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Show Chapter I. UTAH AND ITS INDIANS Tfo* Country, The most conspicious geographical features of Utah are its great altitude, extensive deeert area, snow- capped mountains and fertile river valleys. The following description of Utah by a writer in 1S55 gives a vivid idea of this home of the Indians: " The Great Basin, about five hundred miles in diameter, lies more than four thousand feet above sea level, between the Wasatch and Nevada Mountains. It bears the character of a desert. The only fertile districts to be found are at the base of the mountains which rise to a height of about three thousand feet. In the centre of the basin there is no water. In the vicinity of the Salt Lake the country is level rising imperceptibly to the north and west until it reaches the mountains. The soil here is sandy and cannot be employed for agricultural purposes. To the north there is only |