EASTERN BASE OF THE WAHSATCH RANGE. 
65 
Rafael by this trail may reach thirty miles ; and although there was water on it at a point ten 
miles from the spring when we passed it, I did not see it, and am not informed as to its perma¬ 
nence. But, as the country is very broken and generally arid, only actual exploration can deter¬ 
mine its practicability, which, however, I cannot think more difficult than the route we have fol¬ 
lowed, and it would certainly not be one-half the distance. The San Rafael also deserves an 
examination ; for if it is practicable to ascend it, a better route might possibly be found to Grand 
river, from the confluence of the former with Green river, than the one we followed. The soil 
became more gravelly and firm to-day, while the hills are less difficult of ascent on their bluff 
sides ; but they are equally barren—a few small cedars on the summit of the Wahsatch range, 
dry grass, willow and berry bushes, with a few cotton-wood trees along the streams, and a few 
small bunches of sage, being the only vegetation seen on a march of 11.40 miles. The third 
branch of the San Rafael, called Garambulla by the Indians, of the size of the second, we 
reached six miles from the morning camp and crossed at our present one. The few Utah Indians 
who live here seem to subsist almost entirely on the buffalo-berry, the bushes growing on the 
banks of the creeks in abundance. These berries, which are of the size of currants, grow in 
great profusion upon the smallest bushes, and are rattled off into skins spread under the bushes. 
The juice, which is very considerable, is expressed by the hands, and the residue eaten. These 
Indians are, however, many of them mounted, and we succeeded in purchasing horses from them. 
Ascent, 25.61 feet per mile. 
October 11.—The Spanish trail, though but seldom used of late years, is still very distinct 
where the soil washes but slightly. On some such spaces to-day we counted from fourteen to 
twenty parallel trails, of the ordinary size of Indian trails or horse-paths, on a way of barely fifty 
feet in width. Specimens of coal were brought in from the hills near camp, Captain Gunnison 
and Dr. Schiel differing in opinion as to its quality. A small variety of artemisia—and we have 
often seen it on the route—grows here in small quantities, of which our mules are quite as fond 
as of grass. We encamped on Big Rock creek, after a march of 13.46 miles. It is a small 
stream, destitute of timber. Ascent, 17 feet per mile. 
October 12.—Thermometer at sunrise 21°, and 72° Fahrenheit only during the day. The 
broken valley between the Rock hills, which occupy nearly the whole space between the Wah¬ 
satch mountains and Green river, is two miles in width at our last camp, six miles from which 
we descended a steep bluff, and crossed a small creek as it enters a canon in these hills. 
Four miles from this canon, we reached the foot of a small valley, on the eastern border of 
which a creek descends from the south from a spur of the Wahsatch range, which sets off to the 
southeast from the Wahsatch Pass. A series of sandstone spurs, rising one above another, sets 
down from this southern range, joining the Rock hills to the east, whilst numerous small 
lateral valleys branch off to the west towards the gorges, among sandstone peaks and tables 
overlying clay, which form the eastern range of the Wahsatch mountains. These blmsh clay 
cliffs, from two hundred to three hundred feet high, are capped with red and argillaceous sand¬ 
stone a hundred feet thick, and thence sweep gently up to the summits of the mountains. The 
soil of the valleys varies from ashy friability, whitened more or less with effloresced salt, to 
hard clay sprinkled with pebbles—the whole country being utterly worthless. We encamped, 
having marched 15.65 miles, at Oak spring, which furnished us with an abundance of cool water; 
and a few acres of dry grass was found on a small stream near by, to which Captain Gunnison 
gave the name of the commander of his escort, Morris. 
Tewip Narrienta, or Powerful Earth, one of our Utah acquaintances of four days’ standing, 
came up with us to-day, having overcome his fear of the Mormons so far as to determine him to 
accompany us three or four days as a guide. Many of our mules came into camp quite broken 
down, and, although appearing in good condition, are so weak and leg-weary from months of 
incessant labor, that it is with great difficulty they can haul our light wagons even a few miles a 
day. Average ascent, 53 feet to the mile. 
