148 EXPLORATIONS ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN OF UTAH. 



I cannot, however, conclude my report without expressing my acknowledgments 

 to Maj. Hannibal Day, Second Regiment Infantry, the officer commanding at Fort 

 Laramie, for his very courteous and acceptable treatment of the party while we were 

 encamped near his post. It was in the cemetery of this post we buried Mr. Walter 

 Lowry, the gentleman who had joined us at Genoa (see journal of June 20 and 24), 

 and who accompanied us, with the expectation that the trip would be of benefit to his 

 health, and that he would be enabled to reach his friends in Philadelphia. His disease 

 was of a pulmonary character, and although at the outset of the journey he rallied a 

 little and was enabled to ride for an hour or two on horseback, before he reached 

 Camp Floyd he found himself incapable of this, and was necessitated to confine him- 

 self to the carriage, to which he had eventually to be carried bodily. Major Day 

 kindly permitted him to be cared for at the hospital, and Assistant Surgeon Johns 

 rendered him all the medical aid he required. He survived, however, only one day 

 after he reached the post. It is a pleasure to me to record the disinterested kindness 

 of the sutlers of the post, Messrs. Ward and Fitzhugh, in disposing of the effects of 

 the deceased, forwarding the proceeds to his friends, and placing, at my request, a 

 memorial of him upon bis grave. The deceased had for several years been connected 

 with the papers in San Francisco, as commercial editor, and was highly esteemed by 

 those who knew him. 



On the 19th October, having shipped at Fort Leavenworth for Washington our 

 instruments, geological, botanical, and other specimens, illustrative of the country we 

 had explored, and discharged all the party except my assistants I left for the purpose 

 of repairing to the seat of Government and reporting to the Adjutant-General. 

 All of which is very respectfully submitted. 



J. H. Simpson, 

 Captain Corps of I /o/eers, U. S. Army. 



To Col. J. J. Abert, 



Chief Corps Topographical Engineers. 



meteor. I presume the magnetic needle which you observed was a short one, supported on a point, and, therefore, no 

 action, except one of \ ery umiMial intensity, could be observed. The needles generally used for this purpose are those 

 suspended by a single fiber of silk, and the deviations observed by the reflection of the divisions of a 

 axis of a telescope. Theoretically, however, the action of the aurora on the needle ought to 1 

 if the aurora be an electric discharge to the earth, no action on the needle could be : 



west than to the east, a slight deviation in one direction or the other ought to be observed. 



"We are very anxious to obtain the result of your meteorological observations. They will not only be interest- 

 ing in themselves when published as a part of your report, but particularly so to us, in studying the phenomena of the 

 progress of atmospheric disturbances. You are almost in the very region of the great laboratory of American storms, 

 and every observation you may record in regard to the weather may prove of special interest. 

 " Very respectfully, yours, 



"Joseph Henry. 

 " To Capt. J. H. Simpson." 



[I would remark, in relation to the above letter, in respect to the importance of having a proper needle for the 

 discovery of slight perturbations from terrestrial or other causes, that we had with us J 

 which Dr. Kane had on his last Arctic expedition, and which could be converted into a declinometer ; bi 

 e and unexpected occurrence of the phenomena referred to, and although we observed 

 " '[eh are given in my report, we did not make use of it on this. ] 



