CHAPTER VII. 
General Summary and railroad practicability of the line explored on the forty-first 
parallel of north latitude. 
Railroad connexion east from Fort Bridger.—Valley of Green river.—Grazing cattle in winter in the mountains.—Mormon 
settlement on Smith’s Fork.—Bear River, Wahsatch, and Uinta mountains.—Highest point of the line reached.—Appearance 
of the country thence west.—Depth of snow.—Timber, soil, and grass.—Length of line from Smith’s Fork to Oquirrh 
mountain.—Canones of the Weber and Timpanogos rivers.—Railroad in the Jordan, Tuilla, and Lone Rock valleys.—Mormons 
desirous to aid in the construction of the road; their numbers.—Cedar mountain.—The Desert.—Passages to the south of 
Pilot Peak, and thence to the Humboldt mountains.—Humboldt Mountain Pass; its altitude.—Timber and its abundance.— 
Valley of the Humboldt river.—Country south of this valley; its profile.—From Humboldt river to the foot of the Sierra 
Nevada.—Fertility of this section —The ascent of Madelin Pass; its altitude; broad plain at its summit.—Highest point of 
the pass; its western descent; timber, and soil.—Round valley.—Sacramento river.—First canon of the Sacramento.—Second 
canon of the Sacramento.—The Sacramento below the mouth of Fall river.—Noble’s Pass of the Sierra Nevada.—Mud lakes 
to Honey lake.—Honey Lake valley.—Ascent of the mountains.—Susan river.—Pine creek.—Black Butte creek.—Black 
Butte.—Hat and Wolf creeks.—Greatest altitude in this pass.—Descent from the western summit of the Sierra.—Depth of 
snow in the winter in this pass.—Dr. Wozencraft’s observations.—Entire length of the pass.—Head of steamboat navigation 
of the Sacramento.—Future surveys.—Method of determining levels.—Building-stone upon the route.—Water.—Cultivable 
land.—Directness of this line; its length. 
Having concluded the journal report of my explorations for the Pacific railroad, of what 
may, very properly, he designated the route of the forty-first parallel of north latitude, which 
is both central, as regards its geographical position and its connection with the general lines 
of commerce of all parts of our country, the general features of the route explored, and its 
adaptation to the particular object of its examination, will he succinctly presented. 
This route is intended to connect, in the vicinity of Fort Bridger, in the valley of Green 
river, Utah, with that explored thence eastward by Bridger’s Pass to the Plains, by Captain 
Stansbury, in returning from his survey of Great Salt lake, in 1850; and it is only necessary 
that I should refer you to his report of that part of the route for its clear understanding, and 
connections thence eastward with the general lines of commerce of the country, either by 
descending Lodge Pole creek, the South fork, and main Platte, to the Missouri, or by keeping 
to the east of Crow creek and passing over to the Republican fork of the Kansas, and descending 
the former stream to its junction with the latter, and thence pursuing any desired route to the 
Missouri. 
That part of the valley of Green river in which Fort Bridger is situated, and which is 
overlooked from the foot of the Uinta mountains by the line which we followed in our explora¬ 
tions eastward from Bear river, constitutes a remarkable feature upon this line. It has been 
variously designated as the valley of Green river, the Green River Basin, and the Coal Basin 
of Green river, from being abundantly supplied with that important article. It is more than 
two hundred miles in extent from east to west, and has a variable width, north and south, from 
twenty to over a hundred miles. It is enclosed on the east by the Rocky mountains, and on 
the northeast by the Sweet Water and Wind River mountains—Green river entering it from 
the north—and on the northwest and west by the Bear River mountains; and on the south by 
the Uinta mountains, broken by the deep canon by which Green river continues its course to the 
south. Its borders are occupied by spurs from the surrounding mountains, and a few detached 
buttes are seen east of Green river; hut its general character is that of an elevated rolling 
plain or valley, easily traversed in any direction. It is drained by Green river, which passes 
southward through its centre, and by its tributaries. Its soil is light and dry, with a small 
