Show TO FORT LIMHI I 1 his excellency governor yo young ri presidents heber C kimball and daniel H wells and elders orson hyde and franklin D richards with several others left this city on friday the of A april p ril rii to visit the settlement on salmon river to rest their minds to invigorate their bodies and to examine the intermediate c country ou n try the company reached brigham city on the afternoon of the attended meeting there during the ko forenoon of sunday the were joined by elder L some snow and others of that city and several from ogden city east ogden and willow creek and in the afternoon passed on to bear river ferry crossed over camped on the right bank and arid organized 0 by unanimously electing 0 crests ji young H C Kim balland D H wells presidents of the company elders 0 hyde F D richards and L snow chaplains robert T burton captain J C little marshal warren S snow sergeant of the guard A carrington jesse jcsse IV fo fox and T D brown engineers 1 vir W cummings and T D bro brown clerics clerks with a captain to each of the five tens the organized company comprised men 22 women and 5 b boys with horses and mules 54 wagons wago ns and carriages and 2 light boats with decking planks for ferrying on the and the general eral cral course was a little west of north up bear river rivet to the ford then deflecting I 1 westerly into malad valley which opens onto bear river and up that valley crossing several small tributaries tributa ries to tha the malad also its left hand fork and camping campin on the near the head spring of the right hand branch of the right fork of the malad where the hudspeth cutoff cut off in the california road crosses the nia ala malad ad valley from its southern extremity to the cross range range 0 of mountains between the main right and left forks has a varying width of from 4 to 10 miles has a generally fertile sail a surface peculiarly well adapted to irrigation is well grassed tolerably well watered rather father scantily supplied with fuel fue and timber and ind is bounded on the east and west by langes ranges s of oi low mountains the points and peaks of the western range being smoothly rounded and ard covered with grass nearly to their summits taken to together 0 ether it is much the best locality for settlement of ant any observed on the route beyond bear river from prom the junction with the hudspeth cutoff cut off the new track made by the settlers in going to limhi leads northwesterly and by a smooth somei somewhat ilat winding and gradual ascent in about six miles reaches the summit of the northern rim of the basin 1334 miles from G 8 L city from this point the descent is rather rapid down the crest of a narrow and rocky spur ridge 0 into bannack valley which has a general course N 10 IV averages about four miles wide is tolerably well grassed in some portions very sparsely timbered opens opens onto shangyi plain the great desert region surrounding the three buttes and is bounded on the east by the basin rim and its spur ranges 0 and on the west by a rugged range tinge b which blends with the goose acrel creek mountain mountains 8 the bannack is a small smail stream with a sluggish current until it is joined by its right hand band fork which considerably increases the volume end and speed after which it soon enters the plain and runs a more westerly course in a narrow steep banked channel to its outlet into snake shahe river jeome ome three thre e miles below beloi the mouth of the port 41 beuf euf A few small will wiil willows aws birch and alder fringe the bannack from the mouth of bannack valley the road enters upon the southern bouthern border of of shangyi plain and keeping a general co course arse a few fe W degrees esst east of north intersects the emigrant road from the tia states to oregon some six miles 5 by y E from fort hall and add f follows that road across the bridges I 1 aver over the portneuf Port Part neue neuf and ross creek when it ii leaves the old road to the right and strikes snake river from fourth to one half amile amlie a mile mlle below the mouth fork and 1933 1033 miles from G S L city the port neuf issues from the hills a few m miles iles lles above the bridge which is is some six miles S E of fort hall half and nd at the bridge runs rapid current five feet deep by f orty forty feet icet wide ilde being swollen by the melting af of the snow the narrow of bottom land upon this stream is rendered d nearly useless by alkaline pate patches lies lles sio sloughs and the numero numerous us spring runs that burst forth along the base of me thae upland banks there is a narrow margin of good goad land along deong ross creek and the hirst first low hills east of the road are well clothed with grass but timber would have to be obtain obtained pd from the rugged mount mountains ains airs some soine twenty or more miles further east 1 lie lle reached ached snake river b by y noon I 1 P when a wharf was built on the left bauk baak and the boats at once oncel prepared for foi ferrying and by 10 pm the company and their vehicles were w ere all safely cross crossed idov over r at an average of nine minutes to a wagon including r a rest of about hale half halfen an hour the animals were all safely swam on the he morning of the ad this river though very low lor bor lor the time