountain moua tain a SS alces the soil is extremely rich and well adapted a for stock raising to summit creek miles stress stream 5 6 feet wide one foot deep we are now BOW at the rim of the basin the waters here run to the south to the black mounds springs 3 miles the road will probably run ran by thew these springs to ysmall a small creek on the east side ode of the valley 3 miles to N F of ash creek 6 miles stream abbat 12 feet widen wide 1 11 12 1 2 deep swift current and rocky bottom we are now at the lower end of this I 1 aabey vall ey ae country for the next 15 miles appears forbidding being a low range of rocky broken mountains covered with brush and service bushes bushes hence the wa tellof this stream cannot be used to much advantage for the purpose of i irrigation i ti 0 n there being but little land along its banks sn suitable ui 1 e for fanning farmIng aw I 1 to ash creek 8 miles stream 15 5 feet wide 2 deep bottom narrow yet it has abundance of ex excellent celent white ash timber on it also large bodies of millstone mill stone grit which upon examination proved to be of a first rate quality to the S end of the marsach mountains 4 miles here we have a full view of the colorado mountains and the low broken sand mounds that intervene between we here left our oar wagons and on foot and horseback traveled down ash creek over sand hills the distance of 12 miles which brong brought lit us near its junction with the Lev earskin river so called by the spaniards a stream about as large again as ash creek some cottonwood and ash timber alon along it the hanks banks of these two streams are in some som places caces 1 near feet high perpendicular rocks being unable to cross this stream we ascended one of these mounds from which we discovered a stream running a S W direction which we supposed to be the rio V virgin cluied 1 and from the shape of the country we con coa eluded that we could take our wagons to it feb ad day though in temperature more like may to the gm grapevines devines springs 5 miles these sprino springs boil up at the foot of a large large sand mound and moisten about one acre of land which is completely hk i ter locked with vines good place to c camp to the rio virgin river 5 miles mostly over yellow land this stream is about 2 rods wide and 3 feet beet deep narrow bottom shut in on both sides with low mountains I 1 here left half of the company with the wagons and 10 of our animals in charge of C duncan while 1 I with the remaining remain niner inz 6 men and 3 horses descended this stream to the california road to otter creek 3 miles stream 13 feet wide I 1 deep abundance of otter and beaver beave r along these streams as we descended this stream the bottom continued to widen out and the amount of timber increases affording land and other facilities sufficient in in many places to warrant small settlements one of which contained about acres of splendid ud land and completely enclosed on three sides with a low range of mountains of excellent building stone a a great portion vf of which is already quarried at the di distance of 15 ind miles es from camp we found ourselves in one of the most pleasant lovely vallies that the ford it is about 5 miles in diameter amater di the soil is of a lively alluvial nature and of a dark chocolate color and easily irrigated banks of the stream low the climate is is of a mild temperature the sun here 7 rises i e s without being hid bid behind the mountains so that its zif morning ignored and evening smiles are fully appreciated by ae favored vegetation of this valley feb ad the grapevines and cottonwood are almost leaved out the dock and other early herbs are in bloom in fact the last years crops of weeds were not yet killed by the frost save the tops and some of at the tender branches the main stocks were again leaved out this valley lies rolling to the south with occasional b springs ahm of pure re wa water te r breaking out at the dist dia tance 0 of from 1 i atol 2 to 1 m mile i I 1 e from the river converting that portion of the valley into a rich meadow and vineyard for the distance of 5 miles through which passes a clear bold running stream of about 13 feet in width and 18 inches deep two miles over a small ranze range of mountains brought us in f full all view of the santa clara country and valley this valley is about the same magnitude of the one already described the soil is equally as good and climate as pleasant the beautiful springs grapevines and meadows not excepted the santa clara river is i 1 rod wide and 20 inches pure clear wh water rich bottoms though narrow and heavily timbered for the distance of 30 miles on this stream we saw about acres of land that had been cultivated by the cintes indians principally bally in in corn and squashes and judging from the e s stocks toc s the conclusion would be that heavy crops are and can be raised in these vallies this tribe is numerous and have quite an idea of husbandry through taft day we saw 3 of the KT IT aives wha appeared fg and fled at our approach I 1 called to them in their tongue and told them that wv wp were their friends and would not hurt thern them we gave them some bread and told them ta pilot ug to their beup capital but fearing that 6 men might slay the nation ion they took us to some 2 miles above their settlement where we ind in council with 13 of ct their braves who after an understanding der standing 11 of our business received us as friendly and expressed a desire t to to have us settle among them and be tue gee that iq i very friendly we con 1 shered ives and animals much safer to encamp openly mong among them than to have tried to hide from them em for f fey knew that strangers 11 were i in their ei country from here we traveled up this stream to the california road distance 30 miles then traveled south along this road to the rio virgin agin which was about 30 miles blow the mouth of the santa clara river river we then ascended this river thin thinking kinz that peradventure a route foute might be found for a road from this point to parowan carowan by way of the santa date cle and rio virgin vallies but in this we were defeated this ahrer fl runs through perpendicular rocks some feet sigh b for the distance of about 12 miles in croggin crossing this chhin of mountains the horsemen followed walkers falkers pass pasq a dangerous and difficult route bros webb barton and myself ascended one of the highest peaks to overlook the country It thinking binkinz that we could easily strike the indian trail and thereby shorten the travel but adt this speculation caused me one days hard traveling without refreshment besides wading this river river waist deep some 10 or 12 times bros webb ebb and barton were out three days without food two days of which it rained incessantly when night niem came on we laid down on the wet sand and would sleep comfortably without taking injury f orn om exposure altere there is i but little timber or tillable land below the mouth of the santa clara the indians told us that some 15 miles south of walkers pass a wagon route can he be had which I 1 think is quite probable from the lay of the country from parowan carowan to the santa clara valley is about 75 miles and with about days labor a good wagon road can be made and the longest drive between teed feed and water after leaving g coal coa creek will be 8 miles I 1 will here say in behalf of the company that they to a man were highly delighted with the climate and country the natives say that snow does not lie on OB th the e aroun ground d in in these vallies feb we reached reach pd home in good health and fine spirits after a tour of 15 days the kenyons are still blocked up with sno wand should the weather moderate soon I 1 expect to take another tour west in company with bro john L smith thus you see that I 1 have not been idle neither do I 1 ever expect to be so long on as I 1 have faith and abilities to be employed in the tuil building ding up tip of the king kingdom doin of god on the euth in these last days daya with grateful ferlinc rs I 1 subscribe myself your brother and friend in the struggles es for freedom and peace JOHN D LEE PAROWAN iron co feb |