14 EEPOET UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY. 



cercus uropliasianus) enlivened the route and fumislied fresh meat for 

 onr larder. On Strawberry Creek, a small stream that is well known to 

 g-ulch-miners of that region, we made camp. A ride of about 10 miles 

 more brought me into Camx) Stambaugh, where I received a large mail 

 and despatched one of respectable proportions. July 3, we marched 

 into the post, and once more encamped near our hospitable friends. At 

 that time the post presented a lively appearance, due to the passage of 

 many emigrants bound for Wind Eiver Valley or the Bighorn Mountains. 

 Mounted on horses, mules, and donkeys, or packed into wagons, men, wo- 

 men and children travelled cheerfully forward to meet a fate which, 

 Vv4i ether good or bad, the future must decide. The wonderful elasticity 

 of the western pioneer, and miner, the indomitable energy, and the desire 

 for new, unoccupied iields of labor are qualities that render the nation 

 deeply indebted to them. Though many may perish on their way to- 

 ward opening a new district to civilization, others follow in their wake, 

 and, eventually, savage as well as natural obstacles must yield to the 

 Avill and energy of the white man. Individually, often worthless, these 

 pioneers, as a class, fulfil their mission, indifferent whether their reward 

 be riches obtained by a lucky "find," or the scalping-knife. 



July 4 was spent in reprovisioning our party, and, appropriate to the 

 day, we undertook to resight our rifles. WhUe doing this we kept up a 

 cn^unonade that would have done credit to the most patriotic party. 

 Diuing the day I visited a number of mines in the vicinity. After an 

 evening pleasantly spent in the company of the post officers, and writing 

 a few letters by the camp-fire, we turned in, to commence on the morrow 

 the exploration of a region that i)romised to us less hardships and 

 greater reward in the discovery of new and interesting features. 



FEOM CAMP STAMEATJGH TO CAMP BEOWN. 



Accompanied by Lieutenant Cole, of Stambaugh, we set out on Jxdy 

 5 on the road toward Camp Brown. Two miles from Stambaugh we 

 passed through Miner's Delight, a small settlement dating back to the 

 time of the Sweetwater mining excitement. But little work is being 

 done there now, although the ground shows that at one time manj^ hands 

 were busy in extracting gold from the gravel. Beyond Miner^'s Delight 

 the descent into the valleys of Wind Eiver drainage becomes very rapid. 

 By following the stage-road to Camp Brown we pass through Eed Caiion. 

 This is cut deeply down into the red Triassic sandstones and shales. On 

 the right-hand side we see a steep waU of the bright-colored material, 

 while the valley exhibits the beautiful color of rich verdure. Several 

 small farms have been located there, and furnish good results to theu' 

 owners. To the left the Wind Eiver Mountaius rise 7,000 feet above the 

 valley. From the latter the main peaks are not visible ; only the higher 

 foot-hills can be seen. Descending rapidly we reach the crossing of the 

 Little Popo-Agie Eiver. Looking up stream we perceive a very fine 

 narrow canon through which the stream rushes with great violence. 

 Vertical walls of Carboniferous limestones rise abruptly from the river 

 *bottom, forming a narrow, irregular fissure. In passing fi?om the Sweet- 

 water to Wind Eiver drainage a radical change of the scenery is notice- 

 able. The lowest foot-hills are formed by old sedimentary strata, sloping 

 do^vn steeply toward the valleys. Canons are cut through the strata, 

 and from them the streams emerge into broad, fertile valleys. On the 

 Little Popo-Agie we found several farms. One of them belongs to Stam- 

 baugh, and a few men employed there are able to cultivate a quantity of 

 land which yields ample results. Mr. Paris has been farming at the 



