6 
CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER III. 
From the mouth of the Apishpa, via the Sangre de Cristo, to Roubideau's Pass—August 2 to 25 , 1853 . 
Valley of the Apislipa.—Rocks and soil of the hills and valley.—Small canon.—Examination of the canon.—Indian 
writings.—Cacti.—Small pines.—Route of the wagon train.—Rocks and grass.—Game.—Appearance of the mount¬ 
ains.—Fossils.—Flowers.—Wild horses.—Timber on the Arkansas in sight.—Rains, dews, winds.—Course of the 
Apishpa, and broken character of the country.—Discovered that we were not on the Huerfano.—Road to Raton 
Pass.—Cuchara river.—Fine view.—Trip to the Greenhorn settlement.—Clay and shale banks of the Cuchara.— 
Dog towns.—Wild horses.—Huerfano river and butte.—Huerfano canon —Apache creek.—Trail from Taos.—Trader’s 
camp.—Granaros.—Greenhorn settlement: its population and productions —Massalino, the guide.—Sleeping apart¬ 
ments in Greenhorn.—Huerfano butte.—Direct line from the Arkansas to the upper Huerfano, leaving the former 
above the mouth of the Apishpa: its railroad character.—Size of the Huerfano river.—Soil.—Building-stone.— 
Ascent of the Huerfano.—Taos trail, via El Sangre de Cristo Pass.—Approach to the Sangre de Cristo Pass.— 
Sand and limestone.—Railroad route.—Timber.—Flowers.—Game.—Difficulties in the approach.—The passage of 
the Sangre de Cristo Pass.—Scenery.—Game.—Distances, altitudes, grades.—Railroad line through the pass and its 
western descent to Fort Massachusetts.—Examination of the mountains to the south of the Spanish peaks.—Hunters 
from Taos.—Snow in and about the Sangre de Cristo Pass.—Trip to Taos.—San Luis valley: its streams and settle¬ 
ments.—Indian signals and robbery.—Red river of the Rio Grande del Norte.—Valley of Taos: its settlements 
and cultivation.—Return to Fort Massachusetts.—Antoine Leroux, guide.—Men discharged.—Mr. Taplin.—White 
Mountain spring.—Sage in San Luis valley.—Roubideau's Pass: its rocks, character, grades, elevation.—San Luis 
valley, and mountain chains e closing it. 
CHAPTER IV. 
From Roubideau's Pass, via the Coochetopa Pass and Grand River valley, to the Nah-un-Jcali-rea or Blue 
river—August 25 to September 20 , 1853 . 
Gigantic sand-hills.—Williams’ Pass.—Stampede.—Sand and sage.—Chatillon, Trois Teton, and Leroux creeks.— 
Game.—Scene of Colonel Fremont’s disaster of 1848-49.—Vegetation and soil.—Homans’ creek.—Currants.— 
Sahwatch spring and butte.—Coochetopa Pass gate.—Sinking of Sahwatch creek.—Sahwatch valley.—Light dusty 
soil.—General character of San Luis valley.—Favorable character for a railroad of the lower part of the Sahwatch 
valley.—Deer, grouse, and trout.—Captain Gunnison’s examination of Homans’ park: its fertility.—Gunnison’s Pass: 
its position and railroad practicability.—Puncha creek and country east of the pass.—Indicated lines for roads.— 
Mountain sheep.—Approach to the Coochetopa Pass.—Carnero Pass.—Leaving Sahwatch creek.—Mountain forms, 
timber, rocks.—Passage and character of the summit of the Coochetopa Pass: altitudes and grades in approaching 
it, &c.—Method of levelling.—Grades and tunnel.—Existence of a pass north of the Coochetopa Pass.—Valley of 
Pass creek.—Valley leading to Carnero Pass—Grades.—Indicated railroad line from the Coochetopa Pass.—Arte¬ 
misia.—Coochetopa creek.—Pass Creek canones.—Character of mountain storms.—Grand river: its character, 
valley, and adjacent mountains.—Confusion of names.—Character of and passage around the first canon of Grand 
river Tables or mesas.—Brief general description of Grand River valley and canones.—Fall of the river.—Ice.— 
Indian smokes and method of hunting.—Captain Gunnison’s description of Grand River valley repeated.—Railroad 
difficulties.—Scarcity of timber.—The guide’s dilemma.—Difficulties, character, and passage of Lake Fork.—Delu¬ 
sive basin appearance, exhibiting the broken character of the country—Effects of mountain air.—View of the Sierra 
de la Plata.—Utah Indians on Cebolla creek.—Indian presents.—Mountain reconnoissance.—Fine view of distant 
mountain peaks and adjacent valleys and streams.—Position of the Spanish trail.—Ascent and passage of the 
mountain.—Ascending and descending grades.—Valley of the Uncompahgra: its cacti, sage, soil, &c.—Utah 
Indians.—Women of great age.—Domestic scene.—Descent of the Uncompahgra valley.—Utah Indian parties: great 
numbers in camp.—Indian “talk” and presents.—Roubideau’s old fort.—Crossing Grand river.—Difficulties to be 
encountered in constructing a railroad along the canon portion of Grand river.—Character of the country below 
Roubideau’s old fort.—Una-weep canon and creek.—Kah-nah creek.—Nah-un-kah-rea or Blue river.—Steep eastern 
bank.—River crossing.—River entrance into this valley; its size and character... 
CHAPTER V. 
From Blue river crossing to Greet , White, and San Rafael rivers and the eastern foot of the Wahsatch 
Pass—September 20 to October 13 , 1853 . 
Purchase of Indian horses.—Indian veracity.—Soil.—Salt creek.—Indian trails to the Uintas.—Coal bed.—Canones 
of Grand river.—Rocks—Coal.—Daily change of temperature.—Aqueous deposits and barrenness of the valleys.— 
Climate.—Scarcity of cultivable lands.—Leroux returns to New Mexico.—Details of the country between Grand and 
Green rivers.—Best position for railroad indicated: grades, &c.—Fanciful forms of mountains.—Reach the noted 
Spanish trail.—Disheartening, view.—Ash-heap character of the soil.—Scarcity of water.—Difficulty in the construc¬ 
tion of a railroad from Grand to Green river.—Crossing Green river.—Utah Indians.—Character of Roan mountains 
