SOUTH PASS — EMIGRANT RUSE. 71 



obliged to release her from the wagon, when she lay down by the 

 side of the road and in a short time expired. 



Between the Sweetwater and the South Pass, the soil for some four 

 or five miles presented the same disintegrated dark shales as had 

 been observed on the other side of the river. It then became more 

 sandy, and portions of weathered marble were found on the surface. 

 On ascending some low hills on the left of the road, and within 

 about a mile of the Pass, marble was found in place, contain- 

 ing a considerable incrustation of silex. It evidently cropped 

 out on the south side of these hills, on the top of one of which was 

 found a stratum of gray sandstone, in which the remains of en- 

 crinites were observed. It was quite horizontal, not conformable 

 with the marble under it, and was undoubtedly a continuation of 

 the secondary formation which had been observed up the whole 

 valley of the Sweetwater. On the left of the road, and a few miles 

 distant, were some high hills, which, from their appearance, seemed 

 to be capped by the reddish clay which forms the isolated masses 

 in the valley of the Platte. Shortly after passing the summit we 

 found a stratum of apparently metamorphic clay, horizontal, with 

 an east and west direction. Over this were strata of gray sand- 

 stone, horizontal, or with a slight dip to the east. Descending 

 the western side of the Pass, the soil was composed principally of 

 red sand. No rocks were visible. About a mile from Dry Sandy, 

 some masses of rock were observed on the right of the road, stand- 

 ing up like pillars ; they were found to be composed of a coarse 

 sandstone, of an ochrey colour. Under them were white and red 

 shales, apparently horizontal. The surface of the ground appeared 

 to be the result of the decomposition of this ochrey rock. 



I witnessed, at the Pacific Springs, an instance of no little in- 

 genuity on the part of some emigrant. Immediately alongside 

 of the road was what purported to be a grave, prepared with more 

 than usual care, having a headboard on which was painted the 

 name and age of the deceased, the time of his death, and the part 

 of the country from which he came. I afterward ascertained that 

 this was only a ruse to conceal the fact that the grave, instead of con- 

 taining the mortal remains of a human being, had been made a safe 

 receptacle for divers casks of brandy, which the owner could carry 

 no farther. He afterward sold his liquor lo some traders farther 

 on, who, by his description of its locality, found it without diffi- 

 culty. 



Wednesday, August 8. — In our march, yesterday, to the Little 



