104 RECONNOISSANCE AROUXD GREAT SALT LAKE. 



with the gum of the mountain pine, by which it was rendered per- 



/ fectly water-tight. I afterward saw some similarly shaped vessels, 



and made of the same material, that would hold nearly two gallons. 



As nothing was to be gained by rigidly following the lake-shore, 

 I determined to cut across the projecting points, keeping the gene- 

 ral features of the lake in view. At this point we came upon a low 

 range of basaltic hills, extending some miles west of the mountains 

 which continued to the northward, and presenting a steep escarp- 

 ment on the lake, where we again struck it. This lower series of 

 hills extended also to the north, and we followed along their base 

 for many miles, the range gradually falling off to the east as we 

 advanced. The general soil was white clay, formed from the de- 

 composition of the rocks. At three o'clock, having travelled 

 eighteen miles without water, we halted, removed the packs from 

 the backs of our weary beasts, and served out from our scanty store 

 a pint of water to each mule, which the famished creatures eagerly 

 drank from a tin pan. We remained here a couple of hours, to 

 allow them to graze on some tolerably good bunch-grass, when we 

 again saddled up at sundown, and continued our journey, deter- 

 mined to go on till water should be found, or at least as long as 

 the animals could travel. At ten o'clock we reached a small slug- 

 gish stream, containing some water entirely too salt for our use, 

 but which the poor animals drank with great avidity, having been 

 without for more than twelve hours. Here we lay down for the 

 night, both man and beast much fatigued with the day's march. 



The country passed over to-day has been barren, desolate, and 

 forlorn to the last degree. Artemisia has prevailed to the exclusion 

 of all other vegetation. Not the note of a bird nor the chirp of 

 an insect was to be heard. A solitary crow and one grasshopper 

 were the only living things seen dui'ing the whole day's march. 



Thursday^ October 25. — Ther. at sunrise, 24°. We had an op- 

 portunity this morning of seeing fully the ground over which we 

 had passed the night previous. It consisted of an oval flat of clay 

 and sand, some four or five miles broad from east to west, and ex- 

 tending double that distance toward the north ; bounded on both 

 sides by lofty hills, with high mountains in the background. 

 North of the flat the ridge was much lower, and it appeared as if 

 there were a pass or depression through it, leading to another valley 

 or plain beyond. Three streams came down from this low ridge, 

 and, flowing to the southward, either sank into the sand or discharged 

 themselves into the lake, which we now judged to be some six or 



