Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-10-24
The Great Salt Lake.

dispatches from Capt, SIanbury, Of The ToPo-
graphical Engineer Corps, who is engaged In
an examination of The valley Of the Great Salt
Lake, and photographic survey Of tha, sim
pular sheet of water. Capt. SIanbury and his
nar,y were for six months completely isolated
hv impenetrabe SHOWS, in The surrounding
maintains. which in the middle OF February
was 6f,v feet deep. These dispatches come
down 10 The 10Th Of March. They throw so
mucb new LIGHT upon that region Of country,
and possess witha such interest. that we invite
the readers attention 10 the subJoIned extract.
We found that The whole Western shore OF
the lake consists of immense level plains OIL soit
mud inaccessible within many miles oi the wa
,ers edge to The feet Of mules or horses, oeing
,raversed frequently by meandering rllls oil sal'
water, which apparently sink aud seem to IN
hue and saturaIe the whole soil, rendering u
mrey and ,reacherous These plains are but
liule elevated above the present level oil the
lake, and have without doubt, al one time, not
very long since, formed part OF II; ior II is
evident that rise of but few inches VIII al
once cover The greater portion oil these ex'eh-
sve areas Of land with wafer again. DO not
think | hazard much by saying that rise oil
one foot in the lake would nearly If no, quite
double It's present. area.
The plains are, for the most pari, entirely
denuded of vegetation. except occ asioned patch
es Of arremesia and CROSSWORD, and ihey
glitter in The sun-lg ght, presenting the appear
ance Of water so perfectly that II is aimos: I'M
possible for one to convince himself that be
is not on the immediate shore of the lake Itself.
| This is owing to capitalization of minute por-
lions of salt on The surface Of The mud and the
oozy slime occasieDed by the complete sainra-
lion of The soil with moisture. From this cause
also arises mirage whch is greater here Than
| ever witnessed elsewh here, dlsOriing objects
in the most grolesque manner, and giving rise
| TO optical Illusions almost beyond belief an
| Icipate serious trouble from this cause III ma
| king The uiangulaiOn.
In an estimated distance Of one hundred and
| fifty miles, one part Of the route, fresh waller
and grass were found only in one spot, about
midway Of this stretch. and we were obliged
10 subsist our animals, that is TO keep life IN
| them, by serving them out pint OF water each,
| night and morning. taken from the lndla-Iubber
| bags packed upon their backs. The first part
| OF thus desert was about seven,y-five miles I'D
extent. and occupied US TWO days and half To
cross il lrase cling all day and greater pafi Of
| the night walking great portion Of the way
| to relieve the mules, which began to sink under
! the want Ol SnSIendHc6 anu "dleI
| In The larer portion Of this first desert wo
! crossed field OF salt, which encTusted upon
| The level mud plain, so thick that 1t bore up the
mules loaded with their packs so perfectly that
| they walked upon il as il it had been a sheet
! Of solid ice, slightly covered with snow. The
whole plain vas as level as floor. We esi
mated this field 10 be al least Ten miles in
| length by seven in width, and the thickness OF
| the salt al from one half 10 three quarters of
| an inch strip Of some three miles in width
| had been previously crossed, but ii was MOI
thick, nor hard enough to prevent the animals
| from sinking through il into the mud at evyery
step. The salt in the solid field was perfectly
| crysraIized, and where il had not become mixed
with the soil, white and fine as the best
| specimens OF Sslina table salt. Some OF II was
collected and preserved
| Alter crossing The field Of sali we struck up
on fine liue stream Of running water, with
plenty of grass, lying al The foot Of range OF
/ mountains, which seemed TO form the Western
boundary of the immediate valley of the Lake.
Here we were obliged TO bali for two or three
days 10 give our animals an opportunity TO re-
cruit The lauer par, Of the desert was abou,
70 miles in extent, and was passed IN two days,
by prolonging our marches far into the nigh.
Had We not found grass and water midway Of
this barren waste, both animals and men must
| have perished. We were, as | have every
reason to believe, the first party Of white men
that ever succeeded in making the entire circuit
of The lake by land. have understood that il,
once circumnavigaed by canoes, in early times
by some Tappers in search of beaver, but no
| attempt By land has ever been successful.