Litchfield enquirer., 1853-03-17
T0UR OVER TIlE CONTTNENT.
CHAPTER V.

are aVerIed by their irriga,ing their land by turning their mountain streams (which are very numercus) upon the Iand.- While we were passing the northeast part Ofthe Salt Lake, two days in succession, -While mules and wagons were stuck fast in the mud, and ourselves. too, almost the clouds, in view of our wretched plight, shed cOpiously upon us their sympathetic drops, wEile 'thunder folled deep bass in heaven.' At one of these marshes we took the packs of our mules and carried them on our own backs some 20 rods through mud up to our knees lest they should fall in the mud and get our provi- sions under them, as one Of them did once before. At 10 o'clock in the evening of that same day our mules had general Stampeda for the second time, that is, they got frightened by Indians, wolves. or some- thing else.q and all put out at the toPof their. speed, and ourselves after them in the same manner, through sage, bushes and darkness, thick enough to make towards think of sweet home this time they ran about five miles, e'' ;
 1n' the afternoon of the sixth day from the city, we passed the northwest part of the SAk Lake, and saw, for the IAst time. its sluge ish waters like sea of molten ead stretching away to the south. But little was known then of the size of the lake; but. from the best of my knowledge, I think it is ten day Js' journey. in circunS ference, or 300 miles, including the noun tain which divides it into eastern and western parts. To say that this country abounds in great hills and wide, extended sage plains, is az much as il is worth, and at that need be said of it for a considera ble distance. '' '"' -' JUNE l5TH-Had a severe snow storm nll tho forenoon. ''''' JUNE l7TH-Passed hot spring in n marshy valley, where there was the ap. pearance of some natural fertility ofsoil.
 JUNE l9TH-C Came to the Humboldt River in wide marshy valley, in which the river runs in three distinct streams, one of which we passed over our baggage and ourselves in wagon-bcx with the cover drawn under it. so that it would keep out more of the water and prevent us from sinking. } JUNE 23D-Passed tract of low land l eovered with clear sRleratus about half an
  strong with it. From this place we tra> yeled II days down the river on the north side, having no water to drink but that of fine river. A range of mountains bounds the view on either side of the marshy valley, which is from to l5 miles in width = FrOm the base of the mountains there is generally sIoping sage plain of perhaps. five miles in width and ten or fifteen miles Straight ahead. We had Mormon guide 1 book, and by it DO man could tell where | he was. thought if all their guides
 were like that they would be like to make | poor steerage, both for this world and the
 next. '''
 JUNE 27TH-Came to- a great marsh,
 which we supposed was the sink of the
 Humboldt River-halted, and made pres
 paratiOn for night tramp across the 50
 tuile deserG which we supposed conn~
 aenced here. But while we were mas
 king our preparation we saw cloud of dust riSfhg beyond tbe marsh, which | was fourteen miles distant, occasioned by | the return of large train of emis ants, ! 1yhn had been g days. journey in the des- eFt tlhhntains, and returning; said they | bad been, as far as wheel carriages ever bad hSep.' or could go, and that the road Ras strewn with carcasses of mules and oxen, and wagons enough to place one cars fass, on each wagon to every rod for ten miles" They were nearly out of provision, and had to wait until emigranls came up who could supply them. Their return at that time was all that prevented us from taking the same trail and suffering the same misfortune which they did. We of course took another track. still supposing we were on the border of the desert. and travelled until near midnight; hailed, and in few Tninu,es every man of us was fast asleep on the trail and about it, jus. as we hapa pened to stop, having left our tent a few days before. The next evening we start ed again aud travelled near half the night, and were again mistaken. Here com> inences new feature in the country wOr> thy of notice; there are vast plains as level as floor and nearly as hard. some- time 20 m'les m diameter, on which there is neither bush, grass, or any green thing. The soil is a sort of quicksand, intersect by cracks, like bed of mortar dried in the sun. We called them U. S. brick yards
 Rev. Mir. Benton, of Sacramento. says in His Thanksgiving Sermon -" The Iron Horse which has drank the waters of the Miss issippi shall come breathing defiance to yon beeting cliffs and towering peaks of everlasting snow," refefring' to the anow-capt summit ofSiera Nevada. which was in full view from the church door whsa this was uttered n" as he plungss through the tunnsled depths below, comes ihnn dering through our streets to satisfy lis thirst al the waters of our beautiful river '
 R has ROW been nearly two years since that prophecy was made, during which great discoveries have been made both in ths philosophic and moral world. so that think l ana justified in little prophetic sffusion. and 1t is, lha. WHEN thisis done
 THEN will the Unlted States take posses. sion of these great brick yards, so nicely
 fevalled to his hand. mould brick for si3e
 like the stones of Baalbec and Tadmor, the
 mortar of which shall Do trod by locomO'
 tive aud burnt in the crater of volea no
 which the indefatigable Yankees sball have
 tapped in mining under the vast Siera Me-
 vada. and from the brick thus made shal
 ka ks,;Re nokhas nAhal x.,hnan .l