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Show SOUTH PASS- EMIGRANT RUSE. 71 obliged to release her from the wagon, when she lay down by the side of the road and in 4 short time expired. Between the Sweetwater, and the South Phse/ the soil for some four . OF five miles presented . the same disintegrated dark shales as had been observed on the other side of the riter. Jt then became more sandy, and portions of weathered marble were found- on the surface. On ascending some low hills on the left of the road, and. within about a mile of the Pass, marble was found in place, . containing a considerable incrustation of silex. It evidently cropped out on the south side of these hills, on the top of one of which was found a stratum of gray sandstone, in. which the remains of en « crinites were observed. It was quite horizontal) not conformable with the marble under it, and was undoubtedly a continuation of the secondary formation which had been observed up the whole valley of the Sweetwater. On'the left of the road, and a few miles distant, were some high hills, which, from their appearance, seemed to be capped by the reddish clay which forms the isolated masses in the valley of the Platte. - Shortly after passing the summit we - found aV stratum of apparently metamorphic clay, horizontal, with an east and west direction. Over this werd strata of gray sandstone, horizontal, or with a slight dip to the east Descending the western side of the Pass, the soil was composed principally of red Sand. No rocks were visible. About a mile from Dry Sandy, some masses of rock were observed on the right of the road, standing up like pillars; they were found to be composed of a coarse sandstone, of an ochrey colour. Under them were white and red shales, apparently horizontal*' The surfaced the ground appeared to be the result of the decomposition of this ochrey rock, I witnessed, at the Pacific Springs, an instance of no- little ingenuity on the part of some emigrant. Immediately alongside of the road was what purported to be a grave, prepared with more -, than usual care, having a headboard on which was painted the name and age of the deceased, the time of his death, and the part of the country from which he oame. I afterward ascertained that this was only a ru% e to conceal the fact that, the grave, instead of containing the mortal remains of a human being, had been made a safe receptacle for divers casks of brandy, which the owner could carry no farther. . He afterward sold his liquor to somd traders farther on, who, by his description of its locality, found it without difficulty. • Wednesday; August 8.- In our march, yesterday, to the Little |
