Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-12-08

A correspondent Of the Walla Walla
Washington Territory Statesman, who 10
amember Of the lSt Oregon Cavalry, writes
as follows. concerning Q country the com.
maud passed last August, lying between
Lspwai and the Blsckfoot Ferry, across
Suake river, or Lewis Fork of the Colum.
bia:
Among the distinguished features of The
rout from Camss Prairie TO this place, the
Desert and the great LavsField are worthy
OF particular mention. The road is good,
and grass, water and wood plenty for
eighty miles, to where We approach the
Lave Fields. These are among the won
dsrs OF Idaho, the written history of which
10 BY far too VOlumiOus for q newspaper
article.
1 Will Only give you Q meagrs sketch. -
For forty miles the route lies along the
base OF huge mountains, whose crsgEy
heights are home Of perpetual winter.
following the base Of the bills, and pass.
ing up into every little nook and cave. i. a
dark line OF lava, stretching out from the
road southwark almost as far az the eve
can sea- mass Of cinder, cracked and
gaping Ike Q monster Doom-distorted
Scaiy. eulphuric and bin 2
imagine, and abandoned Pandemonium
rustI0g and wasting from long disuse.
The road 10 not bad bat winds Iona
between the base Of the hill and the mar.
ga OF thSt dark expanse, With scarcely
room' IN places. for . wagon to pas. The
waves OF cInder from Q complete and con
tiDuous wall. fIum ave TO twenty feet high
ana Tor more insurnountabls than WerI
the walls OF jericho and Jerusalem.
In appearance, this resen bles eQt-metel
and the wall projects 81 the Rke ,
rushing billow.
TSe weather was hot and smoky. III,
haze that hung over that sombre. seemed
to come up from the smOuIdering den be-
| q 0th.
The heat simmersd upwards % from 4
furnace.
Along the verge of the valley, in th,
heaps of lava, were rsttIssDakes, scorpions
burned toads and lizards.
Heie and there . raven tapped BY witt
its dismal crosk, and dwsried cbipmuck,
tWittered ulOI & the mouldy crevices.
could easily imagine the sound of IN
earthly Rrosns. the swapping Of bats, ID,
hooting Of owls and the h0lIow rattle O
| Aanaa o~antnB up run Sb.s s.-ly --a.
| 0Oglo1 N01Ioys a
Passing beyond where the mouu.ain,
seem to have bsiled that molten s,a Ira dayI
gone By, the valley becomes brosder and
the lava more scattered. being in ridge.
and detached heaps; yet the scene 10 scarce
ly less desolste than before, for there j.
only saDd sage between the patches and
belts of lava.
Here 10 stretch Of twenty miles without
water.
Winding across the parcLed and sand,
plain, feeling scOrchcd and nervous, ",
came upon the brink of Q river.
was fOrcibly reminded Of the Styx. au(
involuntarIly looked for the gent, who h
said to Ily the ferry on that very gloom,
stream.
ltWas Lost river; and indeed the nam,
seemed suggestive ami appropriate, for i
appears without origin or destiny. Iii
differently named, on the maps, GuidOu
GOodins river but the emigrauts know j
only ss Lost river. 1t sinks 10 the yicinit,
Of the Three Butte" according TO th
maps. after flowing for twenty miles in
direction opposite to the course of Snak
river
following this river four or Eve miles
the road bears directly south over sac,
plain for forty miles, With no water excep
one very small spriDe Ten miles out frou
the river This is in every respect des
eFt Large tracts 90 either side II the roaC
are COVERED with lava Of Q similar Datur
to that furthest west.