it, of excellent character. and, as it is capable of being easily irrigated I doubt not it will prove very productive.

From the top of the divide between Timpanogos river and Silver cræk to White Clay creek, a distance of 24 miles.

The road descends northwardly from the top of the divide between the Timpanogos river and Silver creek, into the valley of the latter, with a fair grade, and in two miles reaches Silver creek, along which it continues 3 miles, until it intersects the old Parley's Park road from Salt Lake City. Here it becomes coincident with this road, and, leaving Silver creek, crosses, in an east of north direction, in six miles, the divide between Silver creek and Weber river, and, turning down the Weber, in 7 miles, leaves the Parley's Park road, crosses the Weber at a good ford, and, continuing down it, reaches, in 5 miles, the mouth of White Clay creek.

Silver creek takes its rise in the Wahsatch mountains, and, after running a north of east course some 15 or 20 miles, falls into the Weber river, 3 miles below where the road strikes the Weber. It is cañoned for 6 miles before entering the Weber, and in this distance is full of beaver dams, which, with the enclosing escarpments, prevents a wagon road being made through it. It is, however, prac ticable for pack animals, my party having passed through in this way. It is a beautiful, clear stream, of an average width of 10 feet, and one-half foot deep. Its bottom is of a clean silvery color, owing to the particles of quartz debris with which it is covered. Willows line the low banks, and, although the margin is rather soft, wagons can ford almost anywhere. The valley in which it flows is a shallow one, of a few hundred yards wide, but, covered as it is with luxuriant grass, and watered by a clear and beautifully flowing stream, it presents a pleasing prospect to the eye. The fuel for camps along it would be only the willow and wild sage, or artemisia. In a south of west direction, about five miles distant, is Snyder's saw-mill, situate on Snyder's creek, or, as Captain Stansbury calls it, Beauchemin's Fork. A considerable quantity of timber is transported from this mill to Salt Lake City, and a portion of it has been used in the building of Camp Floyd. The valleys of Snyder's creek and tributaries have a great deal of meadow land, and large quantities of hay are cut and cured upon it for the winter. I noticed herds of cattle and sheep grazing here. Last winter Mr. Harmon, who lives near Snyder's mill, says they had in the valley from two to three feet of snow; and when I passed through the valley the settlers were then cutting hay to provide for their animals during the severest portion of the winter. The mails, when in the winter they could not be carried over the Big mountain route on account of snow, have been carried over the Parley's Park and Weber route; and, in one or more instances, when the snow was such as to prevent the mail rider from getting over the divide between Silver creek and Weber river, he has successfully gone down the cañon of the former to the valley of the Weber.

Weber river discharges itself into Salt Lake, and has its sources in the Uinta mountains, from which it flows generally in a northwest direction. It is a rapid mountain trout stream, about 100 feet wide, 1 deep, and of rocky bottom. Commensurate with the location of the road along the river, a distance of 12 miles, the valley is from 1 to 2 miles wide, and is abundantly clothed with grass. Cottonwood lines the banks of the river, and cedar is to be seen very thickly sprinkling the side-hills. The soil of this valley is quite rich, and the land lies well for irrigation. It is a fine stock-grazing valley, fine meadows being seen all along it, and if not too cold, which is yet to be tested, will prove a good grain country. Already settlers are beginning to claim the land, and during the last summer there were persons harvesting hay upon it. The ground is good for a road through the whole section of it, and only requires causewaying at a single point, and that but for a very few yards.

From the mouth of White Clay creek to Bear river, a distance of thirty- . four and a half miles.

The road leaves the Weber at the mouth of White Clay creek, (Morin's Fork, according to Stansbury,) and turning up said creek in a direction north of east, in 30 miles reaches the top of the divide between it and the sources of Yellow creek; and in four miles further, in the same general direction, after passing over two or three ridges of tolerable grade, reaches Bear river.

