to Soda Springs, intersecting the Salt
Lake City road at the _City of Rocks_. Near Soda Springs the Oregon
road turns to the right, passing Fort Hall, and thence down Snake River
to Fort Wallah-Wallah. Unless travelers have business in Salt Lake
Valley, I would advise them to take the Bear River route, as it is much
shorter, and better in every respect. The road, on leaving the Missouri
River, passes for 150 miles through a settled country where grain can
be purchased cheap, and there are several stores in this section where
most of the articles required by travelers can be obtained.

Many persons who have had much experience in prairie traveling prefer
leaving the Missouri River in March or April, and feeding grain to
their animals until the new grass appears. The roads become muddy and
heavy after the spring rains set in, and by starting out early the
worst part of the road will be passed over before the ground becomes
wet and soft. This plan, however, should never be attempted unless the
animals are well supplied with grain, and kept in good condition. They
will eat the old grass in the spring, but it does not, in this climate,
as in Utah and New Mexico, afford them sufficient sustenance.

The grass, after the 1st of May, is good and abundant upon this road as
far as the South Pass, from whence there is a section of about 50 miles
where it is scarce; there is also a scarcity upon the desert beyond the
sink of the Humboldt. As large numbers of cattle pass over the road
annually, they soon consume all the grass in these barren localities,
and such as pass late in the season are likely to suffer greatly, and
oftentimes perish from starvation. When I came over the road in August,
1858, I seldom found myself out of sight of dead cattle for 500 miles
along the road, and this was an unusually favorable year for grass, and
before the main body of animals had passed for that season.

Upon the head of the Sweetwater River, and west of the South Pass,
alkaline springs are met with, which are exceedingly poisonous to
cattle and horses. They can readily be detected by the yellowish-red
color of the grass growing around them. Animals should never be allowed
to graze near them or to drink the water.

ORGANIZATION OF COMPANIES.

After a particular route has been selected to make the journey across
the plains, and the requisite number have arrived at the eastern
terminus, their first business should be to organize themselves i