Identifier: reportsofexplora02unit_0 (find matches)
Title: Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean
Year: 1855 (1850s)
Authors: United States. War Dept Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 Baird, Spencer Fullerton, 1823-1887 United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
Subjects: Pacific railroads Discoveries in geography Natural history Indians of North America
Publisher: Washington : A.O.P. Nicholson, printer (etc.)
Contributing Library: San Francisco Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: California State Library Califa/LSTA Grant

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beautiful. Here, too, showers are of daily occurrence,whilst in the broad valley but little rain falls and nothing can be cultivated except by irrigation.Procuring what information we could of the country westward over which we were to pass, andthe services of a guide, we returned in thirty hours to our camp, (which in our absence had beenmoved but fifteen miles,) by nearly the same route we had followed in leaving it, arriving at noonon the 19th of August. On the following day we weie joined by the experienced and well-knownguide, Antoine Leroux. Here some half-dozen men came to ask for their discharge, refusing toperform further duty. One who had refused to guard the animals, while grazing in the early partof the day, was discharged, forfeiting arrearages of pay for a violation of his contract. Twoothers preferred their discharge on the same terms, which was granted; the others returning totheir duty. The labors devolving upon Mr. Taplin were too great for his strength, and a due TV
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ROUBIDEAuS PASS. 41 regard for his health compelled us reluctantly to part with him here, hoping that the pure air andquiet life of New Mexico would restore him to health. August 23.—We were detained in making necessary repairs, and in obtaining supplies at FortMassachusetts, until this morning, when we took leave of the officers of the post, from whom wehad received much courteous hospitality; and, following down Utah creek for three miles and ahalf, crossed it, and passed along the base of the gravelly hills which lie directly at the foot of theSierra Blanca, southwest and opposite the sharpest peak of which we encamped, at White Mount-ain spring, seven miles from Utah creek, and, in a direct line over the gravel hills, not more thanthat from Fort Massachusetts. These gravel hills are a confused set of elevations from fifty toone hundred feet in height, resulting from the washing away of a former deposit and the crumb-ling of the higher mountain masses. The mountain torrents have

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