The Sierra citizen., 1855-02-03
Downieye Sierra County, California Saturday February 1855
Brophy's Pass.

Brophy's Pass.
Being desirous of giving all the infor-
nation possible, in relation to Brophys
Pass, we copy from the Marysville Ex-
press the following extracts from Mr.. d.
B. SCOTS description of the route. Mr..
Scott is well known as one of the ablest
surveyors and civil engineers in the state,
and his opinion may be relied on, and his
statements at once set down for truth.
During residence of four years in this
country, the past three ofwhich, in my Off
cial capacity as County Surveyor, and as
a Civil Engineer, have frequently been
engaged high up in the mountains, in the
locating and surveying of roads and canals
for mining purposes. AS the most of those
surveys were made in the section of country
contiguous to, and over the summit of the
Sierra, by Brophys Pass, I am enabled
from intimate knowledge of the general
character, and Typographical features of
the country along the western slope of
the mountains leading to it, to speak with
degree of confidence not acquired by a
mere cursory or superficial reconnaissance.
"Brophy's Pass is situated about in Lat
itude 800 80 N, Longitude 1900, being
near the eastern boundary of California,
and near due east from this place. This
point in the summit range of the Sierra
Nevada separates the waters of the Middle
Yuba river, flowing west to the Sacramen-
to, from those of the North Branch of
Truckee, flowing east to the Desert AL
though no instrumental observations were
taken by me directly to ascertain the abso-
lutte altitude at the summit, yet from a Sc
ries of levels taken, and by referring to
other known elevations and comparing
with this, am enabled to Approximate to
the true altitude of the summit range at
this point. From those observations in
fer that the altitude of this Pass will not
exceed $500 feet above tide water"
As the route from Marysville to Gallo
ways, or to Downieville, is known to be
practicable, we will omit his description
of that.
"From Galloway's Ranch the emigration
road continues up the general course of the
divide in an easterly direction for about II
miles. From there it abruptly descends
to very low depression, about 500 feet
above the water in the river,) and from
thence. leaving the divide to the north,
again descends to the Lower Crossing of
the Middle Yuba.
@By leaving the principal divide about
10 miles above Galloway's, and following
up the southerly side, ,inclining towards the
Middle Yuba, good scarped road can be
made with very light grades to the Lower
Crossing. From this crossing the road con-
tinues up in a south-easterly direction thro'
numerous small valleys, crossing and re-
crossing the river several times, to avoid
jutting spurs from the ridges on either side,
4 miles to Jackson's Ranch.
Leaving the river at Jackson's, following
up in an east direction, and on the north
side of Pass Greek, an af1uent to the Mid
die Yuba, the road gains the summit at
the pass, in the distance of miles. The
intermediate section of country traversed
between those points, on the north side of
Pass Greek, presents a uniform surface,
with very gradual rise, and entirely un-
obstructed by outlying ranges. The spurs
putting out from the divide to the north
subside into low ridges and table lands,
producing good growth of grass, and
densely covered with the different descrip-
tion of trees peculiar to the country and
altitude, the Danzic pine predominating.
This mountain plateau, expanded as you
leave the river, becomes more circumscri-
bed as you ascend, and finally terminates in
small valleys, connected by a fat and open
ravipe, leading to the summit.
PASSAGE FROM NEW NovH-One of
her soft hands rested in mine, and ever and
anon she met my ardent gaze with one Of
pure confding love. Suddenly change
10 mo <,x~.- L. .el co.kr,oc hop Hn11 rod