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Show 281 the direct route, which he represented to be, 'about as fit for traveling as is h-1 for a powder magazine,' and to journey via Fillmore and the wonder-n7 bearing White Mountains. But as Burton noted, an emigrant company had lately tried this route and were obliged to abandon it on account of the death of their cattle. The White Mountain trail had apparently become known for its natural wonders and was perhaps used as an emigrant trail, although certainly not to any great extent, if at all. Rockwell's understanding of this country may have come from his associate, George W. Bean. Without doubt, it was the great cave that became the object of interest, as information about the White Mountain Expedition leaked out. During his expedition in 1859, Captain Simpson reported hearing from the mail company of a great cave three days travel south of Steptoe Valley, which was said to have been discovered by persons from Fillmore. Although he did not venture to the cave, Simpson reported that persons had traveled up to three miles in the cave without reaching its terminus. Burton also heard about the cave: "At the western extremity of tbe White Mountains," wrote the captain, "there is a mammoth^ cave, of which one mile has been explored; it is said to end in a precipice, and Q the enterprising Major [Howard/ Egan i s eager to trace i t s course."' Egan was active in the mail contracting business at the time. The route he established ran about eighty-five miles north of the cave. Eventually, as miners and stockmen fanned out across the Great Basin in the mid-l860s, a degree of awareness of the Mormon expedition and their discovery of the cave was attained by them, although their information was sketchy. On terch 2, 1866 the Reese River Reveille, an Austin, Nevada newpaper, published a letter from a miner dated "White Mountain Cave, 22d February 1866." The letter's author also used the term "White Mountain Range" in the body of the letter. Although he did not specifically mention the Mormon expedition, the |