of year is at the feiry ferry about v ards wide and 8 feet deep in the center of the tiie channel with a strong current has but bu little bottom land so far as we traveled upon it its s bank above the ferry a distance of miles in a northeasterly north easterly directions direct ionis plentifully supplied with islands has the customary willow fringe with a f few ew small scattering cotton cottonwoods woods a few currant bushes just blos bios coming still fewer dwarf cedar and is crossed by several belts of black volcanic rock among the pebbles and boulde boulders rs thickly strown on the banks of snake river sandstones ston es and lime ilme me stones of various qualities are the character char characteristic acte kinds interspersed with numerous specimens of granite and a few of porphyry 0 the ford on Snake is miles above the ferr ferry y at a point where three islands divide the river into four channels but the water though trough low for the season was too high for crossin crossing with wagons wagons as was also the blackfoot footwork Fork should travel ever warrant the alte alteration ration the ferrying point should be near the ford and a bridge abridge be made across blackfoot thus shortening and otherwise betterin bettering the route rate meeting 0 was held in the forenoon of sundari may 3 during which elders eiders esnow FD richards and 0 hyde llyde and crests B young and 11 C kimball made instructive and appropriate remal remarks upon union conduct condict in traveling ac the ile general course from leaving snake river to where the road strikes spring creek is W by 8 for miles crossing a small MC sluggish stream called kamas and passing by a email small pond named muddy lake into which the karnas kamas empties I ille the lle lie route from near fort port hall to sprin spring cl Cre creedis ekis ekls caused by the want of grass and water in the region of the three buttes there belr beir being no other apparent hindrance to traveling across that portion of I 1 MA plain except breaking t a track through the sag sagi which almost everywhere every where densely clothes it spring creek where the road strikes it was bome some 10 feet wide by 14 deep with a gravelly bedana rapid current is fringed with small willows birch and alders interspersed with a A few email small cottonwoods cotton woods and either sinks or forms a pond a few miles below the valley here bere opens into shan shangyi bi plain has an average width of some 5 miles a general course N 30 IV is rather poorly grassed and inbound i bounded on the easi east by along limestone lime limi stone spur range range frol from the rocky maintains mountains and on the west by the tile high rugged 00 east flanking rene ren range renge 0 e of the salmon river Rim mountains I 1 the ascent to summit of spring creek pass a distance of 37 miles and miles from G S L city is very smooth and gradual as is also the descent with tb the tho exception of a few smooth accents ascents and descents in the pass caused ia b by y table tabie land cross ranges C connecting the the he rocky and salmon river mountains pro fron iro from m this pass the course is northwesterly north westerly down the right hand fork of salmon river from near the source of its be adwaters headwaters in the rocky roay mountains to fort ii abi a distance of 49 miles and miles from G S L city A few miles NE from the mouth of little mud iud luddy asdall aff afi affluent luent to the right 0 bank pf af daer creek which is the first branch of salmon river intersected by the road is a narrow gorge in the he rocky mountains which here are not very i lofty and terminate abruptly an on the bench land throw brough lh which it is said to be te only some three or four miles from the waters of og salmon to the waters of missouri river the right llad hand fork of salmon river from its source in the rocky and salmon river mountains to its junction with the left hand fork some 20 miles below limhi has but little bottom larni lath and no v alley valley and may be said to run in merely an open kanyon it has the usual willow birch and alder fringe until within a a f few ew M miles iles lles above limhi from which point small cottonwoods cotton woods thickly cover the narrow bottoms the laft left 1 ft hand fork of saimon salmon river rises in kamas valley in the salmon river mountains at an estimated distance of miles west of limhi and pursuing a northeasterly north easterly course joins the right hand fork ani and both run in a still narrower kanyon for some 20 miles when the river enters the mountains the left fork of salmon river is stated to be nearly twice the we size of the right b which at fort limhi was some 25 yards wide and two feet deep with a rapid current and gravelly bed the company reached fort limhi at 6 pm dm of friday mayk mayi may 8 this fort is a neat stockade inclosing inc lohing a space 16 rods square and has a large and securely fenced yard for animals and add a small grist mill not yet finished though sufficiently so to be used it is located on the bench land a short distance from the right bank of salmon river and has two good sized fields mostly plowed and sown in which the crop promising considering the coolness and consequent fat lateness eness of the season the big and red sided salmon are said to be very plenty here