264 A MINIAITUKE OCEAN. 



in the time of Cortez; since whidi their posterity have lived here unknowB 

 to tlie rest of the world. 



Taught by tlie bitter experience of past ages to hate and distrust ihe 

 white man, and still cherishing their traditionary animosity, they pennit 

 none of that race to return v/ho visit thein, iind, from the peculiarity of 

 their position and jealous caution, have succGssfuUy maintained an uninter 

 nipted in cog* 



Several trappers rendezvoused at tlie Uintah being about to leave foi 

 Fort Hall, on tlie head waters of the Columbia river, I improved ttie oppor 

 tunity of bearing them company. 



My necessary arrangements were completed simply by exclianging horses] 

 and, on the mormng of Oct. 29th, I bade farewell to my new acqua'iitances 

 at the Fort, and joined the party en roule, which, including myself and 

 compagnona de voyage iiom Fort Lai^caster. numbered eleven in all, well 

 mounted and armed. 



The weather proved delightful considering the lateness of the season, 

 and our journey was rapid and uninterrupted. 



On leaving the Uintah we continued northward, over a rough country, for 

 some twenty-five miles, and passed the night at Ashley's Fork,* with a 

 small village of Snake Indians. 



Resuming our course through a mountainous region, diversified by beauti- 

 ful little valleys, late in the afternoon of the third d:\y we camped in the 

 vicinity of Brov/n's-liole. 



Bearing from thence a southwesterly course, tv/o days afterwards we 

 arrived at Bear river, and obtained, from an. adjoining eminence, a distant 

 view of the Great Salt Lake. 



Continuing down the river a fcW miles, we struck camp, and remained 

 some three days for the purpose of hllntin^^ 



Being unwilling to leave the vicinity without a more perfect observation 

 of this vast inland sea. I improved the interval for that purpose, and, in a 

 few hours' ride, came to a point which overlooked its briiiy waters and 

 spread out before me an object of so much interest to all beholders. 



Its whilom waves now lay slumbering upon its bosom, for not a breath 

 of air stirred to awake them from their transient repose, save that caused 



mined cities of Central America, puzzle? us slill more ; and, as the feeble ray of con' 

 jecture is the only source from whence light may he thrown upon thir! mysterious sub- 

 ject, we woultl prefer the suggestion, that the progenitors of the IMunciiies, or wliite 

 Indians, might have been tiieir l>uiltJers ; or, ii' the reported exiblenre of the city of 

 the mountains as stated in the text be true, might not tlie ancestors of the peojde n(>\v in- 

 habituig it have had some liand in their oricinal construction T Btit, if the latter be 

 the case, and these relics are not the pro<iuct of Mexican civilization, the question 

 yet remains unanswered, viz : who are the residents of that city and wlience is 

 thair origin ? 



♦This stream is named in memory of Gen. Ashley, of Mo., who, wluJe engaged in 

 the fur trade, attempted to descend the Colorado in boats, tliinking thus to reach St 

 Louis by a direct water communication ! However, he was compelled to relinquish 

 his strange enterprise at the month of this creek, <iv -count of the difficulty and 

 dttOffer attMidani, tipon a further progress 



