70 FROM FORT LARAMIE TO FORT BRIDGER. 



contrasted with the flat, silent waters of the Platte, was very plea- 

 sant to the ear. It reminded one of the clear, purling streams we 

 had left at home. * 



The river here is truly a mountain-stream, with great fall, 

 rapid current, and water as clear as crystal, of the tempera- 

 ture of 55°. On emerging from the district of primary rocks, we 

 came upon the stratified, which were formed of micaceous, slaty 

 shales, and red sandstone, all evidently metamorphic : their beds 

 were inclined at an ansrle of from 40° to 70° to the north. Veins 

 of quartz were observed in them in some places. Trap dikes 

 were very frequent in the crystalline rocks. The surface rock on 

 the hills in the vicinity appeared to be a continuation of the same 

 shaly formation. The aspen, beech, willow, and cotton-wood were 

 found growing on the bottoms, and on the hills cotton-wood, pine, 

 and cedar. Sage hens, {Tetrao uropJiasianus,) a species of grouse, 

 were seen in great numbers, and the men shot as many as we could 

 conveniently carry. They are very good eating, and some of the 

 older ones were larger than a full-grown barn-door fowl. 



In the afternoon, we met the mail from Great Salt Lake City, 

 with upward of six thousand letters, and were glad to avail our- 

 selves of the opportunity to write to our friends. Camp on 

 Sweetwater. Day's march, twenty-three miles. 



Monday, August 6. — Leaving the valley of the Sweetwater, we 

 crossed this morning through the South Pass over to the head 

 branches of Sandy Creek, an affluent of the Colorado, or GrejBn 

 River of the West, and nooned at the ''Pacific Springs," at the 

 foot of the pass, on the western side. This celebrated depression 

 through the Rocky Mountains is now so well known that any fur- 

 ther description of it would be superfluous. That of Frdmont 

 conveys a very accurate idea of the locality, which has nothing 

 remarkable in its features. The water at the Pacific Springs 

 is not very good, but is quite cold. It is a favourite camping 

 ground of the emigrants on account of the grass. Encamped for 

 the night on the banks of Dry Sandy, where we had to dig in the 

 bed of the stream for water ; but a very scanty supply was ob- 

 tained ; and the grass moreover was so scarce that our animals 

 were allowed to run loose all night under the protection of the 

 guard, instead of being picketed as usual. In the afternoon, one 

 of our best mules died from the bite of a snake. In the morn- 

 ing her jaws and fauces had been observed to be very much 

 swollen, and before sundown she became so weak that we were 



