264 A MINUmmE OCEAN. 



in the time of Cortez; since wliich tlieir posterity have lived here unknowD 

 to the rest of the woiid. 



Taught by the bitter experidiice of past ages to hate and distrust the 

 white man, and still cherishing their tradidonaiy animosity, *they permit 

 none of that race to return who visit tlicm, and, from the peculiarity of 

 their position and jealous caution, have successfully maintained an uninter 

 rupted in cog. ^ 



Several trappers rendezvoused at the Uintah being about to leave foi 

 Fort Hall, on the head walers of tire Columbia river, I improved tlie oppor 

 tunity of bearing tliem company. 



My necessary arrangenients were completed simply by exchanging horses; 

 and, on the morning of Oct. 29i:h, I bade farev/ell to my new acqua'utancea 

 at the Fort, and joined the party en route, which, including inyself and 

 compagnons de. voyage torn Fort Lancaster, numbered eleven in all, well 

 mounted and armed. 



The weather proved delightful considering the lateness of the season, 

 and our jouiney was rapid and uninterrupted. 



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

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

 Bmall village of Snu,ke Indians. 



Resuming ou; coarse through a mountainous region, diversified by beauti- 

 ful little vaheys, late in the afternoon of tlie third day we camped in the 

 vicinity of Brown's-hole. 



Bearing from thence a southwesterly course, two 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 few miles, we struck camp, and remained 

 some three days for the purpose of hunthijr. 



Being unwilling to loave the vicinity without a more perfect observation 

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

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

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



Its wliilom waves now lay slumbering upon its bosom, /or not a breath 

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



mined cities of Central Amorica, puzzles lis still more : and, as the feeble ray of con- 

 jecture is tlie only source from whenc ". light may be thro\\Ti uwn this mysterious sub- 

 ject, we would prefer the suggestion, that the progenitors of ihe JMimchies, or white 

 Indians, might have been their builders; or, il the reported existence of the city of 

 the mountains as staled in ilie text be true, might not the ancestors oi the people now in- 

 habiting it have haii .some hand Li their original construction? But; if the latter be 

 the case, and these relics are not the product cf Mexican ci\-iUzation, the questaon 

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

 tbair origin \ 



* This stream is named in memory of Gen. Ashley, of Mo., who, while engaged in 

 the ftir trade, attempted to descend the Colorado in boat?, thinking thus to reach St 

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

 his strange enterprise at the mouiii of this creek, 09 ■ xjouni of the difficulty and 

 danger attendant upon a further progress 



