The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-06-02

vances in agriculture. They already have
surplus OF wheat and most kinds of grain
lhey also have grist-mills and saw-mills,
and have made considerable advances in the
afls: They occupy the eastern part. the
basin principally. have often seen snow
storm raging near the SUBMITS of the Utah
Mountains while the farmers were harvest
Ing their crops Of wheat at the base Of them.
Inc valley or basin of the great Salt Lake
, IS nearly 800 miles across in all directions,
Dat contains IN that space, numerous Noun
'alns that seem to rise abruptly out of the
plaln and ascend to as great altitude as the
Utah Mountains, both OF which are covered
with snow the year round. Numerous
lakes and rivers also exist in this Basin hay-
Ing this peculiarly. The lakes have no per-
ceptlble outlet, but seem to be the reservoirs
OF numerous streams that pour into them
The Salt Lake receives numerous streams
OF fresh water, some of which are consider
able rivers, as the Utah River, Bear River,
Webber Fork, Etc, all large streams of fresh
water, yet the lake has no perceptible outlet,
and withal is so salt that many tons of good
salt can be collected annually on its shores,
deposited by evaporation alone. Salt Lake
is exceedingly irregular in its outlines but
has been estimated at 80 miles in length and
30 in breadth 1t lies in the northwest part
of the Great Basin. 1t is united with the
Utah Lake, by Utah River, which empties
ito the south end of Salt Lake. Utah River
is about 25 miles long. Utah Lake is per-
haps one-fourth as large as Salt Lake, and
the latter is about 20 miles from the city.
Leaving Salt Lake, the emigrant proceeds
northward between the Utah Mountains and
Salt Luke until he arrives at Bear river, 80
miles from the city. This is a deep and
rapid river at this point, and is crossed by
the aid of ferry. We now proceeded
northwest and west over desert plains and
morasses, and again over hills and through
deep defiles, we reach the Humboldt river.
3l5 miles from Salt Lake. The Indians of
this region call themselves Shoshonees. The
probability is that they are mixture of the
Shoshonees and the Utahs, the last of which
is tribe that used to reside about the Lake
of that name. The real Utah Indians are
very friendly with the Mormons, and those
that occupy the north part of the Basin, are
perhaps the refuse Of both the Utahs and
Shoshonees. They are exceedingly trcach-
erous and thievish. The indians that infest
the Humboldt, are the LATEST, filthiest, most
degraded, wretched, thievish and murdeious
OF all fiendish vagabonds that were ever
known TO curse mankind. They stole hun.
dreds of horses, oxen and mules from the
emigrants. They robbed them of their pro.
visions and occasionally murder red them.
/ Inn o1 tha h.,
those they murdered, and hanging theil
scalps on bushes by the way-side. Numer-
Gus conflicts occurred between the whites
and savages resulting in the death of many
Of the Indians. The valley Of the Humboldt
)! varies from 5 10 ID miles in width, and i:
bordered by mountains OF considerable mag
nitude. Some Of those on the south side
are crowned with snow in midsummer. The
river varies from 2 to rods wide and from
: TO s feet deep.
The Humboldt is 280 miles, long terminal
ing in lake shouts miles in length and 2 In
breadth. The water of the Humboldt, is
the only water the emigrant can obtain in
this region for culinary purposes. and that
becomes corrupted by animals that drown
and remain in it.
On leaving the sink of the Humboldt, we
crossed desert AZ miles in width, and COW
cred with a vast amount of property. 1t is
. astonishing to see the amount of property
that is distributed over this region. think
am warranted in saying that full one mil
lion of dollars worth Of property lays in
ruins on this barren waste. The dead hor-
5 ses, mules and oxen, if laid side by side
: would make a causeway from one side Of
, the Desert to the other.
J On reaching the west side of the Desert,
| the traveller comes to Carson's, or Salmon
, Trout river, beautiful stream that wends
g It's way from the foot of the Sierra Nevada,
10 this point, and is lost in little lake, like
: all the other streams of this region. We
n here recruit our animals, and then sci out foI
S the great Snowy Mountains by following the
direction of the river up stream for l2S
h miles. Our course lay over short deserts
!. beautiful pastures and through difficult pass
4 es and rocky defiles. The snow-covered
h Sierra Nevada, can be seen for several miles
1 before reaching them. On coming up to
n them, they are found to be enormous piles
I Of Granite rocks, that appear sufficiently
e high to prop the skies. These mountains
are difficult of access. Occasionally they
: present deflles through which the wanderel
: can with difficulty find his way. The sum-
! mits of these mountains at the point usual.
! ly passed is said to be 1898 feet above the
i level of the sea; and is also said to be the
: highest point in the known world, where a
!. wagon road exists. The temperature oil
: these heights was sufficiently cold, though in
= midsummer, to freeze cattle to death. A
! spectator Of the scenery beheld from the
) SUBMITS OF these mountains cannot choose
z but wonder as he Contempates the bound
/ less waste of snow-covered Granite heights
J that extend as far as the eye can reach. On
one hand he beholds desolate waste o.
: Granite and snow-on the other, an occa-
. Sional thin grove of pine, hemlock, cedar
] and firtrees. The pines are very lofty, some
of them are full 300 feet in height.
! The descent from these heights is quite
4 rapid, but not SO greatas on the eastern side
= The traveller wends his way down through
y thin forests, and over barren wastes, amid
!, dust nearly knee deep, and over massive
9 rocks. The surface of the earth appears a:
though il had been burnt, and the stones are
' broken as though they had been subjected tc
: fire. The dust also smells, tastes, and feels
!, like ashes, These and numberless other ev'
! ! idences induce the belief Chat this whole
: mountain region was of volcanic origin
{ { The timber is quite young il the concentrit
i circles Of the wood indicate its yearly
y growth, very few of the trees have over l0(