65 



fifteeu days, so that upon arriving at West roiiit on the evening of tlie loth the supplies were 

 nearlj- exhausted, and no news had been heard regarding the whereabouts of your eoniuiand. 

 Scarcely anything in the way of subsistence stores could be obtained of the Mormons; their cattle, 

 of which they had (jnite a number, being prized too highly to admit of their ever killingone, unless 

 for some possible reason which, unfortunately lor us, was not considered to exist while wc were 

 there. They had no bacou to sell, and apparently but very little bad ever been in the town, mid 

 that brought them by parties traveling south. Tlie only articles, in fact, t'lat conld be obtained were 

 water-melons and squashes. 



WEST POINT 



is situated about five miles down the valley from Muddy Springs, on a low mesa near the river. The 

 houses as a general thing arc made of small willows wattled together. The inhabitants appear to 

 be of the lowest class, and but little superior to the Indians of the vicinity, so far as general cleanli- 

 ness is concerned. They cultivate the bottomlands near the town and use the ujjper portion of the 

 valley for grazing. The crops did not appear to be very large, but will increase in time by cultiva- 

 tion, as the alkali in the soil, in this way is, to a certain extent, eliminated. No potatoes to speak of 

 have as yet been grown at this settlement. 



On the morning of the IGth September we left camj) at West Point and proceeded down the 

 valley, the road running near the river until reaching a point about four miles below, where the road 

 from Salt Lake to Los Angeles crosses the Muddy. Here the river runs through .several narrow, 

 precipitous canons, and the road passes around through the hills. Tlie sand was so deep and heavy 

 that the wagon had to be jiaitly unloaded, and even then, after i)roceeding about half a mile, the 

 mules gave out completely, and I was reluctantly conipcllod to turn back and encamp near the river, 

 at which place we were wiien, in the afternoon ui>on your arrival, you assumed command, 



KKCAPITULATION. 



KOAUS. 



The road from the Cave to the Jluddy Jviver is quite practicable for wagons not heavily loaded, 

 and the Journey can lie made readily enough in .seven or eight days provided the animals can have 

 grain. At most of the places grass can be found, although in some instances, as at Simmond's 

 Spring, it is some distance from where the camp would usually be made. The hardest marches are 

 from the slough of the Sierra Creek to Simmond's Spring, and from Coyote S]uing to the ^luddy. 

 The pass to the north of Byko is very difficult in places, but by partly unloading and making an 

 extra trip, the march may be accomplished. The heavy sand below llyko Lake will always render 

 this portion of the route very severe, as the steady, constant strain ujion the teams soon tells upon 

 them. 



AVATICI!. 



At Butterlield Springs, along Sierra Creek, throughout Jlyko \alley, and at the Pockets, 

 (generally,) there is plenty of water. At Simmond's and Coyote Springs there is usually sufficient 

 for only eight or, at most, ten animals, and iu case of much travel not enough for that number, as 

 the water only collects slowly. There is more or less alkali at all the places mentioned, and it has a 

 very bad elVect upon animals not aecnstomed to drinking water im])regnated with it. 



GRASS. 



The ordinary bunch variety is found generally throughout the whole route, growing in nearly 

 all eases upon the foothills, iu some instances at a considerable distance from the camp.s. The 

 whole course of Sierra Creek affords plenty of grass, but it is of an alkaline character, and, to 

 animals unaccu-stomed to it, furnishes very little sustenance. At Simmond's Springs none was 

 found, although 1 was told there was bunch-grass within a mile or two. Tliroughout Ilyko Aalley 

 there is an abundance, but alkaline and <|uite poor. At Coyote Springs there is very little, and at 

 the Pockets none whatever. The grass throughout the valley of the Muddy is .similar to that in 

 llyko Valley, 

 y vv 



