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Show RECONNAISSANCE IN THE UTE COUNTRY. 51 Railroad is struck. The existence of these and the land surveys makes it unnecessary to describe the country further. The party reached Pueblo on October 3, and on the 4th was broken up. The report of Assistant James Bassel on the Musca Pass and Pimcha Pass are appended. H. G. PROUT, Assistant in Charge. SUB- REPORT ON MUSCA PASS AND PUNCHA PASS LINES. FoltT GARLAND, COL., August 20,1873. SIR : In compliance with your instructions of the 12th instant, I have the honor to submit the following journal as a report of my operations, from the time of our leaving this post on that day until our return on the 19th instant: August 12.- Left Fort Garland at 9 a. in., with the line passing around the base of Sierra Blanca Mountains on the road to Musca Pass. For the first mile or two the road passed over a dry, flat, gravelly desert, covered with a growth of prickly pear and stunted sage- brush. Thence over a more elevated and slightly undulating couutry of the same character as to vegetation, but more sandy, and cut up at intervals by arroyas running down from the foot- hills into the desert- the foot- hills of Sierra Blanca, half a mile to the right of the road, covered with a thick growth of cedars and piiion pine. Made first camp seven miles from Fort Garland at one o'clock p. m., near some springs, just north of a dry bed of a stream, the course of the latter being indicated by a belt of cotton- woods from a point a little to the west of the road back into the foot- hills of Sierra Blanca. There was a depression or valley on each side of the dry bed of stream a mile in width, and on the north side was a slight rise in the country for half a mile, and then a depression in which the springs were situated 5 wood and water enough, but of inferior quality, while grass was abundant and of fair quality over a bottom a mile in width, extending from the foot- hills out into the desert of San Luis. August 13th.- Broke camp at 6.30 a. m.; country of much the same character as the day previous, except that, being near the foot of mountains, there were more rocks scattered over the couutry, while in places there was heavy sand, with a more vigorous growth of sagebrush, and the road crossing frequent arroyas; made nine miles and a half, and found stream running down from the mountain into the desert. Water is not found here usually as far from the mountain as the road, and at this time it sinks about a mile to the west of the wagon- road. Camped at 11.30 a. m.; on this stream grass very scarce; plenty of wood and water; saw six antelopes during the day and one mountain sheep near the camp ; game must be abundant, judging from the signs found on the sides of the mountain. During the day's march could see the belt of timber marking the course of the Eio Grande River more than twenty- five miles to the west of our route, the view over the San Luis Valley and of the mountains surrounding it being very grand indeed; unable to get azimuth to- night on account of clouds; storm, accompanied with lightning and thunder, on the Saguache Mountains and on the mountains west of the valley; no rain at our camp. August 14.- Broke camp at 7 a. m.; marching over a country closely resembling that passed over yesterday; down in the edge of the valley, |