22 
SPRING VALLEY.—RAILROAD VIA PILOT PEAK. 
reluctantly. Our path led all day through fine fields of grass, which sometimes occupied the 
surface unopposed by more hardy plants, hut at others was thickly interspersed with artemisia, 
of the greasewood and rahhit-hush varieties. The large central portion of this valley towards 
the lake, is an alkaline plain, too soft and miry to he conveniently crossed. It is terminated 
to the west hy Cedar mountains, a range parallel with, hut not so elevated as that to the 
east of the valley, which is twenty miles wide. We encamped, after a march of 21.45 miles, 
on a fine litle creek a foot in width, descending clear and cold from the highest snow-peaks of 
the range to the east. It would serve to irrigate a few farms before reaching the alkaline 
bed just mentioned, in which it sinks. High up the mountain peaks above our camp a few 
dark masses of pine are seen, and cedar extends nearly down to the valley. Our camp is a 
short distance south of the line hy which Colonel Fremont crossed this valley in 1845, and 
Captain Stanshury in 1849, and hy which it should he crossed hy a railway to Cedar mountain,' 
which should he crossed hy the route followed hy Fremont, where the altitude of its summit is 
given on the map u drawn hy Mr. Charles Preuss from the surveys of Colonel Fremont and 
other authorities, under an order of the Senate, in 1848,” at 5,009 feet above the sea, or 
about 800 feet above Great Salt lake, or hy lower depressions still further to the north, if it 
should be found desirable. In its course west from this mountain, it should he carried as far 
as practicable to the south, without unduly increasing its length, to avoid the miry plains nearer 
the lake—these plains becoming firm in proportion to their distance from it—passing hy one 
of the open spaces to the south of Pilot Peak, hy which the succeeding chain of mountains to 
the west is terminated to the south, and thence he continued hy the north end of the succeeding 
western range towards the head of Humboldt river. For a faithful and lucid description of 
this part of the line, I beg to refer you to Captain Stanshury’s report of his expedition to the 
Great Salt lake, chapter vi, pages 111 to 116; and for its delineations, to the map before referred 
to, made hy Mr. Preuss. The passes and the country delineated hy him in that vicinity were 
observed with much attention hy us from the line which we explored a little to the south of it, 
our observations confirming the general character of the country as represented on this map, 
hut materially adding to the positive knowledge of it, as will he seen hy reference to the accom¬ 
panying map. We crossed this' desert on the 12th and 13th instant, under which dates its 
description will he found. 
May 10.—By the advice of our Indian guides, we crossed Lone Eock valley hy a very direct 
course to the pass in Cedar mountains, which they represent as leading to the best route hy 
which the desert west of it can he crossed—the pass itself, in their estimation, being superior. 
The rise from the centre of the valley to the foot of the pass is very gradual, and its whole 
surface is covered with small varieties of artemisia, neither grass nor water being found near 
the road. The valley southward trends considerably to the east, and is uninterrupted as far as our 
vision could reach, although a low mountain extends into it for a considerable distance from 
the west, hut eventually terminates in the plain. A small growth of cedar is scattered uni¬ 
formly over the mountain in the vicinity of the pass, in which we encamped at a small spring 
of very hitter water, after a march of 15.18 miles, grass being abundant on the mountain 
sides. We met three Goshoot Indians during the morning, who accompanied us to camp. 
They were armed with dint-lock rifles and powerful elastic hows, made from the horns of the 
mountain sheep. Our most intelligent guide, Shippah, pointed out to me a small variety of 
ground-rat or gopher, and a black heetle-like cricket, which furnish a very large proportion 
of the food of his people. The grass also, on the seed of which they feed, he thinks of inte¬ 
rest, and points out every tuft which we pass. 
May 11.—The ascent became more steep as we approached the summit of the pass ; the 
ravine narrow, and covered with a thick growth of stunted cedar, through which we were 
obliged to cut a road; and the descent still more abrupt and narrow, forced us to cut a road 
along its sides for a hundred yards—a considerable labor, as the ground was hard and rocky. 
Fortunately, just below the summit, we came to a small rivulet of running water, which leaks 
