(JUNNISON'S island — GULLS AND PELICANS. 191 



of diamonds. The evaporation of the shoal water between the 

 island and the main shore has left this beautiful deposite of salt, 

 which must rapidly increase in extent as the season advances. 



Wednesday^ May 29. — Before breakfast, all hands hauled up 

 the yawl into a few inches of water, and turned her over to dry, 

 preparatory to caulking and pitching. The survey of Dolphin 

 Island was completed to-day. The summit is some seventy feet 

 above the level of the water, and the island consists mainly of con- 

 glomerate in horizontal strata, and varying much in the size of 

 the cemented stones. 



To day I made my first essay as a caulker : — caulked, payed, 

 and painted the boat ; and although it may not have been very 

 artistically done, yet it fully answered the purpose. I found that 

 the brine of the lake had acted very sensibly upon the iron fasten- 

 ings of the boat, corroding them much more rapidly than ordinary 

 sea-water would have done. 



This day one year ago the expedition left Fort Leavenworth. 

 Of the original members of the party only four now remain : the rest 

 having broken their engagements and gone to the gold-mines. 

 Those that left last autumn by the Little Salt Lake route, were, 

 as we heard, stripped by the Indians of all they possessed, and 

 left to find their way to the land of promise as they could. 



Friday^ May 30. — Morning calm and pleasant, all hands up 

 early to move camp. The yawl was turned over and launched, 

 and found, to our great satisfaction, to leak but little. As we were 

 again short of water, I determined to run over to Gunnison's 

 Island, and make a survey of its shores, while the boat crossed to 

 the eastern side of the lake to obtain a supply. We landed at two 

 p. M. upon the shores of the same beautiful little bay, with its 

 rocky points and white-sand beach, which had so much delighted 

 us when we first visited the island. Our friends, the gulls and 

 pelicans, had by no means decreased in numbers ; the former fill- 

 ing the air with their interminable chattering, which continued the 

 whole night, and formed a most striking contrast to the chilling and 

 deathlike silence of the surrounding shores. The little bay is 

 covered with their forms floating lightly and gracefully upon ihe 

 undulating waters, and unceasingly engaged in earnest conversa- 

 tion ; while flocks of the more dignified pelicans drew off in 

 separate groups, as if in silent contempt of their more garrulous 

 neighbours. 



The island is surrounded by bold, clear, and beautifully trans- 



