Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-04-18
PYRAMID LAKE, IN OREGON


The following sketch of the very remark
able scene called Pyramid Lake. in Ore
gon, from the pyramid shaped mountain,
which rises from the center of the water.
is taken from Col Fremont's narrative of
his adventurous journey from the Dalles
to the Missouri river. We cannot DO bet
ter than to give Col Fremont's own Ian
gnage in the description of the remarka-
The Exploring Party, having reached
a defle between the mountains. descend
ing rapidly about 1000 feet, saw. filing
up all the lower space, sheet of green
water, some twenty miles broad. 1t broke
upon our eyes like the ocean,, says the
narrator. The neighboring peaks rose
high above US. and we ascended one of
them to obtain better view The waves
were curling in the breeze, and their dark
green color showed it to be body of deep
water For long time we sat enjoying
the view, for we had become fatigued with
mountains, and the free expanse of mov-
| ing waves was very grateful. 1t was set
like gem in the mountains, which, from
our position, seemed TO enclose it almost
entirely At the western end, it commu-
nicated with the line of basins we had left
a few days since and on the opposite
side, it swept ridge of snowy mountains,
the foot of the great Sierra
| Where We had halted, next day. ap-
peared to be favorite camping place for
Indians
January l3-We followed again a
broad Indian trail along the shores of the
lake to the southwark For a short space
we had room enough in the bottom, but
after travelling short distance, the wa
ter swept the foot of tie precipitous noun
tains, the peaks of which are about 8, 900
feet above the lake
"We did not get the howitzer into camp.
but were obliged to leave it on the rocks
until morning. We saw several fiocks of
sheep, but did not succeed in killing any
Ducks were riding on the waves, and sew
eral large fish were seen The mountain
sides were crusted with the calcareous ce-
ment previously mentioned.
The next morning. the snow was rap.
idly melting under warm sun Part of
the morning was occupied in bringing up
the gun and, making only nine miles, we
lencamped on the shore, opposite very
remarkable rock in the lake, which had
attracted our attention for many miles,
1t rose, according to our estimate, six
hundred feet above the water, and. from
the point we viewed it, presented pretty
exact outline of the great pyramid of
Cheops. Like other rocks along tie shore,
it seemed to be encrusted with calcareous
cement This striking feature suggested
a name for the lake, and | called it Pyr-
amid Lake; and, though it may be deem
ed by some a fanciful resemblance, | can
undertake to say that the future traveller
viii find a much more striking resem-
blanse between this rock and the Pyra-
mids of Egypt than there is between them
and the object from which they take their
name
"The elevation of this lake above the
sea is 4,S90 feet being nearly 700 feet
higher than the Great Salt Lake from
which it lies nearly west, and distant
about eight degrees of longitude The
position and elevation of this lake make
it an object of geographical interest 1t
is the nearest lake to the western rim, as
the Great Salt Lake is to the eastern rim,
of the Great Basin which lies between the
base of the Rocky Mountains and the Si-
ezra Nevada; and the extent and charac
ter of which. its whole circumference and
contents it is so desirable to know.
'The accompanying scene is striking
: the Pass of the Standing Rock'-with
much of the romantic character of the ra
vine, scarcely trodden by civilization
"A few days since the following import
ant communication, viewed with the Ore
gon dispute, appeared IN the Times ::
q Providing that the Americans
xI J.. L Al II
Government, allowing them the country
south of the Columbia, the following
valuable forts of the Hudson Bay Com
pany will Immediately fall into their pos
session -
"Fort George, On the Great Astoria,
near the mouth of the river; Fort Ump
qua, south of the American settlement, on
the Umpqua River; Fort Hall, on the
Snake River. purchased from Mr.. Wyetb,
of the American Fur Company, in 1887
Fort Baisee, in the Snake country; Fort
Nezperees. on the Nezperees River; and
Fort Colville, on the Columbia, with
large agricultural farm for supplying the
hunting parties and outposts in the upper
part of Columbia; they will likewise pos
sess the extensive hunting grounds of the
Snake and Flathead country, and if they
can only bully the Britishers to give up
Defuca Straits, they will then be in pos
session of Fort Vancouver, and the finest
part of the country they viii have the
plains between the Columbia and Defuca
Straits. likewise the extensive plains at
the top Of Puget Sound. as we'll as the two
splendid harbors in Defuca Straits. Port
Discovery, which, to protect it from the
northwest winds, has large island, call
ed, by Commander Broughton, Protection
Island; in this harbor, | am informed,
the Americans would like to establish
their principal town The other harbor
is New Dungeness, which is almost equal,
for shelter, to Por. Discovery in various
parts of the straits the plains are beauti
| full In describing Admiralty Inlet, which
runs out of the straits, Captain Vancouver
says. to describe the beauties of this re
gion will, on some future occasion, be 8
very grateful task to the pen of skillful