156 COMMENCEMENT OF THE SURVEY OF SALT LAKE. 



hogues into the South Sea, which is doubtless the same with that 

 before mentioned, the head of the two rivers being little distant 

 from each other." 



In his preface, the writer indulges in the following remarks : 

 <' The possibility of a communication by water (except about half 

 a day's land carriage) between the river Meschacebe and the South 

 Sea, stretching from America to Japan, which is represented in 

 the fifth chapter of this treatise, deserves to be well and duly con- 

 sidered." The work contains what is called "a large and accurate 

 map of Carolana, and of the river Meschacebe." 



On the third of April, the parties were fully organized; and 

 every preparation being made, teams were despatched to the eastern 

 shore of Antelope Island, with the camp and provisions intended 

 for that division of our force assigned to the survey of the west 

 side of the lake. It was my pm-pose to form here a small depot, 

 accessible by water, and also to herd the mules and cattle during 

 the summer. Before commencing the actual survey, I designed 

 to make a thorough reconnoissance of the entire lake by water, and 

 to erect stations upon the prominent points of the shores and 

 islands, sufficient to enable me to cover the whole surface with a 

 series of triangles, which would verify the work. 



Although it is not my purpose to give a detailed account of 

 every day's operations while engaged upon this duty, I shall make 

 such extracts from the journals as will, perhaps, convey a suf- 

 ficiently clear idea of this hitherto unknown sea, and of some of 

 the difficulties encountered in its exploration. 



After starting th^ teams, we embarked on board of our new 

 craft, to descend the Jordan to its mouth, where it enters the lake. 

 The stream being much swollen by the melting of the snows, the 

 current was extremely rapid. The dry, leafless willows on the 

 banks were, in some places, black with innumerable birds'-nests, 

 the work of the preceding season, securely built in the midst of 

 impenetrable thickets. The day was bright and warm, and all 

 felt the exhilaration of spirits occasioned by release from a four- 

 months' confinement to weary and monotonous quarters, and were 

 filled with the eager anticipation of ranging over the mysterious 

 waters of this far-famed sea !. The grass was becoming green, the 

 waters began to flow in little rills, and the air was vocal with the 

 music of myriads of frogs set free from their icy fetters and exult- 

 ing beneath the genial rays of an April sun. Every thing betokened 

 the opening of spring, although the surrounding mountains 



