BY PRESIDENT JOHN TAYLOR.

SURROUNDED BY INDIANS—PREPARE FOR AN ATTACK—SIGN OF PEACE—A LETTER—PIPE OF PEACE—THREE OF US ACCOMPANY THE INDIANS TO THEIR CAMP—CHAGRIN AT THE REPULSE—ROAD SWEPT CLEAR OF SNOW—MISSOURI RIVER FROZEN OVER—WE CROSS ON THE ICE, WHICH BREAKS AS THE LAST WAGON LEAVES IT.

In the latter part of October, 1849, a number of missionaries started from Salt Lake Valley to go to the States, among whom were several of the Twelve, who were going to introduce the gospel to foreign lands. Elder Erastus Snow was appointed to Denmark, Lorenzo Snow to Italy, myself, in company with John Pack and Curtis E. Bolton, to France, and Franklin D. Richards to England. We were accompanied to the States by Elder Jedediah M. Grant, Bishops Edward Hunter, A. O. Smooth, Edwin D. Woolley, Joseph Heywood and a number of other Elders and brethren. Several merchants also accompanied the expedition.

While journeying, we had a variety of singular adventures, and experienced some remarkable interpositions of providence during the trip, some of which I will relate.

When we arrived at a point some distance west of Laramie, as we turned out our horses, at noon, suddenly a large body of Indians, amounting in number to a hundred or a hundred and fifty, appeared in sight.

They were evidently on the lookout for a body of Crows, a hostile tribe of Indians, who had hovered around us for some time on our journey.

As they first came in sight they swept along with all the abandon of the red man, and their appearance was really very imposing. They were perhaps a mile from us when we first saw them.

I was very much interested in their appearance, as they came dashing down upon us on their fiery steeds, in warlike costume.

The manes and tails of their horses were painted various colors; and the Indians themselves, painted and arrayed in their richest and gayest styles, prepared for war, presented a magnificent aspect.

But our personal safety soon led us to other reflections.

While a part of the company immediately gathered up the horses, another part attended to our firearms; and before the Indians reached us, we had formed a line for defense, with our guns and pistols all prepared for anything that might transpire.

The Indians rode to within about two rods of us, and then made a halt; and as we had our guns leveled at them, they immediately assumed a hostile attitude. Some of them having flint-lock guns, commenced pecking their flints and making ready for firing, and others wet their finger ends and placed their arrows in their bows, preparatory to an encounter.

While thus engaged on both sides, waiting for anything that might transpire, a fat, jolly-looking Indian came lumbering up on horseback, not having been able to keep pace with his more youthful companions. He held up both hands, and, as I understood this was a sign of peace, and that he evidently desired to avoid any collision, I went out to meet him. He then produced a paper, which stated that these Indians were peaceable and friendly. It was signed by a Major Sanderson, who was then commanding at Fort Laramie.

Although their attitude did not bespeak the most pacific intentions, we, of course, received the statement with as good a grace as possible.

While waiting, several Indians attempted to pass us on the flank. When he saw this, Brother Grant, who had assumed command of the company for the time being, ordered a number of men to level their guns at them, which caused them to remain.

As we could not talk with them nor they to us, and as no interpreters were present, we had to judge by signs as best we could.

They pointed out to us several sentinels placed on the tops of mountains in different directions, and intimated by signs that they wanted these men to go to them, so we permitted them to pass.

The chief then touched his mouth or tongue, and we supposed that they desired something to eat. I made a motion for the chief to move his men back, which he did. They sat down and we furnished them with beef, crackers, tobacco, etc.; but we found that they were not hungry, and that they were anxious to talk with us.

We smoked the pipe of peace with them, and then harnessed our horses and prepared to start, when they formed a line on each side of us; each of our men, as a precautionary measure, taking his gun in his hand as he drove his team.

The chief expressed a desire to have some of us go to his camp, which, he informed us by signs, was not far off. Lorenzo Snow, Bishop Hunter and I accompanied him, and our train moved on its course.

The camp, which was about three miles from our own encampment, we found to be very large. The Indians were very well-formed, athletic men, and good specimens of their race. There were a great many respectable-looking lodges, and I should suppose about three thousand horses grazing about.

When we met them the chief seemed somewhat chagrined, and we thought that the repulse of his men by us was the cause.

There was a Frenchman at the camp, who acted as interpreter during our interview. In our conversation the chief asked us why we had assumed a warlike attitude towards his people.

We told him that we were not acquainted with them, and thought it best to be prepared. We did not know but that they were some of the Crows, who had been hovering around us.

They were anxious to know about the Crows, having heard that they were going to steal some horses from them. After a short and pleasant interview, we left and joined our camp.

That night we put out a strong guard around our horses, and the same night the Crows stole a good many horses from these Indians, as well as the horses of some trappers who were in the immediate vicinity; but ours were not molested.

On reaching Fort Laramie we were very courteously received and kindly treated by Major Sanderson.

As it was late in the fall, the snow began to descend and the whole country was covered to about twelve inches in depth.

Immediately after we crossed the south fork of the Platte River we met with a very remarkable circumstance which we were led to look upon as a providential occurrence and the interposition of the Almighty in our behalf. Along the road that we traveled all the way from there to Fort Kearney, the snow had been blown from the road the entire distance, as if swept by a broom, leaving a clear track for us to travel upon.

It was very difficult to find nutritious food for our animals, the grass having been killed by the frost, and before we reached the Missouri River many of them failed and a number died.

The very last day before we arrived, we encountered a very severe snow storm, which made it extremely difficult for the animals to move, and many of them gave out. After much difficulty we arrived at an old deserted fort, on the Missouri River, parties bringing in the wearied animals as best they could.

Although an old deserted log house, with large openings between the logs, and without windows and doors, was the only shelter afforded us, I am not aware of any time in my life when I experienced a greater sense of providential interposition and relief than I did with that temporary refuge from the storm.

We stayed there the next day and found a family, in the immediate vicinity who cooked and provided for us. We found that the ice was running very strong in the Missouri River, and that it was impossible to ferry across.

The succeeding was one of the most severely cold nights I ever experienced, and in the morning some of our party went down to the river and found that the floating ice had lodged and formed a bridge across.

A company was selected to see if it was safe, and they returned and stated that they thought the ice, though very thin, would bear us.

We immediately made preparations to cross the river, and, although it was very rough, we took our wagons over without much difficulty; but found that towards the last it began to be shaky and uncertain.

Mr. Kinkead, a merchant, who was along, having a lot of gold dust in his possession, was afraid his team would sink before he got over, and he carried it over on his shoulders, leaving his man to bring the team over as best he might.

After using all the energy we could to get our teams over, the last one had only just crossed the river when the ice gave way and floated down the stream, thus exhibiting another remarkable manifestation of the providence of God towards His Elders who were going forth on missions to proclaim the gospel of salvation to the nations of the earth.

Many people would be apt to look upon these things as natural occurrences; I ascribe them to the power of that Being who says the hairs of our heads are numbered, and that a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without our Father's notice.