ROUTE NEAR THE FORTY-FIRST AND FORTY-SECOND PARALLELS. 1 3 



separating the Uinta and Bear River mountains, crossing the head of Bear river, and, entering 

 the valley of White Clay creek at its head, follows down that stream to its junction with 

 Weber river. 



The Wahsatch mountains now intervene between this plateau country and the Great Salt 

 lake, and the passage through them may be effected by following Weber river, or by ascend 

 ing to near the sources of the Timpanogos; and descending that stream both being affluents, 

 directly or indirectly, of the Great Salt lake the distances are about the same to their common 

 point on that lake. 



There are canons upon both these streams. That of the Timpanogos is 10 miles in length, 

 and narrow, being from 100 to 300 yards in width. It is direct in its general course, but 

 must be bridged at several points, to avoid short curves. The sides are of blue limestone, 

 and will require rock-blasting at some points. The river, 30 yards wide, descends with a 

 powerful current, and, when most swollen, is six feet above its ordinary level. 



On Weber river there are two canons. The upper is rather a gorge or defile, 8^ miles long. 

 The mountains rise to a great height above it, and are rocky and precipitous, and much broken 

 by ravines. The river is winding, and it will be necessary to cross it frequently. The lower 

 canon, near the borders of the valley of Great Salt lake, is four miles long, direct, with an 

 average width of 175 yards, the stream being 30 yards wide, and impinging freqiiently with 

 great force against the base of the mountains, which, however, are sufficiently retreating to 

 admit of the practicable passage of a railway. 



Entering the valley of Great Salt lake from either this or the Timpanogos canon, there is 

 no obstacle to the construction of a railway passing by the south end of the lake, and crossing 

 the Jordan, Tuilla valley, and Spring or Lone Bock valley, to its west side. 



By the valley of the Timpanogos, the distance from near Fort Bridger to the south end of 

 the Great Salt lake, on the western side of the valley of the Jordan, is 182.55 miles; the 

 greatest grade required, 84 feet to the mile. The amount of work required on this section, 

 excepting that along the canon, will not, in the opinion of Lieutenant Beckwith, be great. 



From the western shore of Great Salt lake to the valley of Humboldt river, the country con 

 sists alternately of mountains, in more or less isolated ridges, and of open level plains, rising 

 gradually from the level of the lake on the east, to the base of the Humboldt mountains on 

 the west; that is, from 4,200 feet to 6,000 feet above the sea. West of the Humboldt mount 

 ains the country is of the same character, the plains declining until, at the west shore of Mud 

 lake, usually called the foot of the Sierra Nevada, the elevation is 4,100 feet. 



,The mountains in this space of 500 miles, (by the route travelled 600 miles,) between the 

 Great Salt lake and the foot of the Sierra Nevada, have a general north and south course. 

 Occasionally cross-spurs close in the valleys to the north and south, but more frequently this 

 isolation is only apparent. The mountains are sharp, rocky, and inaccessible in many parts, 

 but are low and easily passed in others. Their general elevation varies from 1,500 to 3,000 

 feet above the valleys, and but few of them retain snow upon their highest peaks during the 

 summer. They are liberally supplied with springs and small streams, but the latter seldom 

 extend far into the plains. At the time of melting snows there are many small ponds and 

 lakes, but at other seasons the waters are absorbed by the soil near the base of the mountains. 

 Grass is found in abundance upon nearly ,every range, but timber is very scarce a small scat 

 tered growth of cedar only being seen upon a few ranges. East of the Humboldt mountains 

 the growth of cedars is more abundant, and the grass better, than to the west. The valleys 

 rarely have a width east and west of more than five or ten miles, but often have a large extent 

 north and south. They are irregular in form, frequently extending around the ends of mount 

 ains, or uniting to succeeding valleys by level passages. The greater part of the surface of 

 these valleys is merely sprinkled by several varieties of sombre artemisia, (wild sage,) pre 

 senting the aspect of a dreary waste. Though there are spots more thickly covered witli 

 this vegetation, yet the soil is seldom half covered with it, even for a lew acres, and is nowhere 



