424 JOHN C. FREMONT. 



the first who attempted to represent, in geognostic profile, the configura- 

 tion of Mexico and the Cordilleras of South America, — for the half-per- 

 spective projections of the Siberian traveller, the Abbe Chappe, (Chappe 

 d'Auteroche, Voyage en Siberie, fait en 1761, 4 vols., 4th ed., Paris, 1768.) 

 were based on mere, aud for the most part on very inaccurate, estimates 

 of the falls of rivers, — it has afforded me special satisfaction to there find 

 the graphical method of representing the earth's configuration in a verti- 

 cal direction, that is, the elevation of solid over fluid parts, achieved on 

 so vast a scale. In the mean latitude of 37° to 43°, the Rocky Mountains 

 present, besides the great snow-crowned summits, whose height may be 

 compared to that of the Peak of Teneriffe, elevated plateaux of an extent 

 scarcely to be met with in any other part of the world, and whose breadth 

 from east to west is almost twice that of the Mexican highlands. From 

 the range of mountains which begin a little westward of Fort Laramie, to 

 the farther side of the Wahsatch Mountains, the elevation of the soil is 

 uninterruptedly maintained from 5,000 to upwards of 7,000 feet above 

 the sea level ; nay, this elevated portion occupies the whole space be- 

 tween the true Rocky Mountains and the Californian snowy coast range 

 from 34° to 45° north latitude. This district, which is a kind of broad 

 longitudinal valley, like that of Lake Titicaca, has been named the 

 Great Basin by Joseph Walker and Captain Fremont, travellers well ac- 

 quainted with those western regions. It is a terra incognita of at least 

 128,000 English square miles, almost uninhabited, and full of salt lakes, 

 the largest of which is 3,940 Parisian (or 4,200 English) feet above the 

 level of the sea, and is connected with the narrow Lake Utah (Fremont, 

 Report of the Exploring Expedition, pp. 154 and 273-276), into which the 

 'Rock River' (Timpan Ogo in the Utah language) pours its copious 

 stream." 



Fremont's third expedition was commenced, August 16, 1845, under 

 instructions to explore the interior of the region known as the Great 

 Basin, and the maritime parts of Oregon and California. The first 

 important incident of that expedition was the message of General Cas- 

 tro, Governor of California, ordering Fremont to leave the territory. 

 This was in the month of March, 1846. At the moment, Fremont 

 refused to obey the order, and proceeded to fortify his camp, where he 

 raised the United States flag, aud remained for about three days. On 

 further consideration, however, he left his camp and proceeded north 

 towards Oregon. In the early part of the month of May he was over- 

 taken by a messenger named Neal, who informed him that Lieutenant 

 Gillespie, an agent of the government at Washington, was on his way, 

 charged with the delivery of letters, and with verbal instructions from 

 the authorities. Upon receipt of this information, Fremont changed 

 his course, and on the second day met Gillespie, who brought only a 



