Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-02-18

the deposition Of successive strata from
the springs. On their submits, the orlh-
ces through which the waters had been dis
charged were so large that they resembled
miniature craters, being some OF them Sc
vera feet in diameter, circular, and regu.
larry formed as it by art. AT former
lime, wnen these driod.up fountains were
all in motion, they must have made a
beautiful display on grand scale; and
nearly all this basin appears TO have been
formed under their action. aud should be
called The place Of fountains. At the foot
of one of these hills, or rather on the side
near its base, are several OF these small
limestone columns, about one foot Ia dia-
meter at the base, and ,aperng upwards
to height of three or four feet; and on
the summit the water is boiling up and
bubbing over, constantly adding 10 the
height Of the little obelisks. In some, the
water only boils up, no longer OVERLOOKING,
and here has tho same taste as at the
steamboat spring. The observer will re-
mark gradual subsistence in the water,
which formerly supplied the fountains, as
on all the SUBMITS of the hills the springs
are now dry, and are found only low down
upon their sides.
The morning Of the 29h was clear and
calm, and the temperature at sunrise 2S,
AT the same time the temperature of the
large beer spring, where we were encamp-
ed was So, that of the Steamboat spring
81, and tho steam hole near il 81. Our
baromeiric observation gave 5,S40 feet
for the elevation above the gulf. In the
course Of the mornIbg, the last wagons of
the emigration company passed by, and
we were again left in our place in the renr
An examination of the great lake which
is tho outlet of this river, and the prnci-
pal feature Of geographical interest in the
basin, was one Of the main objects con.
templnted in the general plan'o our sur.
veg, and accordingly determined al this
place TO cave the road, and, after having
completed reconnaissance Of the lake,
regain it subsequently ut Fort Hall. Bul
; our little stock OF provisions had again be-
come extremely low; we had only dried
meat sufficient for one meal, and our sup.
ply of -four and other comforts was entire
y exhausted. | therefore Immediately
despatched one of the party, Henry Lee,
with note TO Carson at Fort Hall, direct
ing him to load pack horse with whatev-
er could be obtained there in the way Of
/; provisions, and endeavor to ovorlake me
! on the river. In the meantime, we had
picked up along the road two tolerably
|, well grown calves, which would have be-
I come food for wolves, and which had pro-
badly been left by some of The earlier emf
grants, none of those we had met having
made any claim 10 them; and on these 1
t mainly relied for support during our cir
5 cult to the lake.
, AS we we're about resDmirg our march
, in the afternoon, ! was attracted by the
J singular appearance Of an isolated bill
, with Il concase summit, in the plain, about
+ two miles from the river, and turned Off 10.
; wards il, while the camp proceeded on its
. way to the southwark N search Of the lake
e | found the thin and stony soil of the plain
b entirely underaid by the basat which
: forms the river walls; and when reached
a the neIghborhood Of the hill, the surface Of
. the PLAIN was rent into frequent assures
d and chasms Of the same scoriaed volca-
: mic rock, from forty to sixty feet deep, but
d which there was not sufficient light TO pen,
!, citrate entirely, and which had moi lime
0 10 descend. Arrived at the summit Of the
: hill, found that il terminated in very
perfect crater, Of an oval, or nearly circu'
lar form, 800 PAGES in circumference, anc
80 feet at the greatest depth. The walls
: which We're perfectly vertical, and disposed
! like masonry in a very regular manner,
. were composed Of brown colored scori.
a aceous lava, evidently the production of a
u modern volcano, and having all the up
I; pedrance Of the lighter scoriacious lava,
a OF Mount Elna, Vesuyius, and other vol
6 canoes. The fcces of the walls were
: Redeemed and glazed by the fire, in which
+ they had been melted, and which had lef
J. them contorled and twisted by its yiolen
d action.
II August 26.-Crossing point Of ridge
Il which makes in to the river, we fell upon
IS it again before sunset, and encamped "a
l. the right bank, opposite 10 the encampmen
n Of three lodges Of Snake Indians. They
(, visited US during the evening, and we Oh
= tanned from tbem'a small quantity Of root,
Of different kinds, in exchange for good.
G Among them was a sweet root of very
0, pleasant flavor, having somewhat the lasl,
G Of preserved ounce. My endeayors L
n become acquainted with the plants which
o. furnish 10 the Indians portion Of ihei
Of support, were only gradually successful
3 and after long and persevering attention
h. and even alter obtaining, did not succee,
re in preserving them until they could be sa
G. tislaclorily determined. In this portion 0