140 EXPLORATIONS ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN OF UTAH. 



account of the dragoon-horses of the escort, all except one, giving out, and, of neces 

 sity, having been left behind, 10 miles. Their crippled condition was produced by the 

 extraordinarily rough, steep, and stony character of the reconnaissance from Round 

 Prairie over the Uinta Mountains as far as the Du Chesne. It is gratifying to report 

 that I found the pass of the Uinta range, by the way of Coal Creek Canon and Potts's 

 Fork of the Du Chesne, the route I explored, a most excellent one. The grade from 

 Hound Prairie to the summit of the Uinta range is quite good, and thence down to the 

 Du Chesne's Fork and to the Uinta still better. The route, however, is at present far 

 from being practicable for wagons, and not even is it practicable for pack-mules with- 

 out the very greatest tax upon man and animals; the most difficult and laborious recon- 

 naissance I ever have made being from Round Prairie to the Fork of the Du Chesne, 

 rendered so by willow, aspen, and fir thickets, and by steep and rocky precipices and 

 ridges. It is not to be wondered that Mr. Gammell, the guide, in his previous exam- 

 ination of tlu- rout,-, was obliged to leave his horse on account of its crippled condi- 



"The principal work required for the passage of wagons will be the removal of 

 the fallen and standing timber, and willows in the bottom of Coal Creek Canon, from 

 its mouth to within about a couple of miles of the summit of the pass, say for about 

 9 miles; the removal of the willows in Potts's Fork, from about 3 miles from the sum- 

 mit all the way down, about 21 miles, to the fork of the Du Chesne, and the cause- 

 waying of the miry places in the bottom of this creek, caused principally by beaver- 

 dams. In the valley of the Du Chesne there will be required about 6 miles of not 

 very heavy cutting through Cottonwood and brush, and some grading, to pass over 

 several tolerably deep gullies. 



"My examination of Coal Creek Canon and Valley extended to the exploration 

 of three parallel routes which presented themselves, to wit, the swale or vale under 

 the mountain ridge to the north side of the creek; the swale under the mountain rid»-e 

 to the south side of the creek; and the bottom of the creek or canon itself. The last 

 or that m the bottom of the creek, will require more work than the swale on the south 

 side; but when done will make the best grade and road. The next best route, and 

 requiring, perhaps, the least work, is the swale on the south side of the creek. 



■lmUnoVno -l >a "' h ' ; ' <1 ' ,iU ' im ° 'J*'' ( ' 1,n ° n ° f P ° ttS ' 8 F ° rk - The best are the middle 



ightest doubt that a good wago 



