Show ahead AD OF navigation NAVI GATION gatlon ON THE COLORADO by favor of hon george georgea A smith we are enabled to publish the following interesting te report ST GEORGE washington co U T 1 dec 1864 1861 f ELDER GEO geo A SMITH CHURCH HISTORIAN DID DEAR DIDAR AR BRO bno subjoined Sub joined ined you will find a report of my exploring ex ing tour to the colorado river for the purpose of locating a landing and for other purposes as per appo appointment ointment int ment of the deseret mer ehan chan chantale tile tiie association yours in the covenant ANSON amon CALL in compliance with my appointment at the last october conference as a southern missionary I 1 left G S L citron city on the of iL november vember accompanied by bro james davids and arrived in st george on the of the same month T 14 y on the ath I 1 engaged dr jas 11 ni 11 whitmore angus lyl cannon jacob hamblin and ana his ills son myself self seif brothers davids whitmore and cannon left st george and traveled to santa clara where we were joined by jaco jacob hamblin and son sov nov ov mth this morning after appointing point g angus 11 cannon clerk and jaco jacob hamblin Hamb amalin Yin tin interpreter and guide wes we started arted from the town clam clara and traveled about 9 miles in a na west est northwest north west course up the clara stream when we took a southwesterly south westerly course for two miles and traveled 8 miles in a west south west course here we camped dry camp plenty of dry feed f NOV wo we traveled 2 miles up vill fill west south west and then 6 miles down joshua kanyon after which we crossed a bench to the stream called beaver dams this stream is about the size of st george city north creek we crossed the stream and camped on the edge of indian thomas farm here this indian had raised good corn and we had plenty of corn fodder for our animals an imala bunch grass on the gand sand hills south of the stream timber is plentiful here and our guide informed us that it extends up the valley a distance of 40 miles here is considerable good land the stream will irrigate enough land to sustain about 60 families and many more if the rio virgen be taken out indian thomas above referred to had some wheat planted as we plant corn it looked very healthy and had started out very thriftily this indian was desirous to have the mormons cormons settle in his neighborhood the road traveled down joshua kanyon and to the beaver dams is hard and good nov myself and dr J al whitmore and A 31 cannon went down to the rio eio virgen we traveled up the rio bio virgen about 1 aj miles and found at this point a place where the wate water r mi might lit be taken out to form a 16 foot hea heu head for mill purposes quite a quantity of good land in this vicinity also liere there I is plenty of lime stone convenient to this place every facility seems to abound here to warrant the establishment of a large self sustaining settlement our company traveled up a long sandy hill and found it about 3 miles to where we crossed the virgen in a southwest course which course we continued all day a distance of 2 22 9 miles we had the roads today to day very heavy through 11 sand and very frequent crossings of MO the tho rio kio virgen high mountains have been on our left towards the east cast all day while on our right towards the west all appears a desert arnov franov nov we find the river very high and consequently traveled but 7 miles our horses were taken to feed by indians A nov the indians brought our horses and we traveled about 6 miles to the virgen hill this is the point where the california road boad leaves the river at this point the river turns from a southwest south west course to a south course after procuring the services of a native chief we traveled 15 miles down the river today to day we saw many indians indans we ve were struck with the respect they showed towards bro hamblin this afternoon we found considerable bunch sand grass we learn that the mouth of the muddy muddy is opposite us on the west side of the river idec ec this morning we crossed the river and passed up on the upper side of the muddy we were well pleased with the extent of land and w with th the quality it is a light claye clayey loam with an under strata of clay the muddy is about the size of big cottonwood clear and water of a good quality the valley is about I 1 mile wide and extends up for 2 20 miles or to the california road although it becomes narrower as we go up most of the tile land is suitable for tor cultivation here are found a species of three cor grass bearing seed as heavy as flax seed each stalk stall yielding as much as is a stalk of wheat the indians live on it in the season thereof convenient to the place opportunity most suitable for a settlement is to be found large quantities of sandstone sand stone at 9 a m we left the muddy and continued down the virgen 12 miles