Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1849-01-30

these are the great. salt lake, and the u
tab lake near the eastern rim. Z s...-.es
The Utah lake is much more elevated
than the Salt Lake, and abounds with fish,
ofvarous kinds, among which are the fin
est trout. The water of this lake is
fresh and discharges itself into the Salt
Lale by the river, or strait at distaece
Of about SO miles. ..--..- -. ..-.....---.-....-.
. Upon, this riverJthe Mormons have es-
tablished theirpe rmanent home, and have
already surrounded themselves with ma
ny of the comforts oc1life, having opened
good farms, erected mills and furnished
themselves with comfortable dwellings,
Dead 10 all true spiritual light, and enter
tanning system Of religious instruction
grounded IN the lowest sensuality, they
have been conducted by the unknown
hand'' to tina, region Of our country whose
natural peculiarties are eminently typi-
cal of their spiritual condition. "n +. y
The Salt Lake is emphalically dead
sea. No fish or living thing is found in
its waters. Its shores are lined with an
incrusta,ion Of fine salt, so deep that n
horse in approaching it sinks into it a
bove the fcllock #.'1E ~.
''Stcrility," says Fremont, "is the general
feature Of this basin.' The few fertile
spots are such from their situation. The
climate is dry. and the winters mild and
pleasant, rarely interrupted by rain or
snow. The chief river Of the Basin is
named after the traveller Humbolt. 1t
runs from east to west across the basin in
the line Of travel to Oregon and Califor-
mia, supplying 20 the emigrants water,
wood and grass.
This is narrow stream about 300
miles long, without af1luents, losing by
absorption and evaporation as it goes, and
finally losing itself in marshy lake.
CALIFORNIA SUpPL1Es.-News from Lii
ma, the capital Of Peru, in South America,
as late as the 18Th OF November, has
been received, which states that vessels
are being lreighted for California from
almost every port on the Pacific COAST
The probabilities are, that when the YES
sells now starting from the Atlantic cities
shall have reached San Francisco, they
will find the market glu!ted with goods
Of all desert ptions. We have no doubt
but great scarcity prevails at this time,
and those merchants who are fortunate
enough to have their ventures there now,
will make fortunes. The following is
said to be the latest news from there. 1t
is without date, and without name. We
find it in the Galena Gazette.
LATER FROM CALIFORNIA.
Such was the scarcity Of coin in California;
chat gold dnst, at the last accounts, had fallen
at the mines to six dollars q ounce.
The whole amount Of gold gathered was Il.
bout two millions.
/ Capt. VIM. Marcy, son of Secretary Marcy,
was disposing of every thing in the shape of
supplies ut his cump, in exchange for gold dust.
He had collected fifteen barrels of gold orc,
and having no means Of protecting the treas
ure, he had buried it until vessel Of war
should arrive at the coast, which was daily
expected.
Provisions and food Of every kind were very
scarce and daily growing dcarer-Pork was
was 5000 barrel; -four 500; bread GO cents
per pound; beans $40 per bushcl; whiskey $50
per gal aud other things In proportion
PLANK RoADs.-The subject Of the con-
struction Of plank roads is beginning to
attract the attention Of the citizens ofour
State, and the preliminary steps are now
being taken for the building Of one from
Burlington tc Mount Pleasant, in Henry
county. The Legislature, at its recent
session, passed law, granting the right
Of way for this road, and a convention is
soon to be held at some Intermediate point
between these towns for the furtherance
Of the object sought.
The utility and advantages Of this kind
Of highway have been satisfactorily test
ed in New York, and other States, and
projects for their introduction are becom-
ing quite numerous in many orthe North
ern and Western States.
The average cost, per mile, Of the
roads built in the State Of New York, is,
we believe, about $4,000, and they re-
quire new planking about once in seven
years.
I 1t is estimated that horse can draw
upon one Of these roads, when we'll made,
about eight times as much as upon an Or
binary gravel roads. We have no doubt
that in a few years they will become
common ,horough(ares between all i'm.
portant towns, where Rail Roads are not
constructed.
How GEN CaSS WAC K11rED in