16 PROCEEDINGS OF THE WASHINGTON MEETING 



on the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel by my former 

 fellow-student at the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale, Mr. Clarence 

 King. Mr. King was then passing the winter in Washington, endeavor- 

 ing by his individual efforts, aided by influential members both in the 

 Senate and House of Eepresentatives, to obtain the necessary legisla- 

 tion for carrying out the purposes of the expedition. The authorization 

 was enacted by Congress without the customary delays. At the sug- 

 gestion of Mr. King the official direction of the expedition was placed 

 under the Chief of Engineers, Gen. A. A. Humphreys, notwithstanding 

 that the work was to be carried on entirely by a civilian service. Mr. 

 King was placed in full charge of the work and authorized to draw up 

 a plan for the organization of the expedition, which he immediately 

 proceeded to do, and which received official sanction. On my return to 

 Boston 1 sought out m}^ friend Emmons, told him of the offer I had 

 received, and my acceptance of the position. He replied: "That is just 

 the kind of work that would suit me. I heartily congratulate you." 

 Shortly afterward I brought King and Emmons together, with the result 

 that Emmons accepted a position as volunteer assistant, and in the fol- 

 lowing winter received an official appointment as assistant geologist, 

 much to the gratification of all members of the organization. 



On May 1, 1867, several members of the scientific corps, including 

 Emmons, sailed from New York for San Francisco by way of the Isth- 

 mus of Panama and the Pacific mail steamer, along the coast of Mexico 

 and California, the trip occupying three weeks. At that time the only 

 other available route was by Wells, Fargo & Company's overland stage, 

 a tedious, not to say dangerous, journey. After a delay of several days 

 in San Francisco, gathering information of various kinds, including 

 geographical data along the proposed line of the Central Pacific Railway 

 across N'evada and Utah, a camp was established at Sacramento for 

 equipment purposes. A ride of a few days across the high Sierras and 

 down the eastern slope brought the party, early in August, to its first 

 working camp on Truckee Eiver, not far from the now flourishing town 

 of Reno. The camp was pitched on what was then the western edge of 

 the great American sage-brush desert, sparsely inhabited by a few fron- 

 tier settlers, expecting to become rich when the railway came along. 

 There were practically no serviceable maps, and but slight knowledge of 

 the country except along the overland stage road. Some idea of the 

 condition of things may be gained from the fact that the party was 

 sometimes dependent upon friendly Indians for valuable information. 

 Today it may seem difficult to realize that it was deemed essential by the 

 War Department to provide a cavalry escort of twenty-five men to guard 



