174 SHOSHONEE INDIANS — SPRINGS. 



insufferable during the day, settling on the forehead and ears, get- 

 ting into the eyes and hair, producing pain and irritation by their 

 bite, and rendering the manipulation of instruments extremely diffi- 

 cult under the tormenting infliction. Fortunately, they always 

 disappear upon the going down of the sun, affording a grateful re- 

 lief from their annoying attacks. 



The following day we attempted to move camp, but after getting 

 under way, the wind blew so hard that we could make but little 

 progress, and were at length obliged to come-to on a sandbar only 

 two miles from our morning encampment, and to carry our camp 

 to land upon our shoulders. Here we met three Shoshonee Indians 

 on horseback, who had been watching our motions for some time. 

 They belonged to a small lodge encamped among the hills a few 

 miles to the northward. They seemed friendly, and expressed 

 much curiosity at the size of the boat, and by signs informed me 

 that they would very much like to borrow it, to pay a visit to the 

 islands in the lake, some of which they gave me to understand 

 they had never reached. Indeed, I doubt if they had ever placed 

 a canoe upon the waters. We saw no sign of any thing of the 

 kind, even upon Utah Lake, although its waters abound with the 

 finest fish. A hearty supper, which they devoured as if they never 

 expected to get another, sent them away delighted with their 

 visit. 



In wandering among the artemisia, to-day, I was struck at by a 

 most villanous-looking adder, rather more than two feet in length, 

 and was very near being bitten. It was the first snake I had seen 

 in the country, and I think we only saw one other — a rattle snake 

 — while we were upon the lake. 



Friday, May 3. — In about two miles we came upon a number 

 of fine springs, near to which I had encamped last fall. The 

 water then was brackish and bad ; but now, owing to the supply 

 from melting snows in the mountains, it was fresh, soft, and delight- 

 ful. The springs were beautifully clear, and situated amid a large 

 growth of reeds — ^an invariable indication, here, of fresh water. 

 The one from which we obtained our supply was about fifteen feet 

 long, ten feet wide, and four deep, with overhanging banks of sod. 

 Some curious insects inhabited it, several of which were caught 

 end preserved. 



The adjacent hills are composed of gray limestone, overlying 

 the same kind of black marble as that seen at Flatrock Point. 