White Clay creek has its sources in the Uinta mountains; and at its mouth is about 20 feet wide and 1 deep, and has but one affluent of any volume, which you will please permit me to name in honor of yourself. Trout are caught in it. The road goes up along the creek for a distance of 19 miles, when, the creek suddenly turning to the right, the road continues on its usual course up a small branch of the creek. The creek is distinguished at its mouth by its whitish vertical outcrop of rocks on its north side. Indeed, this whitish clay color characterizes the rocks all along the creek, and is probably the source of its name. The rocks along the Weber river and Echo cañon are generally of a red hue. The valley, for three miles from its mouth, is over a mile wide; then the creek, for of a mile, is very narrowly cañoned. It then gradually widens to a breadth of several hundred yards, and between mountain heights on either side continues this breadth for 15 miles. At this point it is again cañoned for two miles, when it again opens out to a breadth of a few hundred yards, and continues this breadth to the divide between it and Yellow creek. Except in the cañons there is plenty of grass in the valley; and the table-lands and side-hills abound with it. This valley I regard as good for stock-grazing purposes, but not so good as either the Timpanogos or Weber valleys. The creek, for a distance of 21 miles from its mouth, is lined with cottonwood and willows, and the sidehills are covered with cedars. I found coal of fair quality in the bank of a grassy ravine on the north side of the creek, about six miles above its mouth; its character is bituminous, (see Geological Re

port of Mr. Engelmann herewith.) Above the upper cañon willows alone fringe the creek. Beaver dams are quite frequent above the lower cañon; and these, with the cañons, make the road quite difficult to construct. The beaver dams force you upon the side-hills, where there is necessarily a great deal of grading; and when you are obliged to keep the bottom on account of the work on the sidehills being too severe, the foundation of the road is in many places found to be quite soft. The willows, too, are quite thick in some localities, and it is no little job to cut them down thoroughly. Water is found at intervals in holes above the point where the road leaves the main White Clay creek, for a distance of about five miles. Beyond this, until you reach Bear river, a distance of ten miles, there is no water. It will be noticed that there are two red lines on the map connecting White Clay creek with Bear river. That furthest south furnishes the best grade, and should be the one taken going east; the other, indicated by the broken line, is the shortest, and could be taken by trains going west. Between White Clay creek and Bear river there is plenty of grass at intervals; but the beds of the sources of Yellow creek are generally dry. Up to and inclusive of White Clay creek the road has been generally threading the valleys; but now that it leaves White Clay creek it crosses the streams and divides, and not unfrequently on that account is hilly. The hills, though long in some instances, are not steep.

From Bear river to Fort Bridger, on Black's Fork, a distance of thirtysix and a quarter miles.

From Bear river the road takes a general course of northeast, and crosses in three miles Cottonwood Fork of Bear river; in 5 miles, the West Fork of Sulphur creek; in 3 miles, the East Fork of Sulphur creek; in 11 miles, the Muddy Fork of Black's Fork of Green river; and in 13 miles, through the ravine which Major Whiting took to the south of the Big Butte, reaches Fort Bridger-making the whole distance from Camp Floyd 155 miles.

Its

Bear river is a noble, swift stream of pure water, flowing over a rocky bottom, and has its sources in the Uinta mountains; from which, after running in a direction west of north for about two degrees of latitude, it turns quite sharply to the south, and running west of south one degree of latitude, it disembogues into the Great Salt Lake. width varies from 30 to 75 feet, and at the ford is about 2 feet deep. My party caught some fine trout in it. A grove of cottonwood and willows, interspersed with some fir trees and pines, characterizes it at the crossing. An abundance of grass is to be found on this stream as well as on the Cottonwood branch, which is also a rapid stream, 20 feet wide and one half foot deep; bottom stony; ford good. Some cottonwood trees border it.

The valley of Bear river, where the road crosses it, is 4 miles wide and about 12 long, and lies quite flat. Its soil is agillaceous, and in places gravelly. It lies well for irrigation; and no doubt a portion would prove productive if the locality were not too cold.

The valley of the west branch of Sulphur creek is about 4 miles wide, quite level, and is covered with the wild sage. There is no water in the branch above the road, and, indeed, none below of any account till you reach the junction of the east and west branches. The valley, therefore, can never be of any value for agricultural purposes, as it cannot be irrigated.

