THE saints' rest. 117 



but to hear her defendiDg a religion whose main tendency was 

 to brutalize her own sex, almost took away my breath, eaves- 

 dropper that I was. 



The Mormons told me that previous to the occupation of 

 Salt Lake City by the troops, women of a certain class were 

 unknown in the Territory ; that no lic|uor was allowed to be 

 sold ; that gambling was not tolerated, and that the town was 

 so peaceable that policemen were unnecessary. Now there 

 were nightly disorders from drunken brawls, and the morals 

 were those of a mining camp. The nightly scenes along East 

 Temple Street struck terror into those of us who were " tender- 

 feet." 



Outside of polygamy I saw nothing bad about the Mormons, 

 and I was with them in their settlements and traveling for 

 six weeks. They excelled the old-time Puritans in ignorance, 

 but not in fanaticism. It may be they put " best foot foremost" 

 in their conduct and conversation when in our presence — 

 I simply describe them as I found them. A comparison be- 

 tween the Mormons and Gentiles I saw in Salt Lake was much 

 at the expense of the latter. 



Barring the singular people who inhabit it, Great Salt Lake 

 is the curiosity of the Great Basin. Its islands only are visi- 

 ble from the city, but from the table land back we saw its 

 water gleaming in the sun. In the far background arose 

 bleak, gray mountains, the border of immense tracts of desert 

 land extending towards California. 



I give a view of the shores of this great inland sea. It is 

 some 130 miles in length by 75 in breadth, Salt Lake City 

 being at its southern extremity. Its waters are intensely saltish, 

 although most of the streams flowing in it are fresh water 

 streams, the principal of which are the Jordan, Bear and 

 Weber rivers. Although the lake cannot be seen from the 

 city, on account of the intervening bluff, the numerous 

 islands which dot its surface are plainly visible at the distance 