in their season for which 11 we were evere about a month too soon but a few red sided salmon were purchased from the indians they are a fine flavored fish and average about two and and a half feet in length A few bannack indians had pitched their lodges adjacent to the fort among among t whom governor youn young t distributed tri buted many presents of blankets ac on the 1 lith lith of may alay which were very gladly received during the stay s 1 ay of four days and abid a half lulf at fort ort limhi limb the weather was generally cool and cloudy loudy affording but little opportunity for observations ions for latitude and longitude though two for latitude and one for time were obtained the positions of the clouds precluded so good an observation for time as could have beep wished and oth other er duties have hitherto prevented a discussion for the results which have to be omitted till a future date rate sunday may lu au a meeting was held in the fort and arid prest B young elders 0 hyde F D richards and arid L snow crests 11 C kimball and D H wells patriarch and president john young and ind president thomas S smith severally addressed the congregation and gave some excellent instructions in the afternoon snack the head chief of this tribe of the Bann acks and several other indians came into the fort and had a smoke and a long arid and very friendly driendl fri endl endi talk taik in which Arra peen head chief of the and who accompanied the expedition participated sandstone neof of an excellent quality for 0 grind tind stones and a very superior chalk are found a few miles below the fort and coal is reported arted about 25 miles below but the beds have not been examined there is a very good pass through the rocky mountains east of fort li limhi mill throng through which it is said to be only some 10 to 15 miles from the fort to horse prairie and th the e waters watell of the missouri river 0 left fort port limhi limb at t noon of wednesday may 13 and arrived in G S L city at pm of may 26 having had bad a very pleasant trip out and back and been absent 33 days the weather was very pleasant for traveling except the evening night and day of may 7 8 during which it snowed quite rapidly at times but boon soon melted the evening 0 night and morning r of may 14 15 which wire we re ien fen rendered very disagreeable by a high cold north wind causing the coldest weather any of the company had ever experienced at like date and forming ice more morel than half an inch in buckets and finishing up with a snow squall in spring creek pass from 11 am until noon of the and a beav heavy tain rain on snake river from 7 am of may 18 to 1130 am of the which thoroughly soaked the very dry loli soli to the depth of several inches and madette ma dethe road quite muddy until evening evenings at bear river returning governor young I 1 t expressed his unalloyed gratification with the peace good order harmony and alacrity invariably displayed by each member of the company and welcomed them to the free useph I 1 iwo two wo boats which he had built and transported to snake river and back expressly for their use a distance cf of miles also to the ferriage at bear river without charge which was quite a sum at the legal rates of toll for so large a company A united and most heartfelt vote of thanks was returned to our president for his fatherly care and kindness for his prudent mode modena of regulating 7 the travel noon halts and camps aud and sud for his most excel excellent example counsels coun couns sais fils flis and instruction during the journey in the diffie different rent settlements where the coin coln company halted they wre were very hospitably received and entertained and at brigham city on their return the whole company were seated a at t tables tastefully arranged and ana sumptuously furnished in the large basement room of the public hall the upper rooms being not yet finished the road track is generally very good being smooth and level for a mountainous country with the exception of a arlew ariew ev boggy places and bench land hills on salmon river the volcanic rock belts and sandy stretches on shangyi plain and the northern slope of the he rim of the basin with regard to the extensive region of country passed through r beyond the malad valley suffice it to say that so far as was observed en the be immediate line oi of travel or could be seen to the right aud and left of the route and beyond limhi the whole of that extensive region is is of but little worth save to answer the purpose of connecting territory which might ot otherwise herIse be separated by a great gulf in this brief sketch of the journey and country but little allusion has been made to courses and distances they being r given in the accompanying table phe the the distances INCLUDE the turnings to and from noon halts and camps courses and distances from great salt lahe lake city to fort linchi on salmon river localities Coun cour courses sEs dist IMST Gs ANCES r armington 15 0 oen den city bax boc elder elden SK 1221 0 19 Be bear rear arRiver river ferry 11 1773 bear river ford 7 spring creek barnards barnarda Barn ards fott foit 2585 2685 6 utah and oregon line 2310 OG enderson henderson II creek cree k 5 ris 8 willow t pring spring N 20 W deep creek muddy creek lower creek lit I 1 t |