4 INTRODUCTION. 



Loring, for tlie purpose; but who, before its completion, 

 was required to rejoin his regiment, for service on the 

 Pacific coast. 



In the Department of Natural Science, from my very 

 limited time, I was not successful in securing the services 

 of a competent assistant. Yet, although as much has not 

 been accomplished as I had anticipated, it is hoped that 

 some additional light has been thrown upon the Geological 

 formation and Natural History of these almost unknown 

 regions. The papers of Professors Baird, Haldeman, 

 Torrey, and Hall, together with the analyses of Dr. Gale, 

 will not be without interest to the lovers of science. To 

 these gentlemen, and to Messrs. Girard & Peale, I am 

 much indebted for the labours which, from a regard to the 

 general interests of science, they have bestowed toward 

 rendering the present report more complete and satis- 

 factory. 



In what has been said respecting the Mormon commu- 

 nity, I have endeavoured frankly to present the impres- 

 sions produced upon my mind by a somewhat intimate 

 acquaintance of a year's duration with both rulers and 

 people. The intelligence of their organization into a 

 Territorial Government, had not reached the valley when 

 we left it. How far the change in their relations to the 

 country, may, as has been asserted, have revolutionized 

 the feelings of the people, it is impossible for me to say. 

 But no representations, that have yet been made public, 

 have served in the least to alter my expressed opinion of 

 their character for either love to the country, or loyalty 

 to the government. Since the return of the expedition, it 

 has appeared evident that the nature of the domestic rela- 

 tions of the Mormons has been very generally misappre- 

 hended. It seems that the " spiritual wife system," as it 

 has been very improperly denominated, has been supposed 

 to be nothing more nor less than the unbridled license of 

 indiscriminate intercourse between the sexes, either openly 

 practised by all, or indulged, to the invasion of individual 



