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Exploring Great Salt Lake man of liberal education, he soon acquired, under instruction, the requisite skill, and, by his zeal, industry, and practical good sense, materially aided us in our subsequent operations."" While Gunnison completed the establishment of the base line, Carrington led a crew to survey the area near the mouth of the Jordan River. Both men encountered difficulties in obtaining lumber from town for the triangulation stations. Gunnison in par- ticular groused about the "outrageously high" prices "in the mechanic line" in Salt Lake City. Other troubles included drunken men, a lost theodolite which was returned with the help of Brigham Young, and some difficult crossings of the Jordan River and its mountain tributaries. On October 25 Lieutenant Howland, just in from Fort Hall, reported for duty on the survey which by this time had reached the point of the mountain dividing Salt Lake Valley from Utah Valley. Gunnison summed up his frustrations, "Survey moves on very slowly, the consequence of misappre- hension of directions by some & want of experience in all the workmen-The days are short & when a little cold it is hard start- ing out the party in the mornings. The current of the river is so strong & channel so crooked that we are obliged to transport the boat on a wagon & use it for crossing the stream only-"2o Entering Utah Valley, the survey party mired down in marshy ground along Utah Lake; endured cold, wet, and rainy-snowy days; and lost some cattle to a group of "unsaintly saints" who just appropriated them while traveling toward Sanpete Valley. Such frustrations caused Gunnison to lose patience even with the ever reliable Carrington who stumbled into camp one night at 2:00 A.M. "waking us up with a lamentable tale of his misfortunes." The party was bothered by Ute Indians begging for food and stealing the expedition's cattle. But with the help of Howland and Carring- ton, the Gunnison party completed nearly all of the survey of Utah Valley by December 4 when severely cold weather drove them into winter quarters at Salt Lake City.21 I9 Ibid., 12 September; Andrew Jensen, Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jensen History Company, 1901-1936), vol. 1, pp. 126-27; Goetz- Mann, Army Exploration, p. 222; Stansbury, Report, p. 122. 2o Gunnison, Journal, vol. 2, 21 September-31 October. 21 Ibid., 1 November-4 December. 122 |
