The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-09-09

| - s-o'~N NA~'.o 10 oCioiCs poiutlCl W Us,
when they disappeared, apparently behind
the horizon.
As we proceeded, the plain gradually he.
came softer, and our mules sometimes sank
10 their knees ia the stiff composition Of
salt sand and clay. The travelling at
length became so difficult and fatiguing to
our animals that several OF the party dis.
mounted, myself among the number and
We consequently slaekened our hitherto
brisk pace into a walk. About two, A. M.
we discovered through the smoky yapor the
dim outlines OF the mountains in front Of
us, at The foot Of which was to terminate
our days march, il We were so fortunate as
to reach it. But still we were a long and
weary distance from it, and from the .sgrass
and water" which We expected there to find.
A cloud rose from the South soon alterward,
accompanied by several distant peals of
thunder, and furious wind, rushing across
the plain and filling the whole atmosphere
around us with the fine particles Of salt,
and drifting it in heaps like the newly fall.
en- snow. Our eyes became nearly blinded
and our throats choked with the saline mat
ter, and the very air we breathed tasted OF
salt.
During the subsidence Of this tempest
there appeared upon the plain one OF the
most extraordinary phenomena, | dare to
assert, ever looked upon. As | have be-
lore stated, | had dismounted from my mule,
and turning it in with the caballada, was
walking several rods in front of the party,
in order to lead in direct course to the
point Of our destination. Diagonally in
front, to the right, our course being West,
there appeared the figures Of number Of
men and horses, some fifteen or twenty
Some Of these figures were mounted and
others dismounted, and appeared to be
marching on foot. Their faces and the
heads Of the horses were turned toward us,
and at first they appeared as if they were
rushing down upon US. Their apparent
distance, judging from the horizon, was
from thxee to five miles. But their size
was not correspondent for they seemed
nearly as large as our own bodies, and con-
sequently were of gigantic stature. At the
first view | supposed them to be small
party Of Indians, probably the Utahs,)
marching from the opposite side Of the
plain. But this seemed to me scarcely
probable, as no hunting or war party would
be likely to take this route called to
some Of our party nearest to me TO hasten
forward, as there were men in front COM
ing toward us. Very soon the fifteen or
twenty figures were multiplied into three or
four hundred, and appeared to be marching
forward with the greatest action and speed.
| then conjectured that they might be
Capt. Fremont and his party, with Others,
from California, returning to the United
States by this route, although they seemed
to be too numerous even for this. | spoke
TO Brown, who was nearest to me, and ask
ed him if he noticed the figures of men and
horses in front. He answered that he did,
and that he had observed the same appear
ance several times previously, but that they
had disappeared. and he believed them TO
be optical illusions similar to the mirage.
1t was then. for the first time, so perfect
was the deception. that | coniectured the
probable fact that these figures were the
reflection Of our own images by the stmos-
phere, filled as it We're with fine particles
OF crystalized matter, or by the distant no.
rizon, covered by the same substance. This
induced a more minute observation OF the
phenomenon, in order to detect the decep-
tlon, if such il were. | noticed a SINGLE
figure, apparently in front in advance Of all
the others. and was struck with its likeness
To myself. Its motions, too. | thought were
the same as mine.
To test the hypothesis above suggested, /
wheeled suddenly around, at the same time
stretching my arms out to their full length,
and turning my face sidewise to notice the
movements Of this figure. | then marched
deliberately and with long strides several
PAGES; the figure did the same. To test il
more thoroughly. 1 repeated the experiment,
and with the same result. The fact then
was clear. But it was more fully verified
still, for the whole array of this numerous
shadowy host in the course OF an hour melt
ed away and was no more seen. The phe-
nomen, however. explained and gave the
history OF the gigantic spectre, which ap-
peared and disappeared so mysteriously at an
earlier hour OF the day. The figures were
our own shadows, produced and reproduced
by the mirror-like imposition impregnating
the atmosphere and covering the plain. 1
cannot here more particularly explain or
refer to the subject. But this phantom pop
ulation sp6nging out Of the ground as it
were, and arraying itself before US as We
traversed this dreary and aforementioned
waste, although we were entirely convinced
Of the cause Of the appariton, excited those
superstitious emotions so natural to all