Overland route to California, description of the route, via Council Bluffs, Iowa: keeping the north side of the Platte River for the whole of the distance, lying near that stream, thence over the South Pass via the great Sublette and Bear River cut-offs, and the Truckee river road, over the Sierra Nevada to Sacramento Valley

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28 OVERLLND ROUTE 693i 2 LEAVES RIVER, and in eight miles you again eome to 8 RIVER AND FORD. Road again leaves the the river, and there is no good water (though you will find gocd grass,) for seventeen miles and a half, when you will came again to the 17! RIVER AND FORD. Good grass and willows will be found for fuel.­Four miles again, and 4 RIVER AND FORD, and in half 3 a mile further tho ~ RIVER IS RE-FORDED. In half a mile more you come to i BRANCII OF RIVER. Three miles further is a SPRING CREEK, and a fair place to camp. After two miles travel, tho i ROAD LEAVES TfiE RIVER.­As the road ascends from the bottom land, there are a number of springs of .e xcellent water on the loft of tho road ' tn the bank. After two miles and a half, you strike · 760! TO CALIFORNIA. 29 730i 2~ ROUGH AND VERY ROCKY RIDGES. Seven miles to '1 STRAWBERRY CREEK, which is a branch of the S\veetwater. Good camping ground. 4 BRANCH OF RIVER. Good camp­ing ground. 2! WILLO\V CREEK. ' Ggod camp­ing ground. In five miles you come to the ~ SWEETV\r AtfER RIVER, for the last time. llero also is good camp ground. In ten miles you reach the 10 SOUTH PASS-Summit. (Three miles before you rea.oh this place, and immediately after passing the Koin Mounds, is a good spot to camp, a little distance north of road.) This is the dividing point between the waters of the two ooeans. The altitude is · about 7100 feet. In three milos more you reach 3 PACIFIC SPRINGS and CREEl{. Here is a great abundance of grass, but the ground is in many places ver1 764! •