FROM TIMPANOGOS CANON TO GREAT SALT LAKE. 
19 
mountain is terminated more in stages; yet it is very abrupt, and we had some difficulty at 
times in following the Indian trail along its face, in its natural state. These rocky precipices, 
rising one above the other, soon gain an elevation of two and three thousand feet, and the highest 
points finally attain an altitude of 4,000 feet above the river. The dip of the stratified rocks, 
wherever they are exposed, is from the river, and consequently there is little danger of land¬ 
slides in this gorge. The rivCr as it enters the canon is thirty yards wide, flowing with a 
strong current; but towards the foot it becomes still more rapid, breaking with considerable 
noise over the rocks in its bed. The pass, which is ten miles in length, varies in width from 
one hundred to three hundred yards ; and in constructing a railroad through it it would be 
necessary to cross the stream several times, to avoid short curves, which could be done as easily 
as bridges are usually built; and considerable blasting of rocks would be requisite at various 
points, but amounting to no large aggregate. A little pine grows on the mountain sides 
quite down to the river, but it seldom exceeds 8 or 10 inches in diameter. 
The descent per mile for the first 5.*70 miles from Kamas prairie, is 32.90 feet, and 60.90- 
feet to the mile for the next 5.20 miles; for the succeeding five miles it is 44.40 feet per mile, 
and six feet to the mile for the succeeding 5.40 miles; and for three miles from the head of the 
canon the average descent is 30.10 feet per mile; and for the succeeding eight miles, to our 
camp below the canon, 39.60 feet per inile. Our altitude at this camp was 5,017 feet above 
the sea, and 150 feet above the river. 
April 22.—We descended the river a short distance this morning, and then turned around 
the base of the mountain northward into the valley of Utah lake, which lay beautifully bright 
below us. A railroad from the Timpanogos canon should follow the same line, gradually 
descending into the valley and passing through its numerous Mormon settlements to the foot 
of Utah lake, where it should cross the Jordan, and, if practicable, cross the Oquirrh mount¬ 
ain through Cedar valley to the west of Lake Utah—the appearance of this part of the mount¬ 
ain, seen at considerable distances both from the east and the west, rendering it worthy of exami¬ 
nation, if at any time a railway shall be constructed west from Timpanogos river; but if this 
route should be impracticable, then it should descend the valley of Great Salt lake to the 
north end of Oquirrh mountain. The descending grades by the latter line will be 33.80 feet 
per mile for 14.20 miles, from the foot of the canon to the American fork; and 3.50 feet per 
mile for 39.60 miles thence to our camp of the 6th of May, at the northwestern angle of the 
valley of the Jordan. This unobstructed valley, of 20 miles in width by 30 in length, is 
largely susceptible of irrigation and cultivation, and already contains many Mormon settle¬ 
ments, of which Great Salt Lake City is the principal. 
It began to rain violently at 2 o’clock p. m., and continued until dark, soon after which I 
arrived at Great Salt Lake City after a ride of fifty miles. Latitude 40° 45' 37". 
