1877. | Explorations in Colorado. 81 
There are four main streams draining into the White River 
within the limits of our work, a distance of something over one 
hundred miles. 
The country is almost entirely destitute of timber and has but 
little good water. It is, however, abundantly and richly supplied 
with grass, and, especially in the winter season, must be well 
stocked with game. It seems well adapted to its present use as 
an Indian reservation, and is likely to remain for years to come 
more valuable for them than it could be for settlement. 
In the far western portion, and outside the limits of the reserva- 
tion, one large vein of asphaltum and several small ones were 
found, and also running springs of the same material, all of which 
if once reached by railroads will prove of great commercial value. 
These deposits have been spoken of before, but their location has 
not been accurately determined. The principal vein seen by this 
party is at present about one hundred miles from railroad com- 
munication, but less than half that distance from white settle- 
ments, and is likely in the present rapid growth of the country 
to be within a few years made available. 
According to the report of F. M. Endlich, the geology of the dis- 
trict is very simple, though interesting. Inasmuch as there is but 
one divide of importance within the district, the work was some- 
what simplified. This divide is formed by the Book Cliffs and sep- 
arates the drainages of the Grand on the south from that of the 
White on the north. Both of these rivers flow a little south of 
west into the Green River, which they join in Utah. From the 
junction of the Grand and Green downward, the river is called 
the Colorado. Orographically the region surveyed is compara- 
tively simple. The Book Cliffs are the summit of a plateau, about 
eight thousand feet above sea-level, which continues unbroken 
over to the Green River. Towards the south these cliffs fall off 
very steeply, forming deep cañons that contain tributaries of the 
Grand River. On the north side, with the dip of the strata 
the slope is more gentle, although in consequence of erosion nu- 
merous precipitous cliffs are found. Descending in that direction 
the character of the country changes. Instead of an unbroken 
slope, we find that the plateau has been cut parallel by the 
White River drainage and the long characteristic mesas of that 
region testify to the action of erosion. Approaching the river, | 
constantly descending with the slight dip of the strata, the bluffs 
come lower and lower. Though the creek valleys are wide > 
and at certain seasons no doubt well watered, the vegetation is 
o; — No, 2. 6 
