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

some twenty miles in length was spread along
the foot of the mountains. its shores bordered
with green grnss Just then the sun broke out
among the clouds, and illuminated the country
below, while around us the storm ragged ferccly.
Not particle of ice was TO be seen on the lake,
or snow on its borders and all was like summer
or spring. The glow of the sun in the valley
below frightened up our hearts with sudden
pleasure, and we made the woods ring with
joy fui shouts to those behind and gradually as
each came up, ic stopped to enjoy the uncxpec
ted scene Shiverinr on snow three feet deep.
and s,ifening in cold north wind, we cxclai. |
med at once that the names of Summer Lake
and Winter Ridge should be applied to these
two proximate places of such sudden and vio-
lent contrast. ..
1--WE were now Immediately on the verge Of
the forest land, in which we had been travel
ling So many days; and, looking forward to the
east. scarce tree was 10 be seen. Viewed
from onr elevation the face of the country exhi.
btcd region in which the artemisia became
the principal wood. furnishing 10 its scattered
for their hu,s and shelter for the small game
which ministers to their hunger and nakedness
Broadly marked by the boundary Of the noun.
tain wall, and Immediately below us, were the
first waters of that great interior basin which
has the Wahsatch and Bear river mountains
for its eastern, and the Sierra Nevada for lis
Western rim, and the edge OF which we had
entered upwards of three months before at the
Great Salt Lake. ...
"When we had sufficiently admired the scene
below, we began to think about descending,
which here was impossible, aud we turned TO.
wards the north, travelling always along the
rocky wall We continued on -four or five miles,
making lnefi-c,usl attempts at several places
aud at length succeeded in getting down at one
which was extremely difficult ofdcscent. Night
had closed ia before the foremost reached the
bottom, q nd it was dark before we all found our
selves together IN the valley. There were three
or tour dead dry cedar tees on the shore, and
those who first arrived kindled bright fires 10
light on the others One Of the mules rolled
over and over two or three hundred feet into
ravine, but recovered himself without any other
injury than 10 his back und the howi,zer wa.
left midway the mountain until morning. BY
observation the latitude of this encampnent is
II deg 81 ~. II delayed us until near noon
the next day 20 recover ourselves and put every
thing in order, and We made only short camp
along the western shore OF the lake, which in
] IL, l..
justified the name We had given II. Our course
would have taken up TO the other shore, and q
yer the highlands beyond butt dis,rusled the
| appearance ofthe county, and decided to fol-
| low plainly beaten Indian trail leading along
this side of the lake. We were now ih com.
| Try where the scarcity of water and Of grass
makes travelling dangerous aud great caution
was necessary"
On Christmas day the party had made a tour
oi AGO miles from the i)ales, and were in lati.
,ude 4 deg. 90 min. W sec. and longitude "a
bouO III deg, consequently on the division line
between Oregon and Mexico. The narrative
says:
I'VE were reused on Christmas morning by
!
with which our people salu,ed the day aud the
name of which we bestowed on the lake, II
was the dr>t time, perhaps, IN this remote and
dcsulate region IN which II had teen 50 com'
mcmorated. Always, on days OF religious or
national cu,nmomoratlon, our voyagucrs expect
some unusual allowance ard, having nothing
else / gave them each Ii,,lr brandy, (Which
was carefully guarded, as one oi the mo-, Useful
articles traveller can carry0 with some coffee
and sugar, which here, where every ea'a5le wvs
a luxury, was sntlicl'n; TO make them feast
The day was sunny and warm and, resumng
our Journey, we crossed some Sigh, dividing
grounds into similar basin, walled in ON the
rlgh, by lofty mountain ridge The plainly
beaten trail still continued, aud occasionally We
passed camp grounds of the Indians, which in
dicated TO me that we were on one of the great
thosoughfares OF the countIy. In the afternoon
| attempted to travel in more eusterly direc.
ton but after few lnborious miles, was bea.
ten back into the basin by an impossible coun.
try. There were fresh Indian tracks about the
valley, and last night horse was stolen. We
encamped on the valley bottom, where there
was some cream like water in ponds, colored by
clay soil and frozen over Chenopodlaceous
/ shrubs constituted the growth of, and made a.
gain our fire wood. The animals were drive,
to the hill, where there was tos,,.,ole GOOD
grass" ..... ...t...
The general course of ,hs exoeditlon was
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