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Show SUKVBY 07 THE WESTERN SHORE. 188 s 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 riot b$ en able to induee 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, anil 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 suljen and intractable, snapping violently at every one who approached him. Thur » dayy May 161- We are now to turn our faces to the southward, and£ o explore the western shore of this solitary sea. From, the most elevated points the, prospect before us was dreary and discouraging. 2? o the Bouth, 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 afed rocky hill rose ' occasionally from this level fiat* like an island from the sea, while the scene w$ s here and thei; e 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 wdrst, we could procure a sufficient supply by crossing to the eastern shore of the lake.' y . - The shore party wps provided with as many canteens * s were to be found* and we commenced to m0ve the camp; ' previously establishing a system of signals, by tfhiph they might be enabled, to find our rendeavctas at night.' The . wading operation had to be undergone as usual, * nd 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 m to. what, from the Boat, we supposed to be the shore. But w; hen within something less than a mile of it* the beat 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 itibr the |