144 EXPLORATIONS ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN OF UT*AH. 



General Johnston of the results of my side reconnaissance is sufficiently explicit, I 

 insert an extract from it below instead of the journal. I refer the reader to my pub- 

 lished report, before adverted to, to be found in Senate Executive Document No. 40, 

 Thirty-fifth Congress, Second session, for a detailed account of my route of last fall, 

 pursued by Lieutenant Murry, as also of Kamas Prairie, and other portions of country 

 contiguous. I met Lieutenant-Colonel Chapman, Fifth Infantry, with a battalion of 

 recruits and train of wagons, on my route between the Muddy and Sulphur Creeks, 

 and he expressed himself as being very much pleased, as far as he had gone on it from 

 Fort Bridger. 



Fort Bridger, Utah, 



August 27, 1859. 



Major : I have the honor to report that, wishing to improve if possible my route 

 of last fall from Camp Floyd to Fort Bridger, by avoiding the worst portion of it, 

 White Clay Creek, in whole or in part, I left the main portion of my party en route, 

 in Timpanogos Valley, for Fort Bridger, August 22, and with an escort of four dra- 

 goons, three civil employes, and a couple of guides, who professed, each, to know 

 different portions of the country, proceeded to make the exploration requisite for the 

 purpose. Our provisions and necessary equipage were carried on two pack-mules. 



I found a feasible wagon-route as follows: 



Leave my old route at a point in Timpanogos Valley, in sight of where the road 

 commences to ascend the steep portion of the divide between the Timpanogos and Silver 

 Creeks, that is, about a mile below the foot of the ascent ; from this point pass up on the 

 top of a low spur, with good and regular grade, to near summit ; and thence, by taking 

 advantage of the swales or vales of the divide, pass along their sides to the summit of 

 the divide, 2.5 miles from the branch of the Timpanogos you have left ; elevation above 

 the sea, 6,955 feet; thence taking down a ravine of good grade (general direction 

 east), which widens gradually into a fine, wide vale, full of grass, in 3 miles you reach 

 Kamas Prairie, 6,244 feet above the sea ; thence in a course very nearly direct to the 

 mouth of the canon of the east branch of Weber (bearing slightly to the right of it), 

 in about 7.25 miles, you cross Kamas Prairie over very good ground, and reach, the 

 east fork of Weber, which you ford; thence pass up the canon of this fork of Weber 

 X.~) miles, about a mile of it through thick aspen timber, the balance, principally in the 

 bottom, covered with willows, which, however, are not large; thence you leave the 

 Weber and turn to the left up a rather narrow canon, which I call Clarke's Canon, 

 after Captain Clarke of the Subsistence Department, where some cutting would be 

 necessary through aspen and willows thickets, and two or three small points of hills 

 should be taken oil' with the pick and shovel: 4.5 miles up this canon, with tolerable 

 grade, brings you to the summit of the pass of the high range between the Weber and 

 the heads of White Clay Creek ; elevation of summit above the sea, 8,953 feet ; 

 thence, turning gradually to rhe right, skirt closely for !>.25 miles the high ridge of the 

 mountain range, keeping just below it and crossing through aspen thickets, a number 

 of the heads of the tributaries of White Clay Creek, you are brought over a very 

 steeply-rolling and rich country to the main branch of White Clay Creek ; thence, in 

 3.5 miles, down this main branch, with good grade, you connect at the lower end of 

 the upper canon of White Clay Creek with my wagon-road of last fall. This is one 



