46 EXPLOEATIONS ACROSS THE GEEAT BASIN OF UTAH. 



shreds of snow which tlie sun has not been able to dissipate. The highest point of 

 this range, which I call Camp Floyd Peak, on account of its proximity to the post of 

 that name, is 4,214 feet above the camp, or 9,074 feet above the sea. The formation 

 of these mountains is made up of highly siliceous altered limestones, slate-rock, and 

 altered sandstones (quartzite) of the Carboniferous period, the slaty, calcareous rocks 

 predominating. 



The roads in these valleys are good and lead out in various directions into the ad- 

 joining valleys. 



The weather has been pleasantly warm. For exact state of it to-day and succeed- 

 ing days, see meteorological diary, Appendix U. 



May 3, Camp No. 1, on Meadoiv Creek— Elevation above the sea, 5,205 feet. The 

 bugle sounded reveille at daybreak. Thermometer at 5 a. m., 39°. Moved at 6 a. m 

 Follow up Meadow Creek a mile, and then cross just above old adobe corral. Cross- 

 ing only tolerable. This stream, which is of gentle current, is so narrow that you can 

 jump across it, and is but a few inches in depth. It runs northerly about ten miles 

 and sinks. About a half mile above the crossing the mail, company has a station, at 

 present consisting of a Sibley tent, and a cedar-picket corral for stock is being made. 

 From this station our course lay nearly southwest, seven miles to east, foot of General 

 Johnston's Pass, which I discovered last fall, and which I called after the general com- 

 manding the Department of Utah. The mountain range, which is quite a formidable 

 one, I call after Prof. Arnold Guyot, LL. l\, the distinguished physicist and professor 

 in the college of New Jersey. 



In about a mile more, by a good grades you reach the top of the pass (altitude 

 above the sea, 6,237 feet), and thence, in three-quarters of a mile, by a steep descent, 

 winch, for a. portion of the way, teams going east would have to double up, you attain 

 to a spot where is a patch of grass, and where we encamped. There is a small spring 

 near us, on the north side of the pass, which, however, our animals soon drank dry 

 and which doubtless is dry during the summer. Road to-day good. Journey, 9.9 

 miles, reaching camp a little after meridian. 



The Ute Indian, brother of Arrapene, chief of the tribe, who accompanied us as 

 guide, reporting himself too sick to go on with the party, I permitted him to return to 

 (/amp Floyd. Saw two antelope, a couple of sage hens, and McCarthy shot a curlew, 

 from which he took, perfectly formed in the shell, an e^ as ] arge as a c hi c k e n's. The 

 California , mail-sh,^ passed us on its way to Camp Floyd. Cho-kup, chief of the 

 huhy \ alley band of Sho-sho-nees, was a passenger, on his way to see the Indian 

 agent. He is the best-looking Indian I have seen in the Territory. 



Near our camp/ Russell, Major & Waddel have a herd-camp. The herds find 

 excellent and abundant pasture on both sides of this range of mountains, a few miles 

 to the south, in Rush and also in Porter Valley. Water also abundant at these points 

 The summits of the highest mountains have still their wintry garb of snow upon 

 them. Last winter was an unusually severe one, and the consequence is that the 

 spring has been backward, and the grass is yet quite short and tender; though on 

 the mountain slopes and in the gorges it is sufficiently advanced for grazing. 



May 4, Camp No. 2, three-quarters of a mile be low summit of General Johnston's Pass — • 



