The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-07

It's fertile shores and navigating its wide
waters in large crafts. Captain Ronnc-
Vile sent Il party out from Green river,
i'll lS35, TO make Il circuit of the great
lake, but they seem to have given it up
on striking tho desert on the northwest,
lost their way, and artcra long and aim
less wandering found themselves in
California. Until Colonel Fremont Wis
tied it. in 1912. on his Way to Oregon. it
is probable that its dead waters had
never been invaded or the solemn still
ness Of its islands broken. lie pulled
out trum the mouth OF the Weber river
in IL boat eighteen feet long for the
nearest island. which, when he had
climbed it and found il Il mere rock
! fourteen miles in circuit, ho named
disappointment Island. Captain STAINS
bury rc-christcncd it, Fremont Is
land" and by common consent it is so
called. Captain Stansbury found neither
timber nor water on it, but luxuriant
grass. wild onions, parsnips. and scgo
Near the summit the sagc-brush was OF
unusual size, being eight feet high and
six or eight inches in diameter
Concerning this mysterious sea there
arc various stories, most of them too
long for narration here. has, though
there is conflict in dates and flavor OF
nntruth in some OF the tales, they serve
to show the interest it has always awaL-
cncd Among tho writings regarding
this inland sea is one recording the
iourncyings OF Jacob Aston. in 1920
when Il few Of his party under the dircc-
ton OF Il Mr.. Miller came into Cache
valley. and discovering Great Salt
lake To the southwark. proceeded To its
shares. Upon finding the water q very
lively brine, they concluded il was an
arm of tho Pacific ocean In 1875 it
was again discovered by Mr.. John Rcd
year, and again III 1881 b. Captain
| Bonneville, from which circumstance
the ancient lake. when defined by tho
United States exploring party. received
The name Of Lake Bonneville "a great
( fossilc lake of the Quartcrnary period.
tho ancient shores of which may be seen
OIL the mountain slopes throughout the
valleys" General Fremont also again
visited it in 1916. But in 1917. brigham
Young. with one hundred and forty
three Mormon pioneers. campcd in sight
Of its southcr shore. and from that time
the region ceased TO be fjr,s lHcognHG.
The mystery of its s;ltincss has never
been accurately accounted for, but it
lies, supposedly, upon Il vast bed of
rock salt. There must he deal of it.
too. as no less than three rivers OF con
siderable size. all OF fresh wafer pour
into it, besides hundreds of smaller
streams of snow and spring-watcr from
the mountains. yet the whole volume i,
turned to instant brine. Tho lake lies
in great basin; for hundreds of miles
i'll all possible directions the streams and
rivers come tumbling through the val
lcys and canyons to empty themselves
into its beautiful but bitter bosom. No
water leaves it save, perhaps, through
its bottom or by evaporation. Quiet.
passive. heavy. grccnish, milky. but fu,i
Of smodering lights and fires. it lies,
among its mountains, huge opal melted
by the sun and swaying slowly like slug
gish Oil For leagues and leagues along
its shores there is no sign of life: moth
Ing but the Stiffness broodin@ upon sho
waters and the sunshine slccpinr on the
/ cocks. AI-vA AiiLroN hERH