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Show RECONNAISSANCE IN THE UTE COUNTRY. 35 From Camp 47, toward Los Pinos agency, our trail, after crossing the river opposite our camp by a rather difficult ford, was up the valley of a small tributary flowing from the east- southeast, rising a thousand feet in about three miles, on to a broad rolling plateau about a mile and a half wide, with sparse spruce- pine and aspen, being the divide between the Lake Fork and another tributary of Grand River known to the Utes as " The Stream with the White Banks," named by us " Soda Creek," from a soda- spring found on its banks. Camp 48 was situated in a swale just below the divide, on the head of a small tributary of Soda Creek. In one of the pine- trees at camp we found a humming- bird's nest with two eggs in it. The little bird was much disturbed by our arrival, but soon became reconciled to the unusual bustle and sat in her diminutive nest watching us with a bright suspicious eye. We fenced her in to protect her from our stock, and she was none the worse for our visit. About three miles from Camp 48 the trail entered the valley of Soda Creek, crossing a small tributary of that stream, which comes in from the south down a flat- bottomed valley. The valley of Soda Creek is about half a mile wide, level bottom, in some places marshy, stream fringed with willows. Our trail was up it for about three miles in a southeast direction. We then crossed the stream, ( here about forty feet wide and about two feet deep; low flat banks, pebbly bottom, not very swift,) and turned east up the valley of a tributary. Ascent gradual for abont two miles to a low divide between this and another and higher tributary of Soda Creek. Crossed the divide and made Camp 49 on last- mentioned creek. The hills between Camps 48 and 49 are all barren, sage- covered, with sparse small piiion, spruce and aspen, good grass on margin of streams. Theodolite No. 5 was broken, and the plates bent, by a fall on the line between these camps. From Camp 49 toward Camp 50 the course was for about two miles up the creek, the ascent being quite rapid. The slopes well grassed and sparsely timbered with small aspen [ and spruce; summit- level grassed plateau, one mile across, a considerable medium- sized spruce on either hand. Descended about half a mile into a pretty valley, with small stream flowing southwardly rising near Camp 50. From Camp 50 trail ascended for five miles by a gentle slope on right bank of brook flowing west to a broad aspen- covered divide, and from this summit we descended about 600 feet in three miles to Camp 51, situated on a small tributary of the Los Pinos and distant about a mile from the Los Pinos agency. This slope was for the first half mile wide below summit very steep, remarkably well grassed all the way, and with many small aspens. At this camp we received visits from Agent Adams, Ouray, and several Ute chiefs. The valley of Los Pinos is from one to two miles wide and six to eight long, northeast to southwest, surrounded by high rounded hills with considerable pine and spruce timber. Valley bears excellent grass, but might have winters too cold for crops. Ration stock are grazed mostly at mouth of Grand and Cochetopa Rivers. Snow said to be 3 feet deep on an average level. Agency consists of a good agent's house of pine- stuff, ceiled up with pine, and adobe fire- places very convenient; half a dozen employes' houses, with school and store- house. Indians come in early in May very hungry, and are fed during the summer, and in autumn go to the ITncompahgre region and lower agency for the winter. They have flour through the summer, have many goats, and good ponies. There is a saw and shingle mill at agency, which furnish lumber, & c, for all buildings and to sell. |