42 
ROUND VALLEY. 
increases, with a free hut not rapid current. We passed with our wagons without difficulty 
down the slopes of spurs of the mountains projecting into the pass, having to ascend and descend 
these spurs in passing side ravines. The last of these spurs only deserves a remark, as it brought 
us nearly to the level of the top of the pass, and narrowed the valley of the creek to the width of 
fifty or sixty yards ; hut, as it was filled with hushes, it was preferable to avoid it by passing 
over the hill. Opposite this hill, a deep canon from the southwest enters, with steep rocky 
walls. As we descended from it, we entered a valley of a mile in width, still descending con¬ 
siderably as we progressed. 
From the summit of the pass it would be easy, for some miles, to carry a railway on the hill¬ 
sides, descending at pleasure ; but further down, this would become more difficult, on account 
of the curves which the hill ravines would require, but it is still practicable. For this purpose 
the northeast side is the most favorable; for, although containing the largest number of ravines, 
they are the smallest, and it is unbroken by canones. The western descent of the pass is heavily 
timbered to near our present camp, and there is a fine warm spring, in a basin of rocks, just 
where we ascended the high spur to avoid the creek. We encamped before leaving the pass, 
after a march of 21.67 miles. 
June 26.—Last night was clear and beautiful, but cool, making overcoats and fires com¬ 
fortable in the evening. The morning was also bright and clear, with the thermometer at 
sunrise at 19° Fahrenheit—ice having formed an eighth of an inch thick. The pass again 
became narrow below camp, and heavily wooded for five miles, to where it opens into a broad 
plain called Round valley. This valley is twenty miles or more in length, and ten or twelve 
in width ; and several creeks flow into it, and overflowing form marshy lands of large extent. 
It is everywhere luxuriant in grass, and the mountains around it are heavily timbered. They 
are not high, but gradually swelling and rolling. High mountains are seen, however, far to 
the north, upon which there is some snow. In the west, Mount Shasta is a beautiful feature 
in the landscape ; and to the southwest, other beautiful snow-peaks mark the western line of 
the Sierra Nevada. As we entered the valley, unusually large Indian smokes curled grace¬ 
fully upwards here and there, announcing the arrival of strangers. 
Turning southward, we followed the base of the hills to our evening camp. Indians were seen 
at some distance as we were encamping, and Captain Morris rode to them and invited them to 
accompany him to camp. They are short, but muscular and well-made men, calling themselves 
Pali-Utahs. They were naked and wild, and we could comprehend but few of their signs. 
Their noses were bored and ornamented with a horizontal bar of shell or bone. Just above our 
camp was a newly-made grave, from which the earth had been removed, and the clothes stripped 
from the body of a young man, doubtless by the Indians, who told us that he had died but two 
days previously and was buried by his friends; which we subsequently learned was true, the 
party having been here in. search of gold. 
June 27.—It was 4.76 miles to the south end of Round valley, where we came upon an old 
emigrant road, (Lassen’s) which is said to leave the Humboldt river above the point at which we 
crossed it, and to cross the Sierra Nevada near the southern line of Oregon, in the vicinity 
of Goose lake. This part of the road has also been used in travelling from Oregon to Cali¬ 
fornia. Its trail is well worn, but at present seldom used. 
One of the main sources of the Sacramento river is in the snowy range referred to in crossing 
the Sierra Nevada, to the north of our path, whence it descends and enters the northeastern 
part of Round valley, and leaves it at our present station, where it enters a rocky canon 100 
yards wide. The river is from 30 to 40 feet wide as it enters the canon, flowing with a free 
current over a bed of rocks. The walls of the canon at its head are 80 feet high, vertical 
trachytic rocks at top, with a large talus at the foot. 
From our camp of the 24th instant, the ascending grades upon the line explored average, for 
the first 10.57 miles leaving that camp, 32.70 feet per mile; and for 1.63 miles thence to 
the western summit of the Sierra Nevada, 92.60 feet per mile, or 26.30 feet if the deep-cut of 
