141 fiery 
ts, and dried-up grasses. Many. cranes. were. sage iening: the 
1 Pa eg xy, shy and w 
se night we had a thunder. storm, with moderate 
dus a 1 road to the lake, w very: 
in about an eae travelling, ‘aes ba te the river. We were now ek ' 
valley ay or six miles wide, between 
miles below, appeared to close up and terminate.the nares leaving for the’ 
river only a very narrow pass, or canon, behind which we imagined that: 
we should find the broad waters of the lake. .We made tk halt at. 
the mouth of a small clear stream, having a slightly. mineral taste, (perhaps: 
of salt,) 4,760 feet above the gulf, In the: afternoon. w we climbed.a very. 
steep sandy hill; and, after a slow and. winding, day’s march-of 27 miles, . 
amped at a slou, ugh on the river. There were ad quantities of geese: 
and dueks, of whic only a few were shot;, the. Indians having probably | 
it a ya Dh he oe ‘hich, killed i the aller 
nomi A mephitis marten) w. was. in: 
Ee made a supper for one of the The river.is bordered - oeca~ 
sonall? with fields of cane, with ore we if tebe 5 as an-indieation-of our” 
approach to a lake country. We-had frequent showers of raitt during the 
night, with thunder. 
August 29.—The thermometer. at sunrise was 54°, with air from: the 
NW., and dark, rainy, clouds movoe on, the: horizon ; rain squalls and 
bright sunshine by intervals. J rode ahead with Basil,to explore the counm- 
try, and, continuing about three miles along.the river, turned directly off on 
a trail running towards, three. marked. SAPS in. the bordering range, where 
tts swe gualy. Fu cut ly ‘o the pate 
plain rose ually. ene on arsea,into.a gallo p.anisamanst tracks 
which s ikea tor ry_ple et. we. came, suddenly upon a 
small party of Shoshe ians, who had fallen, into, the: cotter: dl i 
the ch ~~ et ‘al bei 8 
oe? ; 3 a ne ny 
ent oe 
halted to» noon at 
a eideot haa were: 
; on. 
ita hich, *stole a little pure water 
with a margin just fie: large for our passage. From the river; the: 
plain had gradually risen to an altitude.of. sy daar and, by meridian ob- 
servation, the latitude of the entrance. ; 
fn the. interval of our usual, halt, — “ us. wandered. along up the © 
stream to examine the Liane — at Paes a the gate, sie rocks © 
prone vail 
sides of the rocky walls. These were 
; pe mounta here ; et opening directly on the grassy bottom were sev 
