CEBOLLA CREEK. 
53 
mile. By the line followed by our wagons, it is 1.50 mile from crest to crest of the banks of 
this creek, but in a right line it is only 2,639 feet, or about half a mile, while the perpendicular 
descent from the east, as already given, is 935 feet. The most practicable means by which this 
immense ravine can be passed by a road, will be by ascending one of its banks by a heavy 
grade into the mountains, crossing it by a bridge, and descending the opposite bank—a stu¬ 
pendous labor, for it will be necessary to cut through miles of rocks and to cross large side- 
ravines. But it becomes narrower below the crossing, and proportionally steeper; and Captain 
Gunnison, after examining it, thought it, perhaps, not impossible , but very difficult to bridge it. 
Leaving Lake fork we continued along under high bluffs, over very rocky hills with deep 
intervening gullies, which forced us southward into a valley gorge, which we reached by a 
steep ascent, and encamped, after a march of 4.69 miles, under a vertical wall of igneous rocks 
100 feet in height, at a beautiful spring of cold water in a fine grassy meadow, through which 
a creek descends to the river, distant two miles. This little valley is part of a depression some 
four miles in diameter, like a basin in the high table-land among the mesas, which on all sides 
enclose it to the eye, although Grand river passes through it, and small streams enter it through 
deep, wide gorges in all directions. The agreeable and exhilarating effect of the pure mountain 
air of these elevated regions, ever a fruitful theme of eloquence among trappers and voyageurs, 
exhibits itself among our men in almost constant boisterous mirth. But violent physical exertion 
soon puts them out of breath; and our animals, .in climbing the hills, unless often halted to 
breathe, soon become exhausted, and stop from the weight of their loads, but after a few 
moments’ rest move on with renewed vigor and strength. 
September 12.—Crossing the creek, we followed the ravine valley of our camp southward to 
the top of the mesa, and turning westward, passed for two miles along its summit, and descended 
with difficulty to a creek two hundred feet below, only to ascend again, by an equally abrupt 
path, to the same level, and again immediately descended, by a similar path, to another creek, 
difficult to cross only because of the dense thicket of willow bushes which line its banks, and 
again ascended to nearly the same level as before, and then wound more gradually down a 
long descent to a larger creek, coming through a deep gorge to the south, from snow-peaks, 
plainly in sight, of the Sierra de la Plata. We left this creek by a more gentle ascent than 
we had climbed for a week before, through luxuriant fields of grass, in which, indeed, we had 
travelled during most of the morning, in rear of the mesa adjacent to Grand river, and passing 
one or two small ponds of water on the way, descended for five miles to the first branch of Ce- 
bolia or Onion creek, the last two miles through a level artemisia field, in which we encamped, 
on a small grassy space near the creek, having travelled 13.18 miles. While Captain Morris and 
myself were out in search of a suitable camp, a few Tah-bah-was-chi Utahs exhibited them¬ 
selves on their war steeds, near enough to call out to us. We advanced to meet them, and 
a crowd of men, women, and children soon gathered at our camp. 
September 13.—Captain Gunnison, this morning, made presents to the Indians; first providing 
the chief with the articles which he was to distribute to his people, and then a package for him¬ 
self. They were very importunate for powder and lead, everything else appearing of little 
value to them. We were anxious to purchase horses, but they would sell them only for arms 
and ammunition. 
We crossed the creek a short distance above our camp, where a practicable ravine afforded 
us a descent, the bank being forty feet high and very steep, and passing down it ascended the 
other bank by a similar ravine, opposite our camp, to the rolling sage plain which we crossed 
to the main branch of Cebolla creek, which we forded, and encamped, after a ride of only 
3.75 miles, on a grass field near by, at the base of a connecting mountain range, which here 
crosses the valley of Grand river from the Elk mountains towards the Sierra de la Plata—it 
being necessary to find a path for our wagons before attempting the passage. Captain Morris 
and myself, therefore, with Leroux as guide, and a party of men, rode forward by one of the 
