| 187 enemy lurked ever near, ready to wreak vengeance upon the unwary.
"With hearty good will, trying to make the best of everything, the new colony, carried and landed safely by the old ship 'Brooklyn' from New York, began life and spread its influence, habits of industry and adornment of homes around them."
The year of landing, the colony began a settlement on the north bank of the Stanislaus River near its junction with the San Joaquin, which they called New Hope. Here they put in crops and prepared for the body of saints who were enroute overland, whom they evidently expected to come on to California. This is also evident from a letter written by Elder Brannan, January 1, 1847 from which we make the following extract:-
"Beloved Brethren.-Feeling sensible of the anxiety of your minds to become acquainted with the state of affairs in this country, induces me, at this late hour, to communicate to you this short and feeble epistle. Our passage from New York to this place was made in six months; since our arrival, the colony generally has enjoyed good health. In relation to the country and climate, we have not been disappointed in our expectations; but, like all other new countries, we found the accounts of it very much exaggerated; so much so, that we would recommend to all emigrants hereafter to provide themselves with thick clothing, instead of thin. There has been no arrival in the country this fall, from those coming by land; but we are anxiously waiting for them next season. They will in all probability winter on the head waters of the Platte, where they can subsist upon buffalo meat. We are now all busily engaged in putting in crops for them to subsist upon when they arrive: I said all, but I should have said all that love the brethren, for, about twenty males of our feeble number have gone astray after strange gods, serving their bellies and their own lusts, and refuse to assist in providing for the reception of their brethren by land. They will have their reward.
"We have commenced a settlement on the river San Joaquin, a large and beautiful stream emptying into the Bay
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