26 
DIGGER INDIANS—LANGUAGE. 
sundown; I again ascended the high western ridge to examine the country ahead with a 
more favorable light, by which I discovered a narrow lake, to which I gave the name of Goshoot, 
extending along the base of the succeeding- mountain-range for several miles, and indications, 
by the vegetation, of fine springs at the foot of the same mountain. 
May 18.—Last night was cold, freezing the surface of the ground to the depth of a quarter 
of an inch. Altitude, 6,550 feet. Leaving camp at sunrise, we continued down the dry bed 
of the creek for a short distance, hut leaving it as we entered the valley, in which our course 
changed more to the north, for the purpose of passing around the north end of the succeeding 
mountain. The road was dry and hard, and the artemisia, which covered the whole face of 
the country, small. The water of Goshoot , lake is shallow and hitter, and its hanks miry. 
Crossing below its foot, which sometimes overflows, and sends out a small stream to the north, 
we encamped among numerous fine springs of fresh water, around which the fresh grass is 
just springing up, and the willows are just beginning to show their leaves. The day has been 
the finest we have enjoyed, and as yet (3 o’clock p. m.) we have seen no rain falling in the 
mountains. Day’s march, 18.40 miles. 
May 19.—We continued our northwest course this morning around the mountain, hut, to avoid 
a long circuit in the plain, passed over the foot-hills of the range through a large growth of 
the cedar of the country. The range itself is terminated by a high round butte just north of 
the line of our trail. The valley of our last camp was seen to extend well to the north, and to 
connect to the east by other plains with the valley above Fish creek, just below our camp of 
the 16th, which would give an important line for a railroad from Great Salt lake, by a very 
uniform grade, hut by a very circuitous route, were not the line by Pilot Peak, which was in 
sight, and with which this valley also connects, more direct, with equally favorable grades. 
To the north of the open passage, beyond the terminating butte above described, there is a 
remarkable peak, very broad at its base and sloping gradually up to its summit, upon which 
snow is still seen. This peak apparently terminates a short, isolated north and south range, of 
which it is the conspicuous feature, and a conspicuous land-mark. To the west of this peak we 
entered upon an extensive plain extending uninterruptedly so far to the north, that only the 
highest peaks of very distant mountains'were visible above it. It also extends far to the south, 
but is much more broken by mountains. Turning a little south, we encamped, still on the 
mountain base, at fine springs, which send out small streams to the plain, watering small 
meadows of grass before they disappear in the absorbing soil. Day’s march, 16.11 miles. 
As we approached camp we discovered near the springs the smoke of a Digger wick-ey-up, or 
lodge—that is, a smoke curling upwards from the sunny side of a cbdar bush. Its inmates, or 
more properly occupants, were an old man and a young woman, the lowest beings in the 
scale of humanity I have any desire to see. They were greatly frightened when they discovered 
us, and the man escaped to the mountains; but the woman did not see us until too late to 
escape ; and as she experienced no incivility, her companion afterwards returned, informing 
us, as lie best could, that he fled taking us for Shoshonees. But he was still greatly in fear, 
and trembled from head to foot, and, with his companion, returned to the hills as often as 
curiosity or hunger induced them to come forth. They were filthy beyond description, and as 
ugly in features as in dirt. They had no shelter, no blankets—nothing but a deer-skin or 
two, a few ground-rats, a little grass-seed in grass baskets, food for themselves, and a variety 
of artemisia-seed, which the squaw ground between stones for food for two of the most emaciated 
and mean-looking dogs I ever saw. We.could not discover the use they put these animals 
to in this condition, for they could barely stand, and the woman was constantly beating them 
with clubs to keep them from lapping the stones upon which their food was ground; but 
they were very anxious to obtain the fat dogs in our train for food. I made them presents 
of knives and calico, which astonished them not less than our arrival, by which they were made 
as happy as they were miserable an hour before. We fed them also, but they were, although 
half-starved, afraid to eat until they saw us partake of the same dish, so little are they accus- 
