Most excellent road today, and down hill all the way, except a
circuitous narrow gorge in the mountains of about four miles in length,
which we went through in the afternoon. In descending the western slope
of this range we found the road very steep, though we came down in
safety. At the soda springs we saw an old man who called himself Captain
Grant. He assured us that one half of our cattle would die on the
cut-off, for want of grass, and also that the road was almost impassible
and no nearer than that by Fort Hall. This statement in respect to grass
is utterly untrue, and we suspect the others are of like character.
Grass on the cut-off is first rate--better than we have before seen on
the road. Wild flax abounds in this region, though not in abundance. It
is now in full bloom and looks quite like a flower garden in some
places. We stopped by a little stream at noon, beyond which water is not
so plenty for about twenty miles. There are willows growing along this
stream. The road turns south after we cross it. We laid here until three
o'clock and then went on about eight miles, passing over a range of low
mountains, and encamped at night in the valley. A shower of rain in the
afternoon. Distance, twenty miles.