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Show X PREFACE. It is expected that the results of these labors will, as soon as practicable, bo published by the General Government, in a series of volumes, and such publication commences with the present, which, in Part First, gives a history of the original exploration through a region practically unknown prior to the time it was made. It has not been thought best to give a history of all our travels, but only those portions which were original explorations. Accompanying the volume will be found a map of the "Green River from the Union Pacific Railroad to the mouth of the White River," including the eastern portion of the Uinta Mountains, and a "Profile of the Green River and Colorado River of the West, from the crossing of the Union Pacific Railroad to the mouth of the Colorado, compared with the profile of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers from Pittsburgh to Vicks burgh." It has been prepared from barometric data collected at different times during the exploration and survey. That portion below the mouth of the Rio Virgen has been taken from Lieutenant Ives's ''Report upon the Colorado River of the West." The altitude of the mouth of the Rio Virgen is represented on the profile with this volume as somewhat less than it appears on that made by Lieutenant Ives. Our own determinations fix it as we represent it. Lieutenant I ves's data for the upper portion of his line are indefinite, but can be interpreted to agree with the results which we have obtained; perhaps better than with his own profile. As far as possible we have adopted the names of geographic features used by the settlers of the adjacent country, but many of the mountains, plateaus, valleys, canons, and streams were unknown and unnamed. In such cases we have accepted the Indian names, whenever they could be determined with accuracy. I intend, finally, to publish a glossary of all these new names, giving their significance. I am greatly indebted to many gentlemen living in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado Territories for their assistance and co-operation in this enterprise. To mention them severally would inordinately swell this preface. Professor A. H. Thompson has been my companion and collaborator during the greater part of the time, and bas had entire cltarge of the geo- , r ~ . PREFA<.m. XI graphic work ; the final maps will exhibit the results of his learning and executive ability. P~ofessor Joseph Henry, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, under whose direction the work was performed, prior to the 1st of July, 1874, has contributed great]y to any success which we may have had, by his instructions and advice, and by his most .earnest sympathy; and I have taken the liberty to express my gratitude for his kindness, and reYerence for his profound attainments, by attaching his name to a group of lofty mountains. To the officers of the Union Pacific, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, the Utah Centra], and other railroads; I am indebted for many valuable favors; but for their co-operation the work could not have been accomplished with the means at my command. Many thousands of dollars, in the aggregate, have been contributed by them to the enterprise in the form of free transportation. I earnestly hope that the final result of the work, as a contribution to American science, will not disappoint their expectations. J. 1V. P. WASIIINO'l'ON, D. c., 1875. |