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Show NIGHT VOYAGE FOB WATEB. 197 return to- morrow, if possible. We left but five gallons in the camp, and took the same quantity with us for our voyage. The water in the lake, from Gunnison's Island to " the springs," is bold and deep, averaging from fifteen to twenty feet, within a hundred yards of the shore, and reaching in some places thirty- six feet. After rowing till midnight, a slight breeze sprang up, which enabled us to set our sails, and advance, though slowly, on our course. The men had been much fatigued before we started, by a hard day's work in climbing the rocks and rebuilding the stations; so they were sent to their blankets in the bottom of the boat, an order which they most promptly obeyed, and were soon buried in profound repose. The stillness of this beautiful night, as I sat at the helm, guiding our little bark over the solitary waters of this mysterious sea, was most impressive. " Silence how dead I and darkness how profound I Nor eye nor listening ear an object finds." The moon rose bright and clear over the rugged cliffs of the promontory, as, an hour before daybreak, we landed at our little pier of stones; and ere long the gray tints of dawn began to appear, followed by the blush of a most lovely morning. A fire was soon kindled, coffee- pots and camp- kettles made their appearance, and in a short time a smoking breakfast was spread upon a little patch of grass, of which all partook with a keenness of appetite little dreamed of by more refined but less favoured mortals. In less than an hour we had filled our vessels, increased the length and stability of our pier, washed our faces and hands- the first time for ten days, ( as water was too precious an article to be wasted for any purpose other than drinking and cooking,)- and were on our way back to camp, where, favoured by a noble breeze from the south, we arrived at two o'clock. The station on the summit was entirely completed and covered with cloth; and the survey of the island being finished, every preparation was made for an early start for the main shore on the morrow, there to renew the dismal scenes of salt- plains, mud- flats, gnats, and mus-quitoes. I noticed this afternoon that the gulls'- eggs, which, when we arrived upon the island lay so thick upon the ground that we could scarcely avoid treading upon them, had now entirely disappeared from the vicinity of the camp. They had undoubtedly been removed by the gulls themselves to some safer place of deposite, but |