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Show 156 COMMENCEMENT OF THE 6URVET OF SALT LAKE. bogues into the South Sea, which is doubtless the Bame with that before mentioned, the head of the two rivers being little distant from each ether." r • - , In his preface, the writer indulges in the following remarks: " The possibility of a communication by water ( except about half a day's land carriage) between the river Meschacebe and. the South Sea, stretehing from America to Japan, which is represented in the fifth chapter of this treatise, deserves to be well and duly considered." The work contains what is called " a large and accurate map of Carolana, and of the * iver Meschaeebe/' . On the third of April, the parties were, fully organized; and every preparation being made, teams were despatched to the eastetn shore off Antelope Island, with the camp and provisions intended for that division 6f out force assigned to the ^ survey of the west side of the lake. It was my purpose to form here a small depot, accessible by water, and also to herd the mules and cattle during the summer. ' Before commencing the actual survey, I designed to make a thorough reconnoissance of the entire lake by water, and to erect stations upon the prominent points. of the shores and islands, ^ sufficient to enable me to cover the whole surface with a series of triangles, which would verify the work.* Although it is not my purpose to give a detailed aceouniof every day's operations while engaged upon this duty, I fehall make such extracts from the journals as will, perhaps, convey a sufficiently clear idea of this hitherto unknown sea, and of some of the difficulties- encountered in its exploration. ' After starting the teams, we embarked on board of our. new craft, to descend the Jordan to its mouth, where it enters the lake. The stream being much swollen by the melting of the pnows, the current was extremely irapid. The dry, leafless vjillows on the bajftks were, in some places, black with innumerable birds^ njests, the work of the preceding season, securely built in the midst pf impenetrable thickets/ The day was bright and warm, and aU felt the exhilaration of spirits occasioned by release from a foiuy months' confinement to weary and monotonous quarter?, and were filled with the eager anticipation of ranging over the mysterious waters of this far « famed sea! - The grass was b? coming jjreen, the waters began to flow in little rills, and the air w^ s vocal with the music of myriads of frogs, set free from their icy fetters and exulting beneath the genial rays of an April sun. Every thing betpkened the opening of spring, although the surrounding mountains |