OCR Text |
Show VALLEY OF THE MALADE. 89 Soda Springs, had been partially explored by Mr. Owen, whose wagons had come through it bpme two weeks since, on their way to Salt Lake City. He describes the country as rough and rolling, with several high arid steep ridges to be crossed. The. road to- day has been level, with wood and water abundant. Encamped on the left bafok of the Malade, here six feet wide and two feet deep. Friday, September 21.- Following up the left bank of the Mar lade for four miles, we crossed a small ftwift fork eoming in from tfie north- east, affording abundance, of wat^ r fof irrigating a considerable extent of its valley on each side. The valley of the Malade is becoming gradually narrower and the hills lower. Crossing another fork from the east, we strike upon " Hedspeth's Cut- off," which leads from Sheep Rock, near the Soda Springs, to the Mormon road at Goose Creek. Distance, one hundred and twenty- five anda- half mil$ s. The valley of the Malade seems to' be formed principally of ^ rhitisb clay, in which, however, no good section was found, so th^ t it is uncertain whether i t 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 rfck 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 Cut- off, a belt of high hills extended across the valley from easf . to west, composed of dark limestone containing a considerable number of fossils. These hilfa 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, i In the pass, some specimens of obsidian and volcanic, debris were ' collected, evidently of secondary formation, and not conformable with the limestone ridges-. Trachytrc rock was also found on the side of the stream, forming a considerable hill, and overlaid by dark limestone. •. Saturday, September 22.- Directly af\ er starting^ crossed the east fork of the Malade, and still following the Cut- off,, the track of which is hard and well beaten, we aseended anpther pass, in a north direction, very similar in its character to that we came up yesterday. From the top of thi^ pass, which is, the dividing. ridge |