Total distance from Fort Leavenworth to Salt Lake City, 1168 miles.
V.—From Salt Lake City to Sacramento and Benicia, California.
Total distance from Salt Lake City to Benicia, 973 miles.
At the Big Meadows, 23 miles from the Sink of the Humboldt, travelers should make a halt of a day or two to rest and recruit their animals and to cut grass for crossing the desert, as this is the last good camping-place until reaching Carson River. The ground near this place is boggy, and animals should be watered with buckets. The camping-ground here is on the right bank of the river, and about half a mile to the left of the main road. The water is in a slough, near its head, where will be found some springs which run off a short distance, but soon sink.
The road across the desert is very sandy, especially toward the western extremity. Twenty miles from the Sink of the Humboldt there are four wells. About half a mile east of the mail station the road leading to the wells turns to the right, where water can be purchased for from one to two shillings for each man and beast.
At 9-1/2 miles beyond the mail station, on the desert, a road turns off from the main trace toward a very high sandy ridge, and directly upon the top of this ridge is the crater of an extinct volcano, at the bottom of which is a salt lake. Upon the extreme north end of this lake will be found a large spring of fresh water, sufficient for 1000 animals. From thence to "Ragtown," on Carson River, is three miles.
I would advise travelers, when their animals become exhausted before reaching this water, to take them out of harness and drive them to this place to recruit. There is some grass around the lake.
This desert has always been the most difficult part of the journey to California, and more animals have probably been lost here than at any other place. The parts of wagons that are continually met with here shows this most incontestably.
VI.—From Great Salt Lake City to Los Angeles and San Francisco, California.
VII.—From Fort Bridger to the "City of Rocks."From Captain Handcock's Journal.
VIII.—From Soda Springs to the City of Rocks, known as Hudspeth'sCut-off.
IX.—Sublets Cut-off, from the junction of the Salt Lake and FortHall Roads.
X.—From Lawson's Meadows, on the Humboldt River, to Fort Reading, via Rogue River Valley, Fort Lane, Oregon Territory, Yreka, and Fort Jones.
XI.—From Soda Springs to Fort Wallah Wallah and Oregon City, Oregon, viaFort Hall.
XII.—Route for pack trains from John Day's River to Oregon City.
XIII.—From Indianola and Powder-horn to San Antonio, Texas.
XIV.—Wagon-road from San Antonio, Texas, to El Paso, N.M., and Fort Yuma, Cal.
[Distances in miles and hundredths of a mile.]
Total distance from San Antonio to El Paso, 654.27 miles.
The distance from El Paso to Fort Yuma is 644 miles.
WELL IN THE DESERT
WELL IN THE DESERT.—ALAMO MOCHO.
XV.—From Fort Yuma to San Diego, California.
[Distances in miles and hundredths of a mile.]
Total distance from Fort Yuma to San Diego, 217 miles.
XVI.—From El Paso, New Mexico, to Fort Yuma, California, viaSanta Cruz.
[Distances in miles and hundredths of a mile.]
Total distance from El Paso to Fort Yuma, 756 miles.
XVII.—From Westport, Missouri, to the gold diggings at Pike's Peak and "Cherry Creek" N.T., viathe Arkansas River.
Sketch of the country in the vicinity of the Gold Region near Pike's Peak and Cherry Creek.
Sketch of the country in the vicinity of the Gold Region near Pike's Peak and Cherry Creek.
SANGRE DE CRISTO PASS
SANGRE DE CRISTO PASS.
Total distance from Westport to the gold diggings, 685-1/4 miles.
XVIII.—From St. Paul's, Min., to Fort Wallah Wallah, Oregon.