Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-09-06

tn ,he Sierra Nevada we had travelled $50 miles, occupying
twenty days. that inhospitabe region. In passing
before the great caravan had the advantage Of finding
grass but the disadvantage of finding also the maraudng
ages who had gathered down the trail waiting the ap
proach of that prey This greatly increased abors be
sides costing the life of excellent We had L
all day in state of watch, and prepared for combat
scouts and fankers out front and division Of
and baggage animals in the At night camp duty
Those who had toed all day. had guard by
the camp and the horses all night Frequently onehird
the whole party guard at and nothing but this
vigilance saved from attack. We constantly dogged
by bands, and whole tribes of the maauders and
though Tabeau was killed. and camp infested and insult
ed by some while OF them remained the hills and
mountain Sides there manesty a consultation and cal
culahon going to decide the question of attacking
Having reached the resting place of the Vegas de Santa C
d we had complete relief from the heat and prvaons of the
DESERT and relaxation from the severity Of camp duty
Some elaxaon and relaxation onyor camp guards horse
guards and scouts indispensable from the time Of eaving
the frontiers of Missouri until return TO Them"
son the nth May after 440 miles of travelling trail,
which served for road again found ourselves under the
necessity of exploring track through the wilderness The
Spanish trail had borne off TO the southeast crossing the Wah
atch Our led to the northeast along the foot
OF that range, and leaving the right The mountain
scented itself under the form of several ridges rising
above the other rocky and wooded with pine and cedar the
last ridge covered with SEWER river, flowing north
wardy to the lake of the name collects its principal
tiers from this section of the Wahsatch chain. We had
entered region great pastoral PROMISE Astounding with fine
streams the rich bunch grass soil that would produce wheat
and indigenous flax growing If had been Consist
en with the general character of its bordering mountains this
fertility Of soil and vegetation does extend far into the
Great Basin. Mr.. Joseph Walker, guide, who joined
ON the h and who has knowledge of these parts than
any man know informed that all the country to the left
was unknown to him, and that the Digger tribes, which
fequented Lake Sewer, could tell him nothing about it.
May 2O.-We met band of Utah Indians, headed by a
well known Chief who had obtained the American English
name Of Walker, by which he is quoted and well known.
They all mounted armed with rifles and their rifles
well The chief had see which he had carried sung, in
addition to his rifle They journeyng slowly towards
the Spanish TRAIL to levy their usual tribute upon the great
Californian They robbers of higher order
than those Of the They conducted their depedatons
with form, and under the color of trade and toll for passing
through their country Instead of attacking and killings they
affect to purchaseakng the horses they like, and giving
something nominal in The chief quite civil to
me- He personally acquainted with his namesake, our
guide who made my name known to him. He knew OF my
expedition of ls42 and, tokens of friendship, and proof
that had met proposed interchange of presents We
had great store to choose out of he gave Mexican
blanket and gave him very fine which had obtained
| at Vancouver"
"Crossing the gath May slight ridge along the river,
we entered handsome mountain valley covered with hne
grass and directed towards high snowy peak al
the foot of which lay the Utah Lake. On right
bed Of high mountains their submits covered with con
shutting the dividing ridge between the Basin waters and those
Of the Colorado At fell in with party of Utah In
dams coming out of the mountain and in the afternoon en-
camped tributary the lake, which is separated from the
waters Of the Sewer by very slight dividing grounds
4
descended the broad bottoms Of the Spanish fork three
horsemen galopng towards who proved to be
Utah ndans-scouts from village which encanped near
the mouth of the river. They armed with rifles and
their horses in good condition We encamped near
them, the Spanish fork which Of the principal trbu
taries to the lake Finding the Indians troublesome, and de-
sirous to remain here day, removed the next morning
further down the lake. and encamped fertile bottom
the foot of the ridge which borders the Great
Salt Lake. and along which had the
tembe Here the principal plants in bloom two, which
remarkable afordng to the Snake Indans-he one
abundant supply Of food and the other the most useful
among the applications which they for wounds These
the kooyah plant growing in fields of extraordinary lux
urance, and conuoaria stea, which, from the experience
of Mr.. Walker the best remedial plant known among those
Indians few miles below another village OF In
dians from which obtained fish-among them few
salmon trout whchwere very much inferior in size to those
along the Californian mountains The for taking them
had not yet arrived but the Indians daily expecting
them to come up out Of the lake.
"We had now accomplished object we had IN view
when leaving the Daes Of the Columbia in November last
had reached the Utah Lake but by route very different
from what had intended, and without sufficient time
naming TO make the examinations which desired II is
lake of note in this country under the dominion Of the Utah,
who resort 10 for FISH Its greatest breadth about fifteen
miles, stretching far to the north, narrowing it gees and
connecting with the Great Salt Lake This the report and
which believe to be but il is fresh water while the
other is only salt but saturated solution of salt; and
here is problem which requires to he solved IL is almost
entirely surrounded by mountains walled the north and
east by high and snowy range which supplies to 1t fan Of
tributary streams"
And here we are compelled to break off for the
present.
Bunsr OF onAroRr-A Western orator, inspired by