basneit.] CACHE VALLEY. 699 



At the northern end of the Bear Elver Bange the river turns abruptly 

 from northwest to south, sweeping - closely by the foot of the precipitous 

 " Sheep Bock," and hugs the western base of the range, while the valley 

 continues its former course to the north-northwest, becoming at first the 

 broad flat divide between the Bear and the Blackfoot, and finally open- 

 ing out into the great basalt plain in which the latter stream flows. The 

 Soda Springs, called by Fremont the " Beer Springs," are on the north 

 side of the Bear, very near the head of the bend. They are quite 

 numerous, scattered over an area of several square miles; all are cold, 

 except one. The water is highly charged with carbonic-acid gas, which 

 is given off copiously. Many of them deposit carbonate of lime, forming 

 mounds and coating rapidly whatever foreign matters are in the springs. 

 A few miles above the bend the river enters a basalt field, coming down 

 from the north and filling the whole valley. The river crosses this field 

 twice before reaching the bend, and below the latter it is for several 

 miles crowded by it up against the base of the mountains. Then it starts 

 westward, on top of the basalt, whose surface is here somewhat lower 

 than near the Soda Springs. In its westward course the river cuts down 

 through the basalt, soon making for itself a canon. Its fall in this part 

 is very rapid indeed, covering its surface with foam. It is here in the 

 southern continuation of the upper valley of the Portneuf, here known 

 as Gentile Valley, the few settlers not being of the Mormon persuasion. 



Having crossed the basalt to the western side of the valley, the river 

 turns to the south, bordered on the right by the base of the Portneuf 

 Eange, on the left by a black precipitous wall of basalt. In a few miles 

 it reaches the southern extremity of this field of volcanic rock, and 

 enters what is more properly Gentile Valley — a fine, but narrow valley, 

 fertile, and easily irrigated either from the Bear or from the numerous 

 streams which descend from the mountains on either side. Below this 

 valley the river flows through a canon in a spur of the Bear Eiver Eange, 

 by which the latter makes a low connection with the Portneuf Eange. 

 This caiion has a maximum depth of 1,200 feet, and is very narrow and 

 rugged. Emerging from this, the river enters Cache Valley, the garden 

 of Utah. This beautiful valley is surrounded by mountains on all sides. 

 The Malade Eange, a direct continuation of the Wahsatch, protects it 

 from the west winds ; the Portneuf Eange comes to an end at its northern 

 end, while on the east the rugged summits of the Bear Eiver Eange rise 

 abruptly from the fertile plain. On the south, a high saddle connects 

 the latter with the Wahsatch. The length of the valley in a north and 

 south direction is about 50 miles, while its maximum breadth is 15 miles. 

 Its area is 500 square miles. On the north, Eed Eock Gap, between 

 the Malade and Portneuf Eanges, affords easy access to the valley 

 of Marsh Creek. Practicable routes to the northward lead to Soda 

 Springs, and several passes over the Bear Biver Mountains give access 

 to the valley of Bear Lake and the country beyond. A great depres- 

 sion in the Malade Eange gives easy communication with Malade Valley 

 and the settlements on the shores of Great Salt Lake, the latter of which 

 are also reached by going out of the valley southward and then travers- 

 ing the Wahsatch Eange by the gap of Box Elder Creek, or the Ogden 

 Eiver. The valley is drained by the Bear Eiver, which, entering it on 

 the northwest, flows down near its middle line and makes an exit west- 

 ward through the Malade Eange, cutting a narrow notch, known as the 

 11 Gates," through the range at the point of depression mentioned above. 

 The mountains send down numerous streams to water the valley and 

 swell the volume of the river. Following down the east side of the 

 valley, we first cross Mink Creek, a good-sized stream, carrying about 50 



