254 JOHN C. FREMONT. 



abundance of vines at its lower end) called Caxou 

 de las TJvas. They were of long use, and were exa- 

 mined by me and their practicability ascertained 

 in my expedition of 1848-49; and in 1851 I again 

 passed through them both, bringing three thousand 

 head of cattle through one of them. 



" Knowing the practicability of these passes, and 

 confiding in the report of Major Steele as to the 

 intermediate country, I determined to take the other, 

 (between the 37th and 38th parallels,) it recommend- 

 ing itself to me as being more direct toward San 

 Francisco, and preferable on that account for a road, 

 if suitable ground could be found; and also as being 

 unknown. The Mormons informed me that various 

 attempts had been made to explore it, and all failed 

 for want of water. Although biassed in favor of the 

 Virgin River route, I determined to examine this 

 one in the interest of geography, and accordingly 

 set out for this purpose from the settlement about 

 the 20th of February, travelling directly westward 

 from Cedar City, (eighteen miles west of Parawan.) 

 We found the country a high table-land, bristling 

 with mountains, often in short, isolated blocks, and 

 sometimes accumulated into considerable ranges, 

 with numerous open and low passes. 



"We were thus always in a valley and alwaya 

 surrounded by mountains more or less closely, which 



