The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-09-20
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 1853.

PACIFIC R0AD-CENTRAL OR BENT0Ng ROUTE
To the Editors Of the National lntelligencer: e
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 1853.
GENTLEMEN:--Is send you two letters Just re-
ceved from Superintendent Beale and Mr..
Harris Heap, and giving information of their
having reached the great Colorado of the West
and found the country good for Railway and
for settlement all the way out 10 that river.
whlch they reached in five days after crossing
the divorces line of the waters-dirortia agxa-
rum-between tho Atlantic and pacific, in the
middle of that pass Coo-cba-tope, which Free
moRt went to find, which Leroux said was
there, and which Beal's has gone through; 1t
is not merely pass, but valley between two
Inountains, with district name of its own,
"Sah-ioah-che Valley" some forty miles long,
good for railroads and settlements, and only
wanting tho hand of man to make a perfect
gardens and this in addition to the Valley of
Sab Louis, which connects with IT, So that
problem is solved, at least SO far as sumTie,
travel is concerned and Fremont has gone
Quito solve it in iointer.
At the crossing of the Grand River Fork of
the Great Colorado, lost their arms, smmuni-
tions, and provisions, by the upsetting of pi-
rouge on her fourth trip, and Beale sen: back
most of the party to the Toas settlements for
supplies he remained with Deleware Indian,
a Mexican, and lad from Chester, Pennsylva-
MIA, sheltered by a carroll which they had built.
i. e.. strong pen to hold wild animals. He
would lose two weeks by this accident; but he
did not turn back, and would have gone or
without arms or provisions if he had felt at lib
erty to treat other peoples lives as he would
his own,
But the sending party back had one good
consequence-They were instructed into an
other pass, "almost as good" as Coo-cha- tope,
and one days trave. shorter. This pass is call
ed "Darnero," the Spanish word for sheep, or
a ram; and in that pass they met hospitable
Utah Indians, who gave them mule load Of
ground, which proves it a g8od COUNTRY. Slll
varying his route, Mr.. Heap would return
through the pass that Williams was aiiriihg at
when he buried Col. Fremont in the SHOWS
ofthe Sierra San Juan, this route being still
shorter, than the Carntro, but not so good
So that, in consequence of this balk at the riv-
er, BeaPs party will cross the Rocky Mountains
at three different places at the head of the Del
Norte.
The Coo-cha-tope pass was ascertained to
be primeval buffalo route, and the only one
which they now travel in going from the Del
Norte to the Great Colorado watefs; fact
which has two falues with me: first as being
proof that it is the best route, the buffalo hav-
ing an instinct at finding his way more uner-
ring than the science of the schools, which al
ways leads him the nearest and best route
when he wishes to travel from one country to
another, as being proof that it is good
county, with grass. and water. and shade; tho
said buffalo having an instinct which makes
him eschew the countries in which it requires
science to make grass grow, and well diggers
to get water. He hates a desert and never
goes to it,
. 81. IL -. 81
went out, which are periodical, and made by
th5 melting of the SHOWS on the Wah-satch.
and on the. Rocky Mountains The streams
commence swelling at the vernal equinox and
continue till the summer solstice, when they
subside; and are all fordable except the upper
Colorado, called Green River.
Those letters from Beale and Heap cover the
only depatable ground on the Central Route
Ibe whole route has now been seen, (for Fre-
mont knows the Graad River and all beyond)
and the passes traversed; and all been found
to be good for roads and settlements and invi-
tihg the hands of the farmer to improve it,
Nothing is now wanted but the winter explo-
ration which Fremont has set out to give.-
He is not afraid of SHOWS in the mountains
where there are valleys, and bases and woods:
tie has stood upon mountain in q killing
and looked down into a valley
some thousands of feet below where the sun
was shining. green grass covering the ground,
and the surface of the water free from ice, and
named one of those places in tho dead of win
ter "Summor Lake" He has stood in val
ley looking at a snow storm raging in noun
tains overhead, while the mnles were feeding
at their ease aaund his valley camp. He has
been safe in his camp in grove Of wood du-
ring a snow storm which killed all anamals on
the praries; witnessed the loss of about thou
sand head of Government oxen returning from
New Mexico, in 1S4S, while he, in the same
snow storm sheltered by woods, lost not an an
imal, and his men amused themselves in hunt
ing and killing buffaloes. He is not afraid of
SHOWS where there are passes, valleys, or woods;
and means to stand in tho most elevated of
these passes on the Central Route in January
next. He will have with him Indians and
mountain men who are no more afraid of snow
than himself.
Besides the letters from Beale and Heap,
have one from James Ii. Quinn, of Taos, by
the same mail, in which he says: "Mr. Lea
roux and myself and others, go up the Rio
Grande next week Qetter dated July 29) to ex-
anime the different passes between the Arksn-
sas River and the Coos -cha-tope branch of the
Grand River fork of the Great Colorado, and
will send you report of your exporation.-
Carson has gone to California, and we expect
him back soon. Should he como 1 will get his
report upon tne route ialu uown III your letter
to the people of Missouri" Another letter
says: "Let Fremont come. We will all go
with him. Thus there are many passes, some
not yet seen bylour mountain men, in that quar-
tor. The Utah Indians say there are five
through the Sierra Blanca alone, proving Fre-
monts theory, that tho mountains in that re-
gion are not continuous ranges, but detached
blocks, in a table land of six or seven thousand
feet high, between which blocks the first topo-
graphical engineers the old buffalo bulls, lay
out their roads
Respectfully, yours