The Arrows Were Then Plucked Forth,
The Tongue Cut Out And Preserved As A Dainty, And The Carcass
Left A Banquet For The Wolves.
Pursuing his course up Bear River, Captain Bonneville arrived, on
the 13th of June, at the Little Snake Lake;
Where he encamped for
four or five days, that he might examine its shores and outlets.
The latter, he found extremely muddy, and so surrounded by swamps
and quagmires, that he was obliged to construct canoes of rushes,
with which to explore them. The mouths of all the streams which
fall into this lake from the west, are marshy and inconsiderable;
but on the east side, there is a beautiful beach, broken,
occasionally, by high and isolated bluffs, which advance upon the
lake, and heighten the character of the scenery. The water is
very shallow, but abounds with trout, and other small fish.
Having finished his survey of the lake, Captain Bonneville
proceeded on his journey, until on the banks of the Bear River,
some distance higher up, he came upon the party which he had
detached a year before, to circumambulate the Great Salt Lake,
and ascertain its extent, and the nature of its shores. They had
been encamped here about twenty days; and were greatly rejoiced
at meeting once more with their comrades, from whom they had so
long been separated. The first inquiry of Captain Bonneville was
about the result of their journey, and the information they had
procured as to the Great Salt Lake; the object of his intense
curiosity and ambition. The substance of their report will be
found in the following chapter.
38.
Plan of the Salt Lake expedition Great sandy deserts Sufferings
from thirst Ogden's River Trails and smoke of lurking
savages Thefts at night A trapper's revenge Alarms of a guilty
conscience A murderous victory Californian mountains Plains
along the Pacific Arrival at Monterey Account of the place and
neighborhood Lower California Its extent The
Peninsula Soil Climate Production Its settlements by the
Jesuits Their sway over the Indians Their expulsion Ruins of a
missionary establishment Sublime scenery Upper
California Missions Their power and policy Resources of the
country Designs of foreign nations
IT WAS ON THE 24TH of July, in the preceding year (1833), that
the brigade of forty men set out from Green River valley, to
explore the Great Salt Lake. They were to make the complete
circuit of it, trapping on all the streams which should fall in
their way, and to keep journals and make charts, calculated to
impart a knowledge of the lake and the surrounding country. All
the resources of Captain Bonneville had been tasked to fit out
this favorite expedition. The country lying to the southwest of
the mountains, and ranging down to California, was as yet almost
unknown; being out of the buffalo range, it was untraversed by
the trapper, who preferred those parts of the wilderness where
the roaming herds of that species of animal gave him
comparatively an abundant and luxurious life. Still it was said
the deer, the elk, and the bighorn were to be found there, so
that, with a little diligence and economy, there was no danger of
lacking food. As a precaution, however, the party halted on Bear
River and hunted for a few days, until they had laid in a supply
of dried buffalo meat and venison; they then passed by the head
waters of the Cassie River, and soon found themselves launched on
an immense sandy desert. Southwardly, on their left, they beheld
the Great Salt Lake, spread out like a sea, but they found no
stream running into it. A desert extended around them, and
stretched to the southwest, as far as the eye could reach,
rivalling the deserts of Asia and Africa in sterility. There was
neither tree, nor herbage, nor spring, nor pool, nor running
stream, nothing but parched wastes of sand, where horse and rider
were in danger of perishing.
Their sufferings, at length, became so great that they abandoned
their intended course, and made towards a range of snowy
mountains, brightening in the north, where they hoped to find
water. After a time, they came upon a small stream leading
directly towards these mountains. Having quenched their burning
thirst, and refreshed themselves and their weary horses for a
time, they kept along this stream, which gradually increased in
size, being fed by numerous brooks. After approaching the
mountains, it took a sweep toward the southwest, and the
travellers still kept along it, trapping beaver as they went, on
the flesh of which they subsisted for the present, husbanding
their dried meat for future necessities.
The stream on which they had thus fallen is called by some, Mary
River, but is more generally known as Ogden's River, from Mr.
Peter Ogden, an enterprising and intrepid leader of the Hudson's
Bay Company, who first explored it. The wild and half-desert
region through which the travellers were passing, is wandered
over by hordes of Shoshokoes, or Root Diggers, the forlorn branch
of the Snake tribe. They are a shy people, prone to keep aloof
from the stranger. The travellers frequently met with their
trails, and saw the smoke of their fires rising in various parts
of the vast landscape, so that they knew there were great numbers
in the neighborhood, but scarcely ever were any of them to be met
with.
After a time, they began to have vexatious proofs that, if the
Shoshokoes were quiet by day, they were busy at night. The camp
was dogged by these eavesdroppers; scarce a morning, but various
articles were missing, yet nothing could be seen of the
marauders. What particularly exasperated the hunters, was to have
their traps stolen from the streams. One morning, a trapper of a
violent and savage character, discovering that his traps had been
carried off in the night, took a horrid oath to kill the first
Indian he should meet, innocent or guilty. As he was returning
with his comrades to camp, he beheld two unfortunate Diggers,
seated on the river bank, fishing.
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