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Show SURVEY 01 THE WESTERN BHOBE. 183 The pelican captured upon Gunnison's Island was consigned to the kettle to- day, and boiled, for the purpose of preserving his skeleton. We had not been able to induce him to eat or drink a morsel, so that, finding he would starve to death, I had, a few days before, set him at liberty. He followed the boats for a long distance, but we lost sight of him, and the next morning he was found dead upon the shore. I had made some little progress in taming the fierceness of his nature. He would suffer me to assist him in pluming his feathers; but to all others he was sullen and intractable, snapping violently at every one who approached him. Thursday, May 16.- We are now to turn our faces to the southward, and to explore the western shore of this solitary sea. From the most elevated points the prospect before us was dreary and discouraging. To the south, as far as the eye could reach, lay a plain of arid white sand, stretching many miles westward to a lofty range of mountains, which had, no doubt, ages ago, formed the barrier to the waters in that direction. A high and rocky hill rose occasionally from this level flat, like an island from the sea, while the scene was here and there relieved by patches of green arte-misia- which alone flourished in this inhospitable region. The uncertainty of finding water was the only question which caused the least apprehension in encountering this desert of sand. Labour and fatigue all were willing to undergo; but, without water, it was impossible to live. We, however, determined to venture; knowing that, at the worst, we could procure a sufficient supply by crossing to the eastern shore of the lake. The shore party was provided with as many canteens as were to be found, and we commenced to move the camp; previously establishing a system of signals, by which they might be enabled to find our rendezvous at night. The wading operation had to be undergone as usual, and by noon we were fairly under way. Two long sandspits, or bars, had to be doubled before we could hope to reach any point that would be near the shore party at the termination of their day's work. This was finally accomplished by dint of dragging and wading, and we at length turned in to what, from the boat, we supposed to be the shore. But when within something less than a mile of it, the boat again grounded, and the usual consequences followed. When we reached the beach, before us lay a boundless flat of white sand, only a few inches above the water- level of the lake. A line of artemisia- bushes appeared to be about half a mile distant, and we bent our steps toward it for the |