nearly south after which we went a southwest direction following a wash most of the way we named this wash Echo wash this afternoon we have traveled 13 miles more the road day is naturally good our guide talked edwith with many of the indians met by us today to day they are anxious for us to settle the country and are willing for our cattle to cat their grass if we will employ them that they may have clothes to wear and an d food to eat when wilen their grass seed is all used k dec ad we started at aj 8 and jour neveda southwest south west course for 10 mil mii which brought us to the summit wg i continued our journey ten miles further in a south south west course when whenn we t turned south till we came to the colorado river a mile below the narrows a bove the mouth kanyon about t of a mile below the mouth th of the wash ye we found a black rocky point which we considered a suitable locality for the erection of a warehouse above hi high h water mark here we considered the tw best landing could be established we found the river of a reddish color and about yards wide widel or about as wide as the illinois river landing as the tiie peoria landing the colorado moves very smoothly by the landing and for aj miles below when it isa is a little ruffled through the existence of a shoal but this hus shoal fiscal we think is not sufficient tp tw materially interfere with navi navigation gatio gatto our judgment ent is that the water mig might be taken hiken out about a mile above th the landing and conveyed down to the boa bom bo tym adm acma a short distance below where we have camped containing about acres osgood f land beaver abound fhe the country since we have left the virgen is the most barren and uninviting that we have ever seen excepting ae te bottom above mentioned mentioned y idec dee dec ad we traveled aj 2 miles down tie the e river to the vegas wash we tra up the vegas wash and found a mood rood d opportunity to make a road nelve neive miles up we found good grass ini ind water after going a mile further we hund found the water sank and 5 miles still tuther arther we found water again and grass lathis vicinity luskeet abounds abdun ds this i tood food makes as good fire wood as hieko hicko rr we lve tra traveled meled 10 miles further ui up ike the w wash as h to old fort ve veas vegas as and found rood lood still along the wash we found the fort occupied by 5 6 or 6 den sen who are keeping stock th nags at this place are large and break nii nil roi rot in two places about 3 miles above the fort we consider that the best ace for a wood yard is at the mout mouth the ithe vegas wash As the most woo wood re we have seen since we left Beaver dams i hin tin in this wash we judge that 3 goo of luskeet w wood can be cut in Ns ids wash dee dec ath U we traveled south 10 miles ad md found good grass and commenced to lescene into a small valley for 5 miles i the same course we then commena dan dad an ascent which continued 15 miles which for aj 1 miles we encountered lae bae hen ten rocky irocky gulches which brought us ae the summit we began to descend ito eldorado kanyon which we follow 13 miles and encountered a camp of miss erb gro here we watered our animals ad md returned up the kanyon one mile to tour our animals feed de ec ath we continued down the kana p to the sprin aprin spring where here we turned to 1 aright and followed follo followed red Zed a tortuous trail frer ret rocky ridges and gulches lor a dl dis ade ace of 25 miles this brought us Q driver where we camped with but blefeld 6 feed for our horses de vee ath traveled 3 miles and came the upper end of cottonwood island leh is on an average 1 mile wide and files long this together with a boton sor ron the west side is farmed by indi after the river floods subside and is tall supplied with wood these two bof VI land are claimed by white ad I 1 m Bur borers ers miles bohar to har abc rec jL anding landing 1 through a worse country to edible isible than that through which we am d yesterday we observed a b boat oat ar amed awed ad to hardys landing and after ung it we and our horses were fer leross lW across the river we were warmly isa dsa ed and kindly hegent Hl hagent gent I 1 I 1 mr wardy hardy the proprietor W absent at prescott the capital of a nas decad decided e d that myself and bros ait alt ditmore altmore niT more and cannon await the arria 46 flir mr hardy and that the other bembers of the company return to the riper landing to work roads etc rr bvm rsm wm 11 hardy the detki athis Jt E 0 this his town h as made cons dera le 1 e improvements since locating here in sa s1 e bi I 1 ut H is main b building is c 00 0 fee feet and 12 feet high material coarse spanish this winding tuil ding is is divided into store ware use ouse billiar droom dining saloon ehen chen etc floored with red tiles in the neighborhood he has ala blacksmith sh shop V a