"Last night the Indians come and stole a poney from the train. Drove 12 m. 30th. Come 8 m. over verrry bad roads. We are now fairley on the desert of poor feed for 150 miles & feeding flour. Come 7 miles this afternoon. Here our Capt. Wm. Jack resigned and after a good deal of talk and jaw Mr. Wm. Carseley was elected. This afternoon two of our boys tried to come down the river on a waggon box and got wrecked & had to swim ashore. One of them lost his pants. [Next day] Drove 14 m. Passed large sand mounds {Bruneau Sand Dunes} to our left. Here Hull's division left us. So hot that we could not drive till late in the evening."

BLM Series #2, pg. 63

Bruneau Sand Dunes, 1999

"In 1862 over 1,000 people camped out on the south side of the river waiting to go further west in groups—safety in numbers. We were curious as to whether emigrants would divert off the path to be 'tourists,' taking in a natural wonder. If there was not a known source for food and water, they may not have chosen to leave the trail but only take the Dunes in from a distance."

Bruneau Sand Dunes, 1999