OCR Text |
Show 102 THE DEAD SEA head, and my feet crossed, I floated upon the very surface of the lake with at least one- third of my body above water.' My experience was quite different. I could not have re mained in such a position for a moment, but would have rolled over, face downward, and if my hands were retained behind my head it would have put my face under water. If the weight of my body had been such as to make it more buoyant, then there would have been still greater difficulty. I doubt further whether cold water, under any circumstan ces, can hold in solution mineral constituents sufficient to increase its density until it would float a living, healthy human body one- third above the surface. Nor do I believe that a person cannot drown in Salt Lake. Knowing how to swim I found no difficulty in keeping my head above the water, but I think if I had not been so ex perienced in deep water I would have found considerable difficulty in doing so. I believe if a person should fall from a boat, and lose the erect posture, his head, being the heavier part, would go under, and the man drown, as his body floated on the surface. This is merely a mattrer of opinion, however, and it might be demonstrated to be erroneous. Feeling highly gratified with the morning's experience we started back for the city, stopping at a neat- looking little house near by, from which was displayed a sign, reading " Meals furnished at Seasonable Hours ;" but we took only a glass of buttermilk, and regarded it as an unseasonable hour for our dinner, though the family were then partaking. The house was kept by a Mormon lady whose daughter's appearance rather attracted my companion. As we hur ried across the plain to escape rather an unusual thing at that season a rain- storm with that magnificent team dash ing along at the rate of ten miles an hour, I thought that Major Grimes, who furnished it, ought to be Quartermaster- General. Another curiosity in the vicinity of Salt Lake City is the hot spring. It is a few miles north of the warm springs I alluded to in my last, and situated at the base of the same range of hills or spur of the mountains. It pours out |