The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-11-04

from one fourth to one hnlf ofun inch in
thickness, beneath which Is Il stratum of damp
whiGish sand and clay hermugled. Small
fragments of white shelly rock. OfHn inch aud
hnlf in thickness, which appear as IL they
once composed II crust but had been broken
10y the action of the atmosphere or tho pres
sure of water rising from beneath, are stIewu
over the entire plain and imbedded in the
salt and sand
A. we moved onward, n member of our
pnrty IN the rear called our attention 10 gi-
gumic moving object on our leii,ntaunpparcu
distance of six or eight miles. 1t is very diff
iicult To determine distances Accurately on
these plains. Your estimate is based upon
the probable dimensions ofihc Oheri,Nu I'M
less you know what The object il aud It's pr0h-
able size, you arc liable TO great deception
The atmosphere seems frequently 10 act us II
muguiier; 50 much 80, that have often seen
II raven, pcrcEcd OF, low shrub or an uudu-
la'iun oftle plain, answering TO tie outlines
Of a uIau Oh urselmck. ...
But this object WINS so enormously large.
considering It's apparent distance, aud
its mpNeucut forward parallel With
ours, so distinct, that il greatly excited
our wonder ami curiosity. Many
and various were the couiecturcs SERIOUS aud
tacrtinuS) The party, as TO what it might hc
or portend. Some though it might lie Mr.
Igudspclh, who had concluded 10 follow us
Others that it was il some cyclupeun non
drscrpt auinul,lo upon The desert; others
That il was the ghost Of Il mammoth or me-
gntherium wandering on this rendezvous OF
death y others that it was the ID mounted
on an ibis, Sc. 1t was the general cuuru-
sion, however, that no animal, composed of
flesh aud bIuod,or even II healthy ghoSl could
here inhuhir. A partner Of equal size soon
joined il, and for an hour ar more they mO,ed
along us before, parallel 10 us, when they dis
appeared, apparently behind the horizon.
AS we proceeded, the plain gradually be-
came softer, and our miles sometimes sank
TO their knees in the stiff composition of salt,
sand and clay. The travelling AT length be-
came so difficult mud fiIiEuiug to our uminials
thnt several olthe party dismonh'ed, (myselI
among the nunber) and we consequently
slackened our hitherto brisk pace into II
walk. About two, A. NJ, we discovered
through the smoky vHpCr the dim outlines of
the mountains in trout ofus, Mt the foot of
which was 10 terminate our days march, If
we were so fortunate rs 10 reach II. But SIill
we were long aud weary distance FROM IT.,
and from The "gruss and water" Which We
expected there to fiud. A cluiid from the
south soon aiterward, accompanied by sever
al distant peNls of thumder,nud furious wind
rushing across tic plain and filing the whole
atmosphere NfOunu us WIN luc liile
of salt, and drifting il in nonl,s like the new
~ flen SNOW. Our eyes becnne nearly
blinded and our Threats chotcd with the su
line matter, aud the very air we brealhed
lusted ufsGli. .H. $3.50 ".I# ....
During the snbsdence oftliS TEMPEST there
appeared on tie plain one of The most ezra
ordinary phenomcua, dare To assert. ever
looked on. As have before suited, ! had
dismountrd from my mnlc, and turning II
in Wili The c15uliadn, was walking several
rods IL front of the party, in order t" lead III
direct course 10 IlIc point oi'our destination.
DiaGonully in fr0rt, to the right, our COURSE
heiGg west, there appeared the figure OF a
number o. men and horses, snnc fifteen OF
twenty. Some of these figures were NOUN
ted and others dismountcd, and appeured 10
be marching onto0t. Their faces aud the
heads of the horses were turned toward us,
and at first they appeared as If they were
rushing down upun.llS. Their apparent dis
lance, Judging from the huliZou. Was flon
three To five miles. Bur their size was not
correspondent, for they scented neatly a.
large aa our own bodies, and consequently
We're Of gigantic stature. a; tie first NI"w
supposed lllrn 10 be small party o! indians
.-prulaLy lhc uials--narchng tru!n the
opposite side OF The plain. But This seemed
10 me scarcely probable, as no hun'iHg or
war party would be likely 10 lake this roote.
called TO some of our party nearest 10 me
to hasten forward, as there were men III iroii
coming toward Us. Very soOU The fifteen or
twenty figures were multiplied into three or
four hundred, and appeared 90 he IHaI ching
forward with ;Ie gsenlcst uctiom and speed.
Ilheu uonlecturpd ilat they might be CtII-
tain Fremont and his party, WIN others RON
California, returning To the United States 10y
this route, allhougiI they seemed to he TOO
numerous even for this. spoke to Brown,
who was nearest to me, and nskrdH lie 40
tced The figure Of mCu aud horses III 'front.'
He answered That he did, aud that lie had
observed the same appearance several uh'ts
previously, but that they had Disappeared,
and lac believed them to bc opiicial illusions
similar 10 the mirage. 1t was then, tor the
first ;iuIe, so perfect was tic deception, That
conlecttlred the probable fact thai these ilS-
ures were The reflection of our own limoges
by the atmosphere, filled as il was Win me
PARTICLES ofcrysialized matters, or by the dis
tnut horizon, covered by the sulne substance
This induced moro minute observation ot
the phenomenon, in order 10 detcct me de-
celttiun, if such it were. | nouccdn s'nGie
figure, apparently in front in advance OF all
the others, aud was struck with It's likeness
to myself It's motions, too. thought were
1.-The same Ms mine. .u "a ...,.-..
TO test the hypothesis above suggested, /
wheeled suddenly round, at the same time
stretching my arms out to their iuil iehSiiI'
and turning my face sidewise 10 notice the
movements of this figure. then marched
deliberately and with long strides several pa
cea the figure did tie same. 10 test II
more thoroughly, repeated the eHpeFi'le"''
and with the same result. The Tact men
was clear. But it was more iuily Veriieu
still, for the whole array of this numerous
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