Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-20
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:. An Expedition to the Valley Of the Great Salt Lake
1 Utah including Description Of its Geography, Ma
tural History, and Minerals, and an Analysis Of il
| Waters; with an Authentic Account of the Mormol
Settlement With Illustrations and Maps. BY HOWARD
SrASsBuRY Captain of the Corps Of Typographical En-
| gineers, United States Army"
The Mormons, or Latter-Day Saints in the Valley o
the Great Salt Lake History Of their Rise and Pro
gress Peculiar Doctrines Present Condition and Pros
pects derived from Personal Observation during Re
sidence among them. BY Lieut.. j. W. GuSsIsoS, o
the Typographical Engineers. Philadelphia, Lippin
colt Co.; London, Low Co."
The two works here named are the results of an expe
dton organized by the Government Of the United States
in the spring of ls49 for the purpose of exploring
surveying the Great Salt Lake Of Utah and its vicinity
spot douby interesting at present being the
that curious social anomaly the Mormon community
as constituting sort Of halfway station ON the vast
route which emgrants have traverse on their way
the civilized confines of the States the Edorado of Cali
forna and the shores of the Pacific. Capt Stansbury
was the head Of this exploring expedition and Lieut.
Gunnson was his assistant The work Of the former con-
ssts OF an elaborate official report of the progress Of the
expedition towards the destined spot Of its proceedings
there during the autumn Of 1849 and the winter of 849
and 1905 and OF its its journey back
of new route through the Rocky Mountains The cap
tain occupies himself chiefly with the geology topography
and natural history of the regions raversed or
gancing but briefly and incidentally the Mormons and
their dongs as community, which subject he leaves to
be more fully discussed in the unofficial volume of his
sisant Lieut. Gunnison The eutenans work is there
fore, kind of appendix that Of the captain and is to
be read in connection with it, We but wish that
the captain had also undertaken the eutenants part
the work for though the lieutenant has the advantage
subject OF great general interest he writes in such an
unpractsed and helpless yet ambitious style that less
coherent and Ineligible information regarding the Nor
mons than might have been expected is to be derived
from his account Of them Capt Stansbury the other
hand, writes in plain, clear and businesske manner
that what he does say about the more to
the purpose than his friend Lieut. Gunnsons more ample
descriptions.
The existence of vast lake of salt water somewhere
amid the wilds west Of the Rocky Mountains has been
known since 1885, when Baron La Houtan wrote an ac
count which, however, to have been as much in
debted to imagination to observation Of his discoveries
IN that region. Some attempts have since that time
been made to explore its shores but Capt Stansbury
party are the first white that have made the circuit
OF its waters The results of the Captains observations
which were carried with much skill and immense labor
make the circumference of the lake. exclusive of offsets
to De 29l miles The neighborhood around is on the
same gigantic SCALE consisting of deserts sixty and seventy
miles across, separated from each other by preciptous
rocky emnences of great elevation Many Of these de-
serts Capt Stansbury says would furnish extended plains
absolutely level upon which degree Of the meridian
could be measured to great advantage.
This inland sea is believed by Capt Stansbury to have
been In past age Of infinitely greater extent He
Upon the slope of ridge connected with this plain thr
Teen dnc successive benches watermarks counted
which had evidently at time been washed the lake. and
must have been the result of its action for some time
each level The of these now about tive hundred
feet above the valley which has itself been left by the lake.
owing probably to gradual elevation occaoned by subter
raneous causes Ii this superstition be correct and all ap
conspre support it, there have been
dreds OF miles and the isolated mountains which tower
from the fats forming its shores
were doubtless huge islands, similar to those which now rise
from the diminished waters of the lake."
The first view that the party obtained of this exraor
binary lake is well described in the following words
At feet and each side lay the waters of the Great
Salt Lake. which we had so long and ardenty desired
see They were clear and calm, and stretched south
and west Directly before distant only few miles
an island rose from 500 to 1000 feet in height while the
distance other and larger shot of the
waters their SUBMITS appearing to reach the clouds On the
west appeared several dark spots resembling other islands
but the dreamy haze lowering this still solitary sea
threw s dm uncertain veil the distant Of
object with dstnctness while il half revealed the whole
leaving ample for the
stiffness of the grave pervade both air and water
motonless the bosom Of the lake. not living thing was
to be The night proved perfectly serene young
moon shed its uemuous light upon Of profound I'M
broken silence was surprised fnd although near
body of the safest water Of that feeling of nvgorang
freshness which is always experienced when the vicinity
the The bleak and naked shores without single tree
relieve the eye presented SO different from what
had pictured in my imagination Of the beauties Of this
famed spot that my disappointment extreme"
This intense repose is broken times by the presence
Of myriads of wild fowl:
The Salt Lake, which lay about half mile to the east
ward covered by immense focks wild geese ducks
among which many seen, being distngushabe
by their size and the wilderness Of their pumage seen
large focks Of these birds before in various parts our
try and especially upon the Potomac but did behold
thing like the immense numbers here congregated
gehe Thousands Of far the eye could reach
seemed literally covered with them, presenting scene busy
animated chcerfuness in graceful the drea
ry silent solitude by which Immediately surrounded
The water is described one Of the pures and most
concentrated brines known in the wordcear and trans
parent as the diamond and analysis il found to
contain twenty per cent Of pure chloride of sodium with
about two per cent Of other salts OF such COM
pound must possess extraordinarily buoyant property
and Capt Stansbury thus relates his bathing experiences
No one without witnessing it, form any idea Of the
buoyant properties Of this singular water man may float
stretched at full length upon his back having his head and
meek both his legs TO the knee and both 10 the elbow
entirely out Of water IL sitting position be assumed with
the arms extended to the equilibrium the shoulders
will remain above the surface The water nevertheless
uemely difficult 10 swim in, account Of the ten
dency Of the lower exremtcs TO rise above it, The brine
TOO so strong that the least particle Of IL getting into the
eyes produces the most acute pain and If accidentally swa
lowed, rapid srangulaton doubt whether the
most expert swimmer could long himself from
ing If exposed to the action of rough sea-"
In many places in the vicinity Of this singular lake the
ground is thicky covered with SALT presenting most
curious and deceptive appearance:
The first part Of the plain consisted simply Of dried mud
With small crystals OF salt scattered hickly the surface
Crossing this we upon another portion Of H. three miles
IN width where the ground entirely covered with thin
layer Of salt in state Of dequescence, and Of soft
ence that the feet Of mules into
mud beneath But we upon portion Of the plain
where the salt ny in solid unbroken sheet
tending apparently TO its western border so firm and
was this unique and snowy floor that IL sustained the weight
OF our entire Ian without in the least giving crack
ing beneath the mules upon