The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-08
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A MIRAGE IN THE DESERT.
How a Thirsty Traveller Was De-
ceived in the Northwest

From the San Francisco Call.
John Wickersham of Los Angeles, Cal,
who, for some months past, has been
riding an Indian pony in the northwest,
partly for his health and partly while
prospecting for gold, has returned here
on his way home. He says there is a
stretch of desert lying between the Co
lumbia river and what is known as Cou-
lee City, in the Moses Coulee of the Big
Bend country, in Washington, that enor-
mously surpasses in dreariness anything
that he had ever before seen. Mr. Wick
ersham carried pick and pan with him on
this trip; he was also provided with a
roll of blankets and a larat for roping
his pony. His provisions consisted chiefly
of piece of bacon, some prepared coffee.
some flour, sugar and salt. The culinary
outfit was as light as it was possible to
make it. In this way, with only a single
.45-calibre pistol to defend him. he moved
about, camping each night wherever he
might be.
Il have seen and heard a great deal
about dreary stretches of country" said
Mr.. Wickersham. Il have been on the
plains of Colorado and Arizona, and on
the Mojave and Colorado deserts in Cal
ifornia; l have also been in the dry re-
gions about the Humbolt Sink in Nevada
They are fearful in their desolation. How
ever, l passed over a region in the Big
Bend country that is, if possible, more
frightful than any of these. l came near
furnishing there for want of water. my
pony was completely tagged out, and it
was only with the greatest exertion that
l managed finally to get through to Cou-
lee City.
This dreary stretch of desert extends
for a distance of forty miles along Foster
creek, from the mouth of the creek to a
point nearly on the nigh tableland on the
south. 1t must have been merely in de-
rision that the broken gulf was called a
creek, for during no year from the time
of which the memory of man runs was
there ever any water in it's bed, except
at the lower portion during freshets Into
this CHASTITY region, not knowing that
there was really no water there, 1 went
on my exploring trip. Foster creek winds
by some chalk-white cliffs for several
miles south of the Columbia, and finally.
when the trail made by the Indian leaves
this gorge, you traverse an almost level
stretch of sandy desert. On either side
are great bear p aces, as white as the
chalky cliffs. These mark places that
are poisoned by alkali, so that even if
there was water nothing would grow
there.
In travelling all this long distance I
saw no living thing except a few horned
toads and some curious brown birds that
had no tails. What the birds lived on /
cannot tell. Aside from these there were
no bird, no animal, nothing in the air
or on the earth; the sun beat down fright
fully with baleful glare; 1t was so hot
that presently l was so overcome chlld
| scarcely sit on my horse. Riding over this
desert one becomes desperate. Overcome
by the thirst and heat, you feel as if you
had been projected into a new and strange
] In frxrin IN
of Coulee City, which is on a branch rail-
road from Spokane, l took the wrong trail
at point on the desert, and for a time
was lost.
1T was while l was lost on this desert
that 1 saw a beautiful lake before me- 1t
! could not have been more than a mile
away, and came suddenly into view 1
! wondered that l had not seen It before
| As rode toward it / saw that some will
/ lows were growing on the opposite side
| of IT, and to my right was some waving
| green grass. At the same time a refresh
ing breeze swept over my face. thought
/ l would soon have plenty of water and 1
| pushed forward as fast as / could toward
| It.
Strange to say. my pony showed no
! energy, and l was surprised at this, for
| you know that horse half famished as
mine was, can scent water even II IL is
| ten miles away, and, as this was i'm full
! sight, l could not make out what the
| trouble was. l urged the pony forward
and must have ridden mile in this way
! and still the lake drew no nearer. l had
thought that in the distance / saw wild
fowl on the lake, and my perplexity was
| increased suddenly 1t dawned upon me
that this was no lake, but that IT was a.
mirage, which in truth II was. Then
made all possible haste to retrace my
steps, but the pony was nearly tagged
| out.
by dint of great exertion managed TO
| get him back over the plains. and at last
after two days of struggling, reached a
| little house about five miles from Coulee
! City, where a lonely rancher had inclosed
little piece of ground and dug a well.
There ! got WATERWAYS enabled to recuper-
ate. and at length pushed on TO the rail-
road. Talk about frightful stretches of
| country! That is the most gruesome and