WESTERN INCIDENTS. — 15

ARRIVAL AT EMPIRE CITY.

An early breakfast enabled us to reach Empire City,
eleven miles further up the valley, at eleven o’clock in the
morning. At no point along our road were we out of
view of the gulch and mountain mining operations,
being carried on by the sturdy and adventurous moun-
taineers.

Mr. Brown had informed us that we could not travel
with our carriage nearer than a point about two miles
from the pass; and that it would therefore be neces-
sary for Mr. Williams and myself to procure saddle-
horses at Empire for the balance of our journey. This,
together with our hasty lunch, detained us about an hour
at Empire City. In the meantime we were informed by
gentlemen at Empire, that we could not make the ascent
to the pass and return during the afternoon, and had,
therefore, better defer the trip till morning. Mr. Wil-
liams, however, was too anxious to take a glimpse of the
Pacific slope of the continent, and had come too far for
that purpose, to be deterred by any such prognostications ;
and we therefore set out at twelve on horseback, after
arranging with our driver to meet us at five o’clock with
the carriage, at the foot of the trail.

Our road, still following the Valley of Clear Creek,
was quite good for six miles of the distance, to the foot
of the trail which leads from the wagon road up the
southerly slope of the valley of a small tributary of Clear
Creek, which heads near Berthoud Pass.

We made our way slowly up the trail without much
difficulty, although in many places the path was quite
steep and sideling, reminding one of the ascent as made
years ago from the Glen House to Mount Washington.
We dismounted several times to relieve our horses and