Arkansas intelligencer., 1858-06-04
Correspondence Of tie 81. Louis Republican
WASHrNGToS MAY l3tb

forward you the following highly inter
esting report of Lieut. Beale, of the wagon
road expedition, in advance Of its publicatlon
here. X
WAsHINGToN, April 26.
SIR-I have the honor to transmit here
with, my daily journal of the survey made
last summer and winter, of wagon road
from Fort Defiance 10 the Colorado riyer, or
Stale line Of California, near the 25th paral-
lei. With this journal | send, also. an "Iti-
nerary" from Albuquerque, IN New Mexico,
to California. This itinerary gives distances
as they exist. No air lines or imaginary
curves, but every turn OF our wheels recorded
by the adometer attached. Latitudes and
longitades of almost all the camps are given.
1t is proper that | should call your attention
to the fact that to 90 by Fort Defiance and
thence to Zuni, our starting point is an un.
necessary loss of time, and very great in
crease OF distance to no purpose. Complying
with my instructions, however, | proceeded
to Fort Defiance and thence to Zuni, but nv
train | sent by the direct road from the Gila
river to Zuui saving not less than sixty miles.
Accompanying my journal is a table showing
the thermometer at its highest elevation and
lowest depression, during the day, on our
journey in the months of September and Oc-
tober; and another, kept on my return in
January and February, for the same purpose
= comparison of the two, established the in
teresting fact that one may tray ell the road
in winter aud summer without suffering the
extremes of heat and cold. The Journal which
| send you is faithful history of each days
work, written at the camp fire at the close of
/ h.v talta ob =.
in any respect, whatever, is desired to speak
Of the country as it impressed ne on the
spot, SO as to be as faithful in my description
OF it as possible. You will, therefore, find it
very rough, but hope those who may fol-
low in my footsteps over the road, may find
1t correct In every particular. | have written
it for the use Of emigrants more than for show,
and if it answers the purpose OF assisting
them, ] shall be well satisfied. ] have de-
scrbed things as found them in the seasons
in which | passed. More or less water in
the summer-more or less snow in the wiH-
ter, may be found by those who follow me-
l am not responsible for the season, but am
tor all my statements of tho country over
which we passed As far rs the San Fran
cisco mountain the road needs scarcely any
other improvement than a few bridges. In
one place alone, bridge at the Canon Dia-
bolo would save twenty five or thirty five
miles travel, and on the whole road, its length
might be shortened by subsequent explora-
tions, and by Strengthening elbows, one hun
dred miles. As this will evidently become
the great euaigrant road to California, las well
as that by which all stock from New Mexco,)
will reach this place, it is proper that the
government should put It into such condi-
ton as to relieve the emigrant and stock dri-
yers as far as may be of the hardshjps Incl
dent to their business as possible. For this
purpose would recomEpend that water, dams
be constructed at short intervals over tie en-
tire road. With these and few bridges and
military posts, do not doubt that the whole
emigration to the Pacific coast would pursue
this due line, instead Of being scattered and
divided over half a dozen different routes
The advantages to the traveller and the econ
omy to the government of having one line
instead of dozen to protect, would fully re
pay all the expenses attending the construc-
ton of the road. presume there can be no
further question a. to the practicabiity Of the
country near the 35th parallel for 3 wagon
road, since Aubrey, Whippls and mysel: have
all travelled it successfully with wagons, nei-
thor Of US in precisely the same line, and yet
through very much the same country. You
viii find by my journal that we encamped
sometimes without wood and sometimes with
out water, but never without abundant grass.
Starting with drove Of $50 sheep that num-