Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean: Vol. 2, Pt. 2

ENTERING HONEY LAKE VALLEY.
Honey Lake valley, which extends forty miles to the east. The descending road was very
stony, but we nowhere saw ledges or steep escarpments of rocks, until just as we were
descending to encamp, when we passed over heaps of stones forming the edge or termination of a rising plain, upon which the higher masses and peaks of the mountain are
elevated. This wall is vertical in many parts, to the height of thirty feet, but broken and
fallen at others. The small stream known as Susan river follows the course of a low depression
seen a short distance to the south of our path throughout the day. It breaks through the rocky
wall described in a broken canon, and flows gently through the valley to Honey lake, receiving
two or three small tributaries in its course. Soon after leaving our morning camp, the road
led over a high rocky butte, (which it could more easily pass around,) from which we had a
fine view of the lake, a few miles to the northeast. It is several miles in extent, and is set
beautifully blue in the mountains, which rise from 500 to 1,000 feet above it, covered with
majestic pines. It has no outlet. We gave it the name of Eagle lake. From the foot of the
butte a fine spring issues and sends out a creek towards Susan river.
As we entered Honey Lake valley, we found two brothers by the name of Roop, busily
engaged in erecting a log-house and planting a small field. They had been here but a month.
The lands around them at the head of the valley are very susceptible of cultivation, and are
luxuriantly covered with grass and abundantly supplied with water by Susan river -and other
small streams.
Continuing our journey still to the eastward, we encamped on the evening of the 4th of July,
after a march of 23 miles, on the shore of Honey lake.
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