Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-01-26
A Wonderful Region--EIenry
Lake i'm Montama-Origin Of
Several Great Rivers,

Correspondence OF the Deer Lodge Northwest
Henry lake is over five thousand
feet above the level of the sea, or about
the same altitude as Deer Lake Lodge
pass. The climate during the summer
is salubliOus and eXhilqrating, and i'm
the winter is not extraordinary cold.
Snow seldom falls SO deep but that
Mr.. Sawtelle goes to Virginia City
without experiencing any great incon-
venience. He has had land broken
on the north side of the lake (of which
there is some very rich,) and, besides
the common vegetables, raises good
crops of barley, oats, &c. From this
place it is only eighty miles to Taylor
bridge, on Snake river; siXty-five
miles to Virginia City, and about six
ty to the internal region, which is a
somewhat roundabout cut; as dis
tance lends enchantment," mere par
ticularly in this case than any other,
it is not likely there will be cutoff for
some time to come.
BY following around the lake to the
west side, a dim trail is found leading
over the divide to the head of Re d
Rock, where are the famous Red Rock
lakes. Being out of the usual line Of
hunters and spOrtsmen, elk, moose,
deer, as well as different kinds Ofsmall
game, abound in this wild, secluded
spot.
But one could dwell in this interest
ing region for a week, yes month,
and then not see all that is worth
seeing. One becomes almost bewil-
dered when contemplating the "Or-
der of things" Go east, west, or
north, and q walk of a couple hours
will bring you on the main chain of
the Rocky Mountains. South and
southwest is the only opening left for
a trifle east or south, and the same
great barrier confrOnts the traveller,
The range in making the short crook
almost doubles up, and resembles a
curve in the spine Of mighty serpant,
and had it come little nearer tOgeth-
er Henry lake would have been
squeezed up to the size of a brook.
By climbing TO the top of a high
peak at the west we look out upon the
most wonderful region known to mar.
For within scope of the eye are the
sources of the grandest rivers on the
face of the globe-bOrn, as it were,
in the same little lake, and drinking
all from the same small spring. Here
the Yellowstone, Snake, and Green
rivers, as well as Clark's fork, Wind
river, Madison, and Gallatin start to-
gether, and each seeks course OF its
own. Green river strikes boldly
south and keeps its eye Oh the noon
day sun, needing neither mountain
nor plain-now almost lost amid the
sands of the desert, then again hid
away among unfathomable canOns,
but at last finds its way to the sea-
Then comes the Snake-the river Of
magnificent falls, cataracts, aud cas-
cades-down, down ii goes. its face to
the setting sun. passing throughout
fertile valleys, but mines of wealth,
cities of thousands and tens of thou
sands of busy people, and finally rests
in the bosom Ofthe grand old Pacific.
And now we see the Yellowstone
going still an opposite course,
striving for the east, at times leaping
hundreds of feet over perpendicular
precipices /; at others cutting, as with
the face of diamond, its way through
walls of rock thousands upon thou
sands of feet in height-after many
days of toilsome jOurneying from
premeval solitude on to land of civ
iliZatiOn and greatness, smiling alike
upon the home of the savage and the
Christian, it at last pays tribute to the
ocean of it's chOice-the Atlantic. Be
tween these are many other streams,
some of them rushing, dashing rivers.
1t is strange that so many different
waters should head here and all run
in different directions.
But without doubt 1t is owing to
the fact that this is the real end of the
world, and that it was formerly land
is yet by rights the north pole, andis
liable to be again imbedded i'll ice
(some day., all of which l may at
tempt to prove in some subsequent
paper.
At the same time, with all these
sights in view, while the frost of the
morning is yet in the air, there can
be seen beyond the low mountain to
the southeast the steam escaping from
the scape-pipes of purgatory (some-
times called geysers) to mingle with
the clouds