Crossing the divide between the east and west branches of Sulphur creek by a gentle grade you reach the shallow valley of the east branch, where you find water in holes, or rather springs, grass abundant, and no fuel but wild sage and willows. Here the road becomes coincident for about a mile with the old Fort Supply road, when it leaves it and takes over the divide by a long tolerable ascent, and then descends by as long a slope, not exceptionable, through a shallow ravine, to the Muddy. This ravine abounds in excellent grass, and at intervals has some fine springs. A large number of cattle was herded there in the summer and fall. It is, however, not sheltered sufficiently in the winter, though stock might take refuge in case of storms among the willows on the Muddy. The only fuel along the ravine is wild sage.

Muddy Fork, at the crossing, is but three or four feet wide and one deep, and this water it receives from the small affluent which joins it just above the crossing. Above the junction water is to be found only in holes in the main branch. The valley of the Muddy is a few hundred yards wide; the creek is lined with willows and occasionally with cottonwood, and the grass along it is tolerably abundant. From the Muddy the road goes up a rather steep ravine to a high table land or plateau, over which it runs five miles, when it descends by a ravine to the south of the Big Butte, and in 7 miles reaches Fort Bridger. The plateau is covered with wild sage, and the soil is somewhat gravelly and in some places stony. Water is to be found alongside of the road within six miles of Fort Bridger, and some grass in the vicinity.

General remarks.

The black dotted lines, as well as the red lines, indicate the country traversed by me in looking up the best route for the road. All these are practicable for wagons, except that down the cañon of Silver creek; that from the Parley's Park road to the Weber, just below the junction of its two forks; and that from the Timpanogos valley and across Kamas prairie and the divide to White Clay creek. The reconnoissance across Kamas prairie to the Timpanogos was made with the view of cutting off the detour by the mouth of White Clay creek; but the route was found barely practicable for pack mules. The ascent from White Clay creek and descent to the Weber, and the descent from Kamas prairie to the Timpanogos valley, were found entirely too steep for wagons. Grass is abundant on Kamas prairie, and already have large quantities of hay been cut upon it. A very considerable portion of the soil is the product of beaver dams, and this portion is very soft. We noticed, when we crossed the prairie,

that some hay which had been cut had, during the absence of the mowers, been submerged by the water of the creek; all the work of the busy beaver. The streams coursing through the prairie are voluminous and the land lies well to be irrigated by them.

On reaching Fort Bridger, after my first reconnoissance, I offered to bring the column of Utah forces, commanded by Lieut. Col. Morri son, through to camp Floyd; but the colonel, believing that he had not the necessary authority, declined. Mr. Henry Engelmann, geologist of the topographical party, having arrived at Fort Bridger the same day I did, I directed him to accompany me on my return to Camp Floyd.

Before entering upon my report in relation to the opening and construction of the route, I think it proper to bear testimony to the very efficient manner in which Lieutenant Ferguson, in charge of the escort, performed his duties. Though a graduate of but one year's standing, he discovered an energy, firmness and sensibility which will make it his own fault if he does not win still higher laurels in his profession.

Opening and construction of the road.

In the foregoing remarks I have said little in relation to the por. tions of the road where labor would be required to make it practicable for wagons, for the reason, as I have before stated, that the work has already been done; and, as I intended to make a report upon this portion of my duty, I have left it to be introduced in the following pages.

On the 14th of September I had the honor to receive the following

orders:

Special orders, No. 84.

[Extract.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF UTAH,

Camp Floyd, U. T., September 14, 1858.

4. A detail of one officer, five non-commissioned officers, and fifty privates, to march on the 16th instant, will be made from the infantry portion of the command in the camp, to be employed on extra duty in the quartermaster's department, under the direction of Captain J. H. Simpson, Topographical Engineers, charged with opening a road by the Timpanogos river, White Clay creek, &c., to Fort Bridger. The party will be provisioned for 25 days.

The depot quartermaster will furnish all necessary transportation above that which can be supplied from the garrison, and all the tools required.

A like detachment of one officer and 30 men will, on receipt of this order, be put in motion by the commander of Fort Bridger, to work