Year: 1862

Another Salt Lake and Another Sea Serpent.


Our fellow-townsman, Dow Huntsman,
who has been out on the American Desert
between the Carson and Humboldt Rivers,
looking up cattle, has furnished US with few
items in regard to a new Salt Lake on the
aforesaid desert that bids fair to eclipse that
one possessed by our Mormon brethren furth-
er east. On tie American Desert, about six
ty miles from this city, and some four miles
from the Carson River, and about one mile
from the old emigrant road crossing that des-
ert, there is a small lake Of extremely salt wa
ter, said to be almost if not quite third salt
er than the water in the famous Salt Lake in
Mormondom. Persons who have visited both
lakes pronounce it so. This lake is in basin
Of the desert, and TIE surface ol it is probably
200 feet lower than the level of the desert


There appears to have been natural banks
to it higher than the desert and the drifting
of the sand has made them still higher The
lake is some three miles in circumference, and
has been sounded to the depth of fifteen hun
dred feet without finding bottom. The per
sons who sounded it had only fifteen hundred
feet Of line, and were therefore unable to go
further and ascertain its true depth. There is
no vegetation surrounding the lake, except a
few rushes and willows that grow near sever
al springs adjacent and flowing into it. One
of these is fine spring of sulphur water, and
the others are said to be cool and excellent
fresh water. At present there is a road run
ming by the lake, and many of the emigrants
stop there to avail themselves of the pure fresh
water to be obtained from the springs.


II this lake has not some subterranean COM
munication with the ocean, there Is a chance
for some scientific gentleman to display his
talents by giving us a satisfactory reason why
it has tide that Gibbs and flows. We are
positively assured that during twenty-four
hours the water in it rises and falls two
feet. If what we have heard is cor
rect, some of the enterprising scientific men
of the Pacific coast had better visit that locali-
ty and gives US some trustworthy informa-
ton in reference to the lake. But the most
remarkable story is yet to be told. They
have a sea serpent there which is hard to
eclipse A few days ago some men eneaIlp-
ed on the banks, near one Of the springs, had
slaughtered sheep and left it lying on the
bank.


During tie time they were there, the mon-
ster serpent made his appearance, attracted
doubtless by the dead sheep. He did not
emerge entirely from the water, but came out
to where it was very shallow, and was then
frightened off at the appearance Of the men,
who are supposed to have been as badly
frightened as was the snake. They did not
see his full length but assert that they saw as
much as sixty feet Of him, and believed that
he was, from appearance at least one hun
dred and fifty feet in length, and larger round
the body than any medium sized man. The
Indians in that vicinity corroborate the story
of the largent, and assert that he has frequent
ly frightened them away from the lake.


The ducks and geese visit the lake and lay
their eggs in parts of it where they can make
rests in the rushes. The Indians have been
in the habit of building small boats from the
Tules and going in and getting the eggs
While thus engaged, they say the serpenthas
several times made its appearance and driven
them Of. Efforts will be made to capture the
old fellow, and, If they prove successful; we
shall then have an opportunity to give bet
ter account OF him. There IS a strong proba-
biity of extensive coal fields being discover
ed in the vicinity of the lake. Several small
veins have already been found.-CarsOn Ne
uada) Siluer Age.