Indeed, it seems to be a pleasure to them to seek the most rugged and frightful situations, doubtless from the feeling of security."

On the 22nd of June, Captain Bonneville negotiated the passage of the big gap in the mountain, experiencing considerable difficulty. Thus were wagons taken over this road for the first time in history, and the gateway between the mountains and the plain on the south side of the river opened -- a gateway through which has since poured enough people to populate an empire.

Before evening of this eventful day they had reached the upper part of Mitchell valley, and the following day crossed Horse creek about the hour of noon.

In the evening of the 23rd they went into camp on a small, but pretty meadow near the present state line. As they were lighting their campfires for preparation for their evening meal, they were startled by seeing an elkskin craft bearing four Indians shoot silently into the stream from the overhanging cottonwoods upon the north shore, and rapidly approach the camp.

They proved to be the deputation of Nez Perce Indians (meaning pierced nosed Indians) which had been sent from their nation over on the Columbia to the White Fathers of the east, to learn of the White Man's Book and the Great Spirit of the White People.

Bonneville remarked they were far from their native habitat, and while they had previously met the wagons of Sublette they were greatly impressed with "wigwams on wheels," and the "long horned buffalo."