CHAPTER VI. 
From the eastern base of the Wahsatch mountains , via the Wahsatch Pass and Sevier 
river , to near the Sevier lake , the most western point of explorations, and back to Cedar 
springs , after the death of Captain Gunnison .— October 13 to 28, 1853. 
Akanaquint creek.—Eude figures drawn on rocks.—The Wahsatch Pass.—Character of the hills to the east and west of the 
pass.—Grades.—Tunnel.—Salt creek.—Swambah creek.—Spanish trail.—Un-got-tah-bi-kin creek.—Col. Burwell and Mr. 
Boss.—Tewip Narrienta.—Course of the Spanish trail to the west.—Wahsatch mountain reconnoissance.—Salt Creek canon: 
its length, character, and grades for a railroad.—Wagon trail.—Entering Sevier Eiver valley.—Moot-se-ne-ah Peak.—Mountains 
surrounding the Sevier Eiver valley.—Mormon settlements.—Vegetation of the valley.—Sevier river.—Captain Gunnison’s 
statement of the result of his explorations for mail and military roads and for railroads.—Manner in which their duties were 
performed by the gentlemen of his party.—San Pete creek.—Eoad from Great Salt Lake to California.—Captain Gunnison’s 
visits to Manti.—Cross the Sevier river.—Lake valley.—Un-kuk-oo-ap mountains.—Fillmore.—Sevier Lake valley.—Eabbit 
fences.—Eeturn to the Sevier river.—Departure of Captain Gunnison and party to explore the Sevier lake.—Extract from his 
journal.—Party ascending the Sevier river.—Sand-hills.—Eiver course.—Sage.—Canon of the Sevier river.—Un kuk-oo-ap 
mountains terminate.—First intelligence of the disaster to Captain Gunnison’s party.—Departure of Captain Morris to the 
scene of the attack.—Stragglers.—Movement of the train and party to Cedar springs.—Eeturn of Captain Morris.—Scene of 
the disaster.—Bodies of the slain.—False charges against the Mormons. 
October 13.—Passing a low break in a ridge of hills to the south of our camp, after a ride of a 
mile we reached the Akanaquint, a small mountain brook of two feet in width, running over a 
stony bed, well skirted with bushes, but without grass. We turned up this creek nearly due 
west, following its narrow gorge, averaging in width from one hundred to two hundred yards, 
walled in on either side by high hills of nearly perpendicular sandstones, often water-worn into 
holes, from which, our Indian guide informed us, the stream received its name. He also told us 
that a circle in red, high up on a sheltered rock on the face of one of the hills, where some rude 
human figures are seen, also sketched in red lines, was called Akanaquint. These rude figures, 
in the place in which they are seen, were a great wonder to him, and he had often attempted to 
describe them to us during the previous day, telling us that they had been made by an American 
captain—all chief men of parties are captains with these Indians—who had passed here on his way 
to California, which the Indians know by the name of Monterey; and, in pointing them out to 
us, he seemed to think he was showing a remarkable sight. This gorge is cut into deep gullies 
by streams which pour down from the mountains during storms, which gave us some labor to 
cross; and a small stream coming in from the south also detained us a short time. But, alter 
following it for two miles and a half, the Spanish trail branches; the southern branch, following 
the stream, passes over a higher elevation and soon rejoins the northern branch, which, though 
longer, crosses the mountain at a lower depression. We followed this branch, the hills becoming 
less high above us, more open and smooth, and covered with dry grass and bushes, and, by a 
quite gentle and uniform ascent over a fine road, reached the summit of the Wahsatch Pass, the 
eastern rim of the Great Basin, three miles from the Akanaquint creek. The hills in the imme¬ 
diate vicinity of the summit scarcely rise above the pass, while the country, both to the north and 
south, as far as the eye can reach, is exceedingly rough. A large range, through which no pass 
is known to exist, bears off from this pass southeast towards the Sierra Abajo. To the west, but 
little can be seen over the intervening peaks, except the summits of the mountains, thirty miles 
distant, on the western border of the valley of the Sevier river. 
For two hundred yards the descent of the opposite slope is steep, but was passed with the same 
