VICINl'lT OF THE MEDICINE BOW. 



The fast melting of the snow, and anticipated difficulties, not to §KJ 

 ngers, consequent upon high water in tlie passage of creeks and riverii 

 3uenccd us to adopt the latter as tlie most advisable course. 

 Such was the final decision, and, the men witli me beiag familiarly 

 quainted with every nook and corner of the adjaceiit country, I improved 

 J opportunity to elicit from them all possible information relative to the 

 egon route from this onward ; and, never iiaving personally travelled 

 in Independence Rock to the head of Green river, it may not be out of 

 Lce to lay before tlie reader a succinct statement of some of the items 

 19 gleaned. 



The distance from tliis point to tlie famous South Pass is but little over 

 e hundred miles. The trail follows the Sweet Water to its source, 

 sping the river valley for most of the distance. This valley consists of 

 undulating prairie, (at intervals rough,) varying in width from the '' 



rrow limits of a few yards to tlie more ample dimensions of four or five 

 les. 



Sometimes, the adjoining hills close in upon the river banks and force 

 5 trail among their rugged windings. In one place the road leads over a 

 jli stretch of table land for nearly a day's travel, when it again descends 

 the valley. 



The stream, in place.>^, is tolerably well timbered with cottonwood, oak, . 



i aspen, and rolls over a rocky bed, with a clear and swift current. j 



The distance through the pass is about fitlecn miles, and tlie ascent 

 d descent arc so gradual the traveller would scarcely notice tlie transi- 

 n from the head of the Sweet Water to that of the Colorado. The hills 

 this point are low, and the face of tlie country roUing — but not rough, 

 brding at all times a most excellent waggon road. 



i 

 On the morning of the fourth day, we accordingly retraced our course, • 



d, having traversed a rugged and hilly country for some ten or twelve - 



les, we camped in a small open prairie at the mouth of the Sweet '^ 



at r. I 



During our ride we noticed several large bands of wild sheep, at inter- ^ 



Is, gazing upon us from huge masses of granite that towered with 8 



)lated summits to a frequent altitude of sixty or one hundred feet. | 



The next morning, we crossed tlie Sweet Water a little above its 1 



juth. I 



The ford was quite feasible, the stream being some ten yards wide and *^ 



ree or four feet deep, with a bed of sand and pebbles. 

 From this point, travelling up th^e Platte for about ten miles or more 

 e arrived opposite the creek previously alluded to, and, crossing at a shoal 

 ace a short distance above, camped in a grove of cottonwood and 

 illows, at ihe delta formed by tiie confiuence of the two streams. 

 There are several bottoms of very rich soil in this vicinity ; but back 

 om the river the country is rough and hilly. 



Westward the Sweet Water mountains, distant some ten miles, showed 

 leir craggy peaks, and to tlie north and east the piny crests of the Black 

 ills burst upon the sight ; while southward, a succession of high, rolling 

 ■airies opened to view a variety of romantic and beautiful scenery. 



