The New York herald., 1872-11-04
WHEELER'S EXPEDITION.
The United States Explorers at
Panquitch, Southern Utah.
'ources Of the SEWER Thousands Of Acres Of
Lava Rock Discovered Surprising Loveli-
nes Of the Scenery En- Route-An In
closed Inland Lake Two Miles Long
Indian Barbarities and "reminiscences
by . Herald Correspondent.
PASoUrrcH, SOUTHERN UTAH, Oct. 8, 1872

AsaA
by . Herald Correspondent
PANQUITCH, SOUTHERN UTAH, Oct. 9, 1872.
yohnson-he or the multitudinous tearcup and
mighty mood-says that every man is o rascal
when he is sick He might have added the con-
Perse, that every man feels himself hero when
drinking at the divine cup OF perfect health when,
ss with the mountain and canyon rangers OF the
.xpeditioi, the days roll by on sIlken thread of
,njoyment as the Arabs would say, from the
ilent clarion of the rising sun to the latest
ticker OF evening campfire; when through
. 0ng hours in the saddle and lab0rious Chamber
NC up preciptous mountain sides there seems
IN inexhaustlbe fund Of grit and endurance.
Waiting only like an impetuous youth to be called
nto play; and when looking at grand near and
Instant scenery through eyes clear from much
eepng al lJresco, you are lost in wonder that Sid
hey Smith should call the country "only kind OF
healthy grave" Through days set In blue and
gold most marvellous we have journeyed in the
South Of Utah for the past ten days-blue OF the
:oudless heavens and gold OF the suddenly changed
Quaking asps" of the country. Pine and aspenspre-
dominate in the woods Of Utah the pine with its SOM
pre hues giving funereal air to yawning canyons
already sufficiently gloomy, and looking on distant
white and red hills, like masses Of black rock or
close clinging shrub-the aspen, with white trunk
u
20 the scene, which approaches the gorgeous and
wonderful, when as now acres and acres OF the
golden foliage flame on the hilltops and run like
rborescent lava into the valleys, the white trunks
shining In contrast like polished silver.
RETURNING TO SALT LAKE
rom his astronomical trip to Cheyenne, spending
aaf week among the many mines OF the Cottonwood
and Parley's Park, including famous silver mines,
and lying a few days in rendezvous camp at
Beaver, Lieutenant Wheeler started for the un-
surveyed mountains on the south with o small
party and tram OF seventeen pack mules and
escort, the whole expedition spreading out fam
Ike as before, and sweeping down the territory in
dve divisions, Lieutenant Hoxic on the far east
and Lieutenant Marshall on the extreme west.
Thirty miles south Of Beaver in its own valley lies
Parowan, the prettiest and shadiest Of the
Mormon towns that we have yet seen, lying on
beautiful elevated site at the mouth of
Centre Creek Canyon, on the east side of the
valley. With many substantial stone and wood
geveral-st0ried houses, many double rows OF arch
ing trees along the streets, and general air of
tidiness in its internal economy 1t gave pleas
ing surprise as We rode into 1t on a still Sunday
morning, our bell mare and pack train making un-
seemly hubbub in its religious streets, and showed
10 marked contrast with such squat, mud built
settle ments as Gunnison, Scpio and other towns
of the Many-Wives.
ENTERING THE MOUNTAINS AT PARowAN,
through the canyon baflled in an attempt to scale
the main ridge dozen miles from town by an al
most perpendicular Indian trail and stubborn
heavily,laden pack train, the Lieutenant kept q
soutnerly course over the line Of loot hills on the
ses @ss re 1000 with aaa deep $4,000 aa as" aSSS
the valley, and up and down which we had to
make our own trail lndanwise. Up and down
canyons with perpendicular, tantalzingly close
walls, Just lar enough apart to prevent passage,
crossing IA, han dozen o; such in one day. with much
ward, more open country ofvast rolling, grazing
nelds where thousands OF cattle and sheep were
pasturng, and OF sudden. as we mounted the
crest OF hill, gathering in vast view the whole
wild scenery about the head-watcrs OF the Virgin,
stretching far or to the blue mesa OF the Colorado
waving IN long swell on the southeastern horizon.
We were in sight Of some OF the grandest and
wEIRDEsT OF AMERICAN SCENERY,
and the next day, after night made anxious by
the loss Of two OF the party, whom watch-nres and
carbine shots s failed to guide to camp Out who
less watch), sat long on a prominent peak with
. topographer, enjoying the novel grandeur OF the
view. We were IL, 900 icet above the sea, on the
|i western OF twin peaks, above the main source OF
the Sewer. Below us, on the south, we looked
out out on T plane several several ssu thousand 1p'Saa feet
lower than the country north of us. The whole
CONFUSION Of nature, the region on the north to
have been erected by some volcanic force. whose
marks were plain and frequent in
THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF LAVA ROCK;
here, In the shape OF enormous hills and ridges
posed entirely OF the black inlernal-ooklng rock;
there in the middle of wooded aud grassy valleys,
piled In rough, irregular Masses like the Stag from
blast furnace, and with a characteristic clnk when
oy the a9S 90 o. mule or over one Of these
4 willingly to drag unwilling mules, with cut feet
and legs, when We were .hopelsssIy hemmed in by
+ spread out like map seen with bird's-eye clear
ness, were the white walled CANYONS Of two
branches OF the Virgin, winding distinct for miles
Il towards the horizon; further of were the broken
ends Of the upiited sedementary deposits, once at
the bottom OF an ocean, and now standing exposed
summts, while the blue rim of the Colorado mesa
bounded the wild scene. Domes, pinnacles and
grotesqueness in every form, wrought by me
nom the sides Of canyons, out Of the
Virgin Mountains; everywhere strange
moulding OF the materials Of nature into weird
and south iorks c the Virgin stood n0r'n
WONDERFUL PILE OF ROCKS
In perfect rrdfsenaodnce OF Rhenish castle, with
sheer white wallis apparently as smooth as art
could make them, many outlying walls, inclined at
defensive angles to each other. enclosing the main
cipitous Of great height, with red stained walls,
even surmounted by watch tower-the whole
Sutyna wofss s VERY s%Uf @rtws
OF pines, in striking resemblance to men-and
as we looked and the soft ar blew from the south
some vast moated CASTLE drifting down from Chi
varic days and standing, with Its legions OF defend
ers Its walls to guard the fair Virgin River at its
feet Turning from the deceptive picture, and re-
GREETING rather tnat the knightly days were dead,
when each fancy might be reality, another pictur
esque scene was far below us q thousand feet On
the north our pack train, with the Lieutenant and
orderly in advance and escort In the rear, winding
IN Indian 1le along the pebbly beach OF
LOVELY ENCLOSED LAKE, TWO MILES LONG,
Df variousy co0red water, sparkling In the noon.
day sun, and the sound OF the bell-mare's bell came
TO us soft and distinct as the train rounded the
head OF the lake and skirted dark wall OF lava.
We were searching the sources OF the SEWER.
Plungng through primeval woods and stepping
cautiously over incisivc lava, we came unexpect-
edy, In an open glade, upon sea-green stream,
bursting rom hillside twenty feet broad at Its