tinsmith shop d carpenter shop to together ge ther with sever dwell ing house houses s all of which are ay creditable buildings there is a w d well of water obtained by digging act f t afie I 1 hie fie mineral wealth of t his this country is extensive consisting as far as as med ned osgold of gold liver suver lead ead and rr 4 no farming facilities at the landing banks 0 oatlie the tho river at this una paint are ody I 1 dy and this is in our judgment a r election selection fora oora for a town site ft sventin council reviewing our aur journal etc f dec 10 we tra traveled meled 3 miles on the east last side of the river and ascended a high gravelly bench from which we were able to see fort mojave situated on a bottom about 7 miles below hardys landing we are informed that tais it is built of logs and willow houses daubed with mud it is inhabited by about 40 soldiers who are garrisoned there west of hardys landing is the california line which comes to the base of a range of mountains 10 miles distant today to day we witnessed the launching of the arizona a barge built by mr hardy it is the first boat built athar dys landing and is 50 feet long and 10 feet wide sharp at both ends and flat fiat bottomed burden 25 tons dec 11 accepted an invitation to st sail ail on the river biver with mr hardys agent idee dec idec 12 mr hardy not yet returned we have determined to start on our return tomorrow to morrow we have accepted an invitation to sail down to fort mojave with mr har dys agent on sailing down the river we found that we were mistaken in what we supposed to be fort mojave on the loth we found the fort mojave on the east side of the river instead of on the west it is situated on a bluff about 50 feet above the river we were introduced to the com eom commande commanding mandi mandl ng officer of the garrison and others who w ho kindly welcomed us we found found the fort to have been correctly represented to us so far ar as its construction is concerned dee bec dec we ve had to leave without seeing mr hardy and camped at the lower end of cottonwood island here we were much troubled with mosque toes which are very large idec idee dee dec lath we traveled to within 8 miles of eldorado kanyon idec va dec dee in consequence of our animals wandering off we had a late start and nd traveled but 14 miles ec we traveled about 30 ulies miles iles lles fedec dec dee lath having traveled about 8 alles we came to the mouth of the veas gas wash where there is a good land ing ng and aen len then traveled to shenew landing it was determined to name this landing calls landing here we measured off some 40 lots feet square each k r dec 18 we ve started on our return leaving james davids and lyman hamblin to work at digging the foundation for the warehouse we traveled 7 miles up the river when we came to an indian farm broom corn stalks were green mec meg melon meion vines were growing we picked a melon and although not ripe yet we found it quite palatable we now traveled u up p a wash and found a small smail spring and g good 0 od feed here we camped idec 19 we ve camped by the salt mountain tonight to night this salt is pure and in large crystals thousands of tons may be obtained it will have to be quarried like rock this is two miles from the mouth of the muddy V dec we ve more thoroughly examined the facilities for forming ji t settlement on the muddy our examinations proved highly satisfactory exhibiting greater facilities than we at first a anticipated antle we then mien crossed the river and after cm poying employing an indian guide entered a wash after traveling 6 miles we found a spring and some grass following the wash we traveled 20 cifes miles to macassin Mo cassin springs on jacob mor morgins corgins gins a sou southern thern trail we followed up agin the tie lie grand wash that leads to the colorado to the summit of the high mountains south of St george a distance of 36 miles and thence to st george 30 miles further where we arrived on the evening of saturday dec in crossing the before mentioned mountain south of st george we traveled 15 miles through throng a heavy krake brake brake of cedar and pinion pine p ne plenty of grass and two good springs of water in in this timber the longest distance between water on this route is 25 miles and grass is found at almost any point this route is some ten miles shorter than the route down the virgen we estimate that will make a good practicable wagon road by this last route it will bo be remembered that in giving t lie the foregoing distances we have had to judge from the die speed and time used in t raveling traveling I 1 am now engaged in st george gathering laborers mechanics supplies tools and every necessary to facilitate the erection of the warehouse without delay I 1 think I 1 can dispatch my business in st george so as to leave for the colorado on the dinst anson CALL S |