Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-09-13

"Here.' says Capt F., eve concluded the
year 1913, and our New Years eve was rather
an unpleasant one. The result of our Journey
began TO be very uncertain; the country was
singularly unfavorabe to travel; the grasses be-
ing frequently of n very unwholesome charac.
ter. and the hoofs Of our animals were so worn
and cut by the rocks that many of them were
lame and could scarcely be got along"
New Years Day, lSIi-We continued
down the valley, between dry looking black
ridge and more snowy and high one on the
right Oar road was bad along the bottom, be-
ing broken by gulies and imbedded by sage.
and sandy on the hills, where there is not
blade ofcr,ss, nor does any appear on the noun
tans. The soil in many places consists of
fine powdery sand. covered with saline cfllo.
resence and the general character of the coun-
try is desert"
Ga the 81 January, "A fog. so dense that we
could not see hundred yards, covered the
country, and the men thar went out after the
horses were bewidcrcd and lost and we were
consequently detained at camp till late in the
day. Our situation had now become a serious
one. We had reached and run over the posi-.
ton where, according to the best maps in my
poss ession, we should have found Mary's lake,
or river. We were evidently on the verge OF
the desert which had been reported to us; and
the appearance o! the country was so forbidding
that was afraid to enter it. and determined to
bear away To the southwark, keeping close a.
long the mountains, in the full expectation of
reaching Buenaventura river. This morning
put every man in the camp on foot-myself, of
course among the rest-and in this manner
lightened by distribution the loads of the ami
mails. We travelled seven or eight miles along
the ridge bordering the valley, and encamped
where there were few bushes Of grass on the
bed of a hill torrent, without water-There
we're seen some large ariemlsas but the prn.
cipa plants are chenopodiaceous shrubs, The
rock composing the mountains is here changed
suddenly into white granite. The fog showed
the tops Of the hills at sunset. aud stars enough
for observations in early evening, and then clo-
sed above us as before. Latitude by observa-
ton 40 deg. ~"
"Jauuary 4 The fog to-dny was still more
dense, the people again were bewildered We
Travelled u few miles around the western part
of the ridge, and encompcd where there were a
few tufts of grass but no water. Our animals
now were in very alarming state, and there
vas increased anxiety in the camp"
January > Same dense tog confined and
one of the muIes died in camp this morning.
have had occasion to remark, on such occasions
as these, tina, animals which are about to die
leave the band, and, coming into the camp, lie
down about the fires.
On the 9th January, they arrived, says the
narrative, cat the most extraordinary locality OF
no, springs we had met during the Journey. The
basin of the largest one has a circumference OF
several hundred teet hu, there is at one extre-
nifty circular space Of about hNeen feet in d.
ameter, entirely occupied BY the boiling wafer,
II hollis mp at irregular intervals, and with much
noise The water is clear, and the spring deep
pole about sixteen feet long was easily nmer.
sed in the centre, but We had no means otform.
INC good idea ofthe depth. 1t was surroun-
ded OF the margin with body Of green grass,
ami near the shore the temperature of,he water
was 206 deg We had no other means of as
ccrtaining that of the centre, where the heat
was greatest; but by dispensing the water with
pole, the temperature Oft the margin was in
creased to POS deg, and in the centre it was
doubtless higher BY driving the pole towards
the bottom, the water was made 10 boil up with
increased force ard noise. There are several
other interesting places, where water and smoke
or gas escape, but they would require long de-
scrlpton The water is impregnaied with
commou salt, but not SO much as to render It
unf, for general cooking; and mixture OF
snow made 1t pleasant To drink"
"Our situatiun now required caution. lnclu-
ding those which gave out from the injured con.
dllon of their feet, and Ihosc stolen by Indians,
we had lost since leaving the Dales of the Co
iumbia, fifteen animals and of these, nine had
been left in the last few days. | therefore de-
termined until we should reach a country of
water and vegetation, to feel our way aheSd, by
having the line of route explored soT.e fiitecn
or twenty miles in advance and OILY to leave a
present encampment when the succeeding one
was known.
"Tak'nT with me Cooley and Carson, ma lie
'o'uay thorough exploration of the neighbor'
ng valleys, and found in ravine in the border
ing mountains a good camping place. where
there was water in springs and sufficient guam
ti,y of grass for a night. Overshadlng the
-: ,.,., ..,,. ,ra.. of the sweet cotton.