The Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1865-1870, 1869-09-04

Correspondent Chicago Post.l

Il correspondent Chlc4g0 POSI-
The Humboldt Valley is from ten to
twenty miles wide, probably the latter,
as the pure Atmosphere enables one to
see at great distances, and deceives the
eye of the mex experienced. All is sub
Unity, desoia,ion anu grandeur. With
the siagle execution Of a few rods from
either bank OF The Hum boldt, there is
| no earthly sign OF token of vegetation.
| All the mountain sides are bare, Gov
cred wish stones, as if just thrown out
of volcanoes; not a tree, not shrub,
save the sage grass; not bird, not
living animal; not sound save the
rafting of the coach. All is silence,
desola lion. Mighty mountains basking
in burning sun, and Il plain covered
with ribbon of bright green, lying in
the center, while its broad cages are
deep yellow or dusty brown. The soil
is simply pulverized alkaii, and the
dust, in clouds, covers the stage, blan
kets the horses, chockes and blinds and |
stiles those inside, while We of the
outside, shielded by green wells and
seated high up, escape In some measure
its suffocating and binding power. We
leave Iko al 10 o'clock, lying 3, 900 feet
above the sea, and are doomed for
twenty-five hours to follow the Hum
boldt until we climb gradually along up
and up to II, 900 feet above it, where
now wrire, and even here | look up
Treasure Hill, 200 feet higher. lido
not exaggerate III all when | say that
this one day Journey, for positive dis
comfort, exceeds any other of the same
distance on the EARN, unless 1t be IN
the center of Africa. The silence and
desolation that everywhere met our eye
impress all men, and they grow moody
and finally sink INFO utter dumbness.
The mist thickens and hangs IN dark
clouds like II tropical thuader storm on
the carriage and its inmates The
horses snore and cough, as it ILLS their
lungs; it permeates the nose and eyes
and ears of the passengers, it makes
hem blind, aud deaf, and dumb; it per-
meates the clothes, creeps under your
tbickens around the {
?, es, makes them red Ike a drunkard' :; {
gu eat il, drink it, breathe it. snuff IT;
It clothes you, covers you, fills all the
pores and iuters.ices OF The body, and
Zach manaud woman Is a living, moving
mass of alkaline dust. The horses, lost
20 sight. da sh on, up hill and down hill, a
At the rate of seven miles per hour,
through the dust crumbes bene'-'h their
eetat least ten inches in depth, and
hey are actually bian keted with alkai.
Here and there the Humboldt crosses
he road, and with lis bright laughing
waters, gurgles along, making the dust Z
and thirst more sitting by contrast.
The horses snort as We Stop TO give them j.
rink. and the passengers climb down
md rush to the water like camels OF the
.esert. A breathing moment and
way again we go, higher. yet higher, |
md sill enshrouded in the same dusty
loud. The sun pours down into the
,oach, and as it rises to its meridian I
light. it scorches and hurns; and with
he aikali our passengers are soon like
iesiled ham, a dirty red, until all iden
ity is gone Mems whishers, nous
aches, and hair are all suffened with
kali, ana The very highest point of
discomfort and missy is reached. AS \
We dash along, no bird sounds a note
o sothe Us; not living, moving thing
; seen save now and then, at long in V
ervsls, an Indian fishing for trout in q
he Hum bold; not a house, not a sheep,
of an antelope; not house or barn or :
ED or fence meets the eye, as we drive d
inward.