OCR Text |
Show VALLEY OF THE MALADE. 89 Soda Springs, had been partially explored by Mr. Owen, whose wagons had come through it some two weeks since, on their way to Salt Lake City. He describes the country as rough and rolling, with several high and steep ridges to be crossed. The road to- day has been level, with wood and water abundant. Encamped on the left bank of the Malade, here six feet wide and two feet deep. Friday, September 21.- Following up the left bank of the Malade for four miles, we crossed a small swift fork coming in from the north- east, affording abundance of water for irrigating a considerable extent of its valley on each side. The valley of the Malade is becoming gradually narrower and the hills lower. Grossing another fork from the east, we strike upon " Hedspeth's Cut- off," which leads from Sheep Bock, near the Soda Springs, to the Mormon road at Goose Greek. Distance, one hundred and twenty- five and a- half miles. The valley of the Malade seems to be formed principally of whitish clay, in which, however, no good section was found, so that it is uncertain whether it presents any stratification. Occasionally ridges of limestone and conglomerate push out from the side of the mountains; and in one instance the river was found flowing over a bed of breccia. The rock on the west side of the valley consisted of dark compact limestone, with a dip of 20° to the south- west. Shortly after reaching the Gut- off, a belt of high hills extended across the valley from east to west, composed of dark limestone containing a considerable number of fossils. These hills we ascended by one of the handsomest passes I had seen in the country. The inclination in no instance exceeds 5°; the soil is hard and porous; the natural road perfectly drained. The length of the pass is four miles, from the summit of which we descended to the east fork of the Malade, upon which we encamped, with intensely cold, pure water, willows for firewood, and good grass. In the pass some specimens of obsidian and volcanic debris were collected, evidently of secondary formation, and not conformable with the limestone ridges. Trachytic rock was also found on the side of the stream, forming a considerable hill, and overlaid by dark limestone. Saturday, September 22.- Directly after starting, crossed the east fork of the Malade, and still following the Cut- off, the track of which is hard and well beaten, we ascended another pass, in a north direction, very similar in its character to that we came up yesterday. From the top of this pass, which is the dividing ridge |