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Show 156 COMMENCEMENT OF THE SURVEY OF SALT LAKE. logues into the South Sea, which is doubtless the same with that before mentioned, the head of the two rivers being little distant from each other." 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, stretching 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 oftCarolana, and of the river Meschacebe." On the third of April, the parties were fully organised; and every preparation being made, teams were despatched to the eastern shore of Antelope Island, with the camp and provisions intended for that division of our force assigned to the survey of the west aide 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 covervthe whole surface with a series of triangles, which would verify the work. Although it is not my purpose to give a detailed account of every day's operations while engaged upon this duty, I shall 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 snows, the current was extremely rapid. The dry, leafless willows on the banks were, in some places, black with innumerable birds'- nests, the work of the preceding season, securely built in the midst of impenetrable thickets. The day was bright and warm, and all felt the exhilaration of spirits occasioned by release from a four-months' confinement to weary and monotonous quarters, and were filled with the eager anticipation of ranging over the mysterious waters of this far- famed sea! The grass was becoming green, the waters began to flow in little rills, and the air was 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 betokened the opening of spring, although the surrounding mountains |