Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-08-14
CoTTespondeaos Of the New York Tribune.

0kEAr SALT LAKE CITY, u T., June % 1853
To relieve the tedium Of the week. We made an
excursion to-day to the Great Salt Lake Just the
ambulance was ready to start, noticed a small in
tensey black boy s,rolling along the sidewalk. Il
occurred to me that we might make the trip-one Of
philanthropy as well as pleasure, and suggested
that We should offer Lee seat beside the driver,
With view TO test the effect of the water on his
color. The idea was hailed with acelamation: Lee
was hoisted TO his place. and in a few minutes we
were rafting over the rckeiy bridge across the Jor
dan. The point to which We directed our course
was the Black Rock, which juts into the Lake just
at the extremity Of the 0quirrh or West Mountains,
which separate the plain in which the city stands
from Tullla Valley Theroad, eighteen miles long,
is entirely mOROtonOLs, nothing but stunted sage
brush, intermixed with grass lining its whole extent.
A lew farm houses, all deserted, we're scattered
along The base Of the mountain. The view Of the
lake grows broader aud broader, and more and more
picturesque, throughout the last i've miles Of the
distance, until, when we reached the shore, the
great bottom which intervenes between its margin
and the foot Of the Wasateh range is almost entirely
lest sight of; the mountain slopes, their SUBMITS
capped with snow, seem to descend into water on
every side except the EOrh on which the blue line
Of the horizon is interrupted only by Antelope Island
The prospect in that direction is apparently ills
miiabe as from the shore Of an ocean. The sky was
perfectly clear, and the water as instensely blue,
expect Whereit dsshsd over the fragments fallen
from the rock, or where swell, more aspiring
than his neighbors, had Overresehed ITSELF and
broken into thin line Of foam. Through gap in
the ranges along the western shore, the sandy line
eff the Great Desert was dimly visible underneath
Waverng stream Of heated air. The shore ofthe lake
was marked by broad belt Of fine sand. the grains
of which are all globular. Along It's upper margin
is a rank growth Of reeds and salt grass. SEarms
Of tiny flies covered the surface Of every half evap
Grated pool along the wafer line few white seaguls
were drifting on the sWels, and half dozen Cos
1furs hate Cd han f-orn he rra Of Slid
goose we're summing themselves among the reeds
these last the property Of the little Whiteheaded
daughter Of a salt boiler, the smoke from whose
furnace curling over the isthmus Of fragments
which connects The great Black Rock with the shore
We undressed near q spring which bubbles into a
basin constructed for the Of bathers to wash OF
the coating Of salt which is the result Of q plunge
into the lake A Mormon Vandal with the ubiqui-
tous Of Jones, desiring to deprive US Gentle
invaders of the privilege 81 the bath, had torn down
enc side Of the basin, but We replaced the stones,
and reaTranged the followed log which conducted
the water into a trough used for the purpose.
Retaining our sombrerOB, shirts and boots, We
marched across the isthmUs chatting with the salt
boiler and inspecting his furnace On the way. He
WasiguOrant Of every thing that had TRANSFERRED in the
city since last month, and asked Us whether the 7
BIormons we're going to light, though perhaps this I
question suggested BY the sight Of one Of the |
party whom inoessant fear Of Daniles had prompted
to promenade down from the spring with pair Of
reVovers tucked around his semi nude corpus, q
Sharpes rifle in his hand and an ammunition pouch
swung over his shoulder Arrived al the point Of
the rock we diseneumbered ourselves Of our remain
ing clothing. and exchanging mutual pledges not 10
spatter descended by inches into the water. My /
companions soon became so absOrbedin experiment
ing for the safest attitude in which TO float without
danger of getting the brine into ears, mouth nose
or eyes, that Lee seemed TO be forgotten by every>
body but myself But the merits of my scheme for |
emancipation had taken such hold upon my mind, /
that I waited anxiOusly for his appearance; aud as
soon as he had reached he point Of the rock (he /
had followed modesty behind u.s. 1 seized him and |
ducked him. He very slippery and soon re- |
gained the ledge Of rock, very much terrified By .
remark which somebody in the ambulance had made, /
that We intended to turn him into a sperm candle .
and burn him thst very night using bis WeOl for a
wick. / watched him drying with delight that
you cannot appreciate as he gradually Whitened in
the sunshine. 1t required much persuasion and /
some force to duck him second time, and after We
had succeeded he escaped from our grasp, and ran
to dry in front Of the salt boilers fire. We swan
and hoated, as buoyant eOrks, until there was
hardly one of the party who not crying swear,
ing at the pungent effects Of the water his eyes.
Then we resumed our pastoral attire, and scrambled
back to the spring. Short as was the distance, the
heat Of the day was such that We dried, and found
ourselves powdered with salt before we Reached it.
The basin answered its purpose, Notwithstanding /
Jones malicious ravages. The cool, clesr, fresh |
water removed every particle Of salt. We ate a /
hearty dinner Of eggs butter bread aud sweet milk
in front Of the salt boilers cabin and then drove
Lee, white as q snowdrop. back TO the city to his |
master, falling asleep one by one in the drOWsy
shine which seemed to strike the ambulance before,
behind and on both sides. We were awakened only |
by the rattle Of wheels over the riekety Jordlu
bridge.