CHAPTER IY. 
From Roubideau's Pass , via the Coochetopa Pass and Grand River valley , to the Nah- 
un-hah-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 Sahw'atch 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.—Car- 
nero Pass.—Leaving Sahwatch creek.—Mountain forms, timber, rocks.—Passage and character of the summit of the Cooche¬ 
topa 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.—Artemisia.—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 Biver valley repeated.—Railroad difficulties.— 
Scarcity of timber.—The guide’s dilemma.—Difficulties, character, and passage of Lake Fork.—Delusive 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. 
August 25 .—The examination of Roubideau’s Pass being completed this morning, the main body 
of tbe party proceeded up the valley, under the command of Lieutenant Baker, while Captain 
Gunnison, Captain Morris and myself, after leaving this pass, rode to Williams’ Pass, the 
approach to which from the San Luis valley is through a grove of pitch-pine, behind most 
gigantic sand-hills, rising above the plain to half the height (apparently, at least, 700 or 800 feet,) 
of the adjacent mountain, and shaped by the winds into beautiful and fanciful forms with waving 
outlines, for within ceitain limits this sand drifts about like snow. These immense hills are from 
eight to ten miles in length, lying along the base of the mountains, and four or five in width, and 
therefore constitute a great barrier to the western approach to Williams’ Pass, directly before 
which they stand. The stream which flows from it is turned immediately southward, and soon 
sinks in the sand plain. These hills are so steep and smooth on the side towards this creek, that 
the smallest pebbles started at their summits roll uninterruptedly into the creek, leaving their paths 
distinctly marked from the summits to the bases. High up on the sides are seen, at half a dozen 
points, single bushes of artemisia—the only vegetation seen upon them, and the only change dis¬ 
coverable since they were visited by Captain Pike, fifty years ago, when they were entirely 
destitute of vegetation, and “ appeared exactly like the sea in a storm, except in color.” 
The course of Williams’ Pass as we entered it is N. 58° E., but it soon bends to the left to N. 
27° E. We passed up it only about three-fourths of a mile. Its width is about two hundred and 
fifty yards, rising gradually as far as we could see. Its walls of rock rise on either side to a 
height of some hundreds of feet, and are nearly vertical. Our guides represent it as continuing 
for fourteen miles, both in character and direction, as here described; beyond that it is more 
