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

Cling, stoned and tempest bowed cednrs,
brought ns 10 lie foot md into the valley.
where. nitGr SOME senrch, wa found n blind
trnil, (which we supposed To he that Of Captain
Fremont, luat yeRr. Oar COURSE for Ihc, day
was nearly due west ana following this Irail
where IL was viSible,und did not deyiae from
Our course, aud putting our mules iuto
brisk gnit, we crossed n valley some eight or
ten miles in width, and sparsely covered
with wild sngc (nrIemesin) aud groase wood.
These shrubs display themselves aud nIniu-
tain Il dying existence, Il browuish verdure,ou
The most arid and sterile plains aud mOulI-
nius ul'ihe desert, where no other veEelalicn
shows itself Afjcr crossing the valley, We
rose ridge of low Volcanic hills, tllickly
sIrewn with sharp fragments Of bnsalts aud II
vircous gravel resembling bottle glass. We
pnssed over this ridge through II narrow gap,
tie walls of which arc perpendculHr, aud
composed ofibe same dark scoriouS material
rs the debris strcwn around. From tie ives
tern terminus oi'this ouinouS looking PMS
sage we had view Of The vrst desert plain
before NJ, which, us far ns The eye could pHu-
Ctrute was of n snowy Wilderness, aud rescue
hled scene of winiry irOsts and icy drSuln.
ton. Not shrub or object of any Kind rose
above Tic surface for the eye 10 rest upon.
The hiatus IN the animal and vegetable king
doms was perfect. ltwus n scene which en-
ciIed mingled emotions of admiration and
apprehension.
Passing farther on we stood on the brow
ola steep precipiCe, the descent from the
ridge ofhills Immediately below, and beyond
which n harrow valley or depression in the
surface orlhe plain,ubou five miles in width,
displayed so perfectly the wuvy and frothy
appearance of highly agitatea wafer, thai Col
Russell and myself, who were riding tnge'll-
rr some distance IN advance, both sinultuue-
ouslv eXchimed,-"Wc must have taken a
wrong course, aud struck another urm or bay
of the Great Salt Luke" With deep concern
we were looking around, surveying the face
of the country to ascertain what remedy there
might be for this formidable obstruction To
our progress, when the remainder of our
party came up The difficulty was presen-
ted TO them; tut soon, upon more calm aud
scruInisng inspection, we discovered that
what represented so perfectly the crushing
waters" was motiOmlcSS and made no sound
The illusion soon hecun.e manifest To all of
us. aud n hearty laugh at those who were the
first To be deceived was the consequence; de-
nyiug 10 them the merit OF being good pilots
or pioneers, &c.
Descending the PERCEPTIONS elevation upon
which we stood, we entered np0n the hard.
smooth plain we hnd just been surveying with
so much doubt and interest, composed of
blush clay, incrusted, ia wavy lines, viii
the body of the water, aud the last tho CrcsIs
aud lroh Of the mimic waves aud surges.
Beyond ihis we crossed what appeared Ia
have hcen the beds Of several small lakes, lie
waters OF Which have cvnpurated, tiiclily en-
crrsted with salt, aud separated FROM each
other 10y snHl, uonnd shaped elevations of
n white. sandy, Or asby earih, so imponder-
Gus Tint il has been driven lay The action of
lie winds mo these heaps, Which are cot
s,aurIy changing their posIGinn aud shapes.
Our mules wUded Throt "h these nShy uudG-
ations, sometimes sinking 10 their knees, at
others to their bellies, creating dust that
rose above aud hung owe: lis like dense fog.
From this point, or our right and cli, di-
agounlIy in our front, at an apparent disiaurc
of thirty or forty miles, iliglIimSolntcd mou"-
taius rise ubruLily from the surface OF the
plain. Those from oar left ms white rs
lie snoWIike Cuce niihe desert, aud may lie
oIIhe same composition, but am inclined to
The helieftlnt They nre' composed of white
claw or clay nnA sand ihterninglGd. F1 ...
The mirage "a beautiful phenomenon !
have Frequently mentioned MS exhibiting IL
self upon or Journey here displayed its won
drr!ill illusions III perfection aud with a
mnguiticcrlce surprising any presentation %!
the kind | had previously seen. LHkcs, dot
ted with islands and bordercd by groves of
gently waving timber, whose tranquil and
.
and the shady islcrs ia their hosnus, lay
spread ont hGture us, inviting us, by lhcir il
luSurY temptations, 10 stray from our path
aud enjoy their conliug shades and refreshing
waters. These fading nwily-as we advanced,
hraulilil villas, adorned with editices, decurI
Ipd with all The ornaments of suburban ar
chitecnrc, aud surrounded by gardens, slta-
Died walks. parks aud stately avenues, would
succeed Item, renewing The allurng iuvita-
lion 10 rcpose by cnticing the vision with
more than CaypSun cnjoymcnls or EIysinn
pleasures. These melting from our view MS
those before, in another place vast ciy,with
countless coiumued edfices ofmarbIe white
ness. and studded with donies, spires and
,urreted towers, would rise upon the horlson
of the plain, astonishing us with lis stupen-
dous grandeur and sublime mngnficence.-
But it is in vain TO attempt description
of these singular and extraordinary phenome-
ma. Neither prose nor poetry,nor the pencil
of the artist, can adequately portray their
beauties. The whole distant view around
nj this uoint seemed like the creations Of a
sublime and gorgeous dream, or the effect of
! enchantnIent. observed that where these
appearances were presented in their most VA
red forms, and with the most vivid distinct
ness the surface of the plain was broken, eli
Their by clasms followed ont from the action
of the winds. or Ivy undulations formed Of
the drifting sands. ........ 81. H.-....,.,.
About eleven o'clock we struck avast, white
plain, uniformly level and utterly destitute OF
vegetation, or any sign that shrub or plnht
had ever existed above its snow like surince.
Pausina u few moments 10 rest our mules ana
noisten our mouths aud throats from the
scant supply of beverage in our powder Reg,
we entered upon this appalling field of s'ieH
4, ,lti,N il an