206 SURVEY OF EASTERN SHORE OF THE LAKE. 



and driven in by the wind. Passing through it, I found it filled 

 with the small black flies, such numbers of which I had noticed 

 ^ yesterday. In the midst of these were flocks of gulls, floating upoi\ 

 the water and industriously engaged in picking them up, precisely 

 as a chicken would pick up grains of corn, and with the same ra- 

 pidity of motion. 



We landed at our first camp-ground near the box-elder tree, 

 about two hours after sunrise, making twenty-four continuous hours 

 that I had sat at the helm, without a moment's respite. A mes- 

 senger was despatched to the person in charge of the cattle, with 

 directions to drive up the herd, out of which one was selected and 

 killed. The rest of the crew were engaged in filling the water-ves- 

 sels from an excellent spring near the shore. Here I enjoyed the 

 exquisite luxury of washing my face and hands, for the first time in 

 more than two weeks — water being too scarce an article in the camp 

 to allow that privilege to any other person than the cook. 



About eleven o'clock I had the pleasure of meeting my friend 

 and efficient assistant. Lieutenant Gunnison, whom I found busily 

 engaged in pushing forward the field-work of his portion of the 

 survey, with his accustomed industry and energy. He had com- 

 pleted the survey of the eastern side of the lake, and was at the 

 time engaged in that of Antelope Island. He brought news of the 

 arrival of the first mail this year, and a large packet of letters from 

 home. After concerting measures for meeting on the western shore 

 of the lake, where our surveys were to join, he returned to his camp. 

 Every preparation being made for an early start in the morning, I 

 retired to read my letters and to refresh my weary spirits by repose. 



Sunday, June 16. — As the party on the flats was nearly out of 

 water when we left them, and the weather was so uncertain as to 

 render the time occupied in our return to them equally so, I de- 

 termined to leave to-day. 



Rounding the north point of Antelope Island, we called at the 

 little islet to which we had given the name of Egg Island, to look 

 after our old friends, the gulls and pelicans. The former had 

 hatched out their eggs, and the island was full of little, half-fledged 

 younglings, who fled at our approach, and hid themselves under the 

 first stone they could find. We caught several of them, and amused 

 ourselves by putting them into the water, when they immediately 

 followed the instinct of their natures, and paddled away with their 

 little black feet most assiduously. One poor fellow, about four 

 inches long, driven by the extremity of his fear, took to the water 



