REPORT AND JO I K N A I ,. 117 



which I call after Dr. Garland Hurt, the late accomplished Indian agent tor the Dt8 



Indians. The stream is tolerably rapid, 3 feet wide, .J foot deep, and sinks A mile below 

 mouth of canon. Willows line it, and pi on is found on the heights. Currants grow 

 in the cation. Ascending the canon by a good grade, albeit in some places a little 

 sidling and rocky, 3.2 miles brought us to the summit of the pass of the Mon-tim range 

 dividing Butte and Steptoe valleys; elevation of summit above the sea, 7,398 feet 

 Descending the eastern slope by a winding canon of pretty steep grade tor 200 or 300 

 yards, near summit, 3 miles more in a south direction brought us to a spring, when; we 

 encamped. At this spring we have made several excavations, which can he multiplied 

 to any desirable extent, as the spring is running, and the excavations will fill np 

 with water. The guide also reports four more springs within the compass ot halt a 

 mile from camp. I have therefore called this canon Spring ( 'anon, Crass abounds 

 about the camp. Mon-tim range, in which we are encamped, is covered with tall trees, 

 like the fir, which would supply poles for the telegraph for a long distance. The mountain 

 mahogany also exists near our camp in larger quantities than I have before seen it. 

 Brown porphyry characterizes, geologically, Hurt's (V.on; while the mam portion ot 

 the Mon-tim range consists, like those farther north, ot compact calcareous rocks and 

 some few sandstones. * Road, to-day, generally hard and good. Journey, 1!U miles. 



July 17, Camp No. 19, Spring ' anon.— Elevation above the sea, <;,S2S feet ; ther- 

 mometer at 5 a. m., 43°. The air this morning very chilly. Decamped at 2o minutes 

 of 6 ; continued in an east of south direction down Spring Canon, the grade of which, 

 except near summit, is exceedingly slight. This canon gradually opens to 2.5 miles 

 wide as you descend to Steptoe Valley, and the cedar on either side is almost inex- 

 haustible. There is grass everywhere in the canon and on the mountain-slopes, though 

 it is not near so flourishing and thick as that in McCarthy's Galon. Springs also c< mi- 

 mon in it. On the north side of the ca on the mountains are very bold and precip- 

 itous. There is an old beaten trail down this ca'on, about the largest we have seen on 

 the trip. The Indians say it is the trail of the To-sa-witch band of the Sho-sho-nees, 

 living about the Humboldt River, who yearly take this route, to trade horses with the 

 Pahvant Indians about Fillmore. These horses they probably get from the Bannacks, 

 to the north of them. 



Just at outlet of Spring Canon into Steptoe Valley, 8 2 miles from camp on north 

 side of canon, there is a spur from the north wall or mountain of the canon, through 

 which there is a gap, gate, or canon, which, for sublimity, on account of its confining 

 walls, equals, probably, anything we have seen on the route. The walls are composed 

 of a siliceous limestone, interstratitied with shale, and are nearly vertical. Ihere are 

 several caves, niches, and benches to be seen high up in the wall. The bottom of the 

 canon is quite springy and covered with a luxuriant grass. Fine grass also exists in 

 the vicinity I call the place the Gate of Hercules, on account of its stupendous walls. 

 The echo in it is very fine, and our fire-arms have startled a great number of swallows 

 and hawks. The road leaves this gate to the left about 0.5 mile, and 1.7 miles further 

 down Spring Canon brings us to Steptoe Valley, which we follow, on its western side 

 for 4 miles in a southeasterly direction, and encamp on a noble creek, which 1 call 

 after Lieut. Alexander Hurry, the energetic officer in command of the escort of my 



