October, 1847. From there many went right on to Winter Quarters to their
families.

A number of the Battalion men remained in California to earn a little
money. Some got work with a Captain Sutter who had a large ranch on the
American fork of the Sacramento river. The "Mormons" with some others were
set to work building a mill, and it was here while digging in the mill race
that gold was discovered in California. Some of the brethren carried away a
few hundred dollars' worth when they went to Salt Lake Valley the next
summer.

Topics.--1. The call for the Mormon Battalion. 2. Its march. 3. Discovery
of Gold.

Questions and Review.--1. Who was Captain James Allen? 2. What did he
want of the "Mormons?" 3. What was the Battalion wanted for? 4. What did
President Young say? 5. What did many of the Saints think of the call? 6.
Why was it a hardship on the Saints at that time to furnish five hundred
soldiers? 7. Describe the line of march of the Battalion. 8. How long did
it take them? 9. How far was it? 10. What kind of journey was it? 11. What
did Colonel Cooke say about it? 12. What did the Battalion men do in
California? 13. What happened at Nauvoo in the summer of 1846, when the
Battalion was on the march?

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE PIONEERS.

While the Saints were in Winter Quarters during the winter of 1846-7 they
were busily preparing for the march to the mountains next spring. Men for
the advance company were selected, and on April 7, 1847, they began to move
out of Winter Quarters to a place westward, where they were to gather. Ten
days later the first or pioneer camp, was ready for marching. The idea was
to have twelve times twelve men, but one became sick and had to return, so
that left one hundred and forty-three. There were besides the men three
women and two children. They had seventy-two wagons, ninety-three horses,
fifty-two mules, sixty-six oxen, nineteen cows, seventeen dogs, and some
chickens.

For three months and seventeen days this company traveled westward over
plains and mountains. During the first part of their journey they sometimes
followed a wagon road to Oregon, and sometimes they made new roads. The
shallow rivers they forded, the deep ones they built bridges over, and the
large ones they crossed in ferry boats which they built. After these
ferries had been built the pioneers sometimes took over companies on their
way to Oregon and received provisions for their pay.

[Illustration: MA