We were now approaching what they called the Rim of the Basin.

Within the basin the water all ran to the north or toward Great Salt Lake, but when we crossed the rim, all was toward the Colorado River, through which it reached the Pacific Ocean.

About this time we were overtaken by another train commanded by Capt.Smith.They had a map with them made by one Williams of Salt Lake a mountaineer who was represented to know all the routes through all the mountains of Utah, and this map showed a way to turn off from the southern route not far from the divide which separated the waters of the basin from those which flowed toward the Colorado, and pass over the mountains, coming out in what they called Tulare valley, much nearer than by Los Angeles.
This map was quite frequently exhibited and the matter freely discussed in camp, indeed speeches were made in the interest of the cut-off route which was to be so much shorter.

A clergyman, the Rev.J.W.Brier, was very enthusiastic about this matter and discoursed learnedly and plausibly about it.

The more the matter was talked about the more there were who were converted to the belief that the short road would be the best.