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Show BUOYANT SPEING. 231 Great Salt Lake possesses this quality in a great degree, but that water is saturated with salt; this is deliriously sweet water; probably some of the savans can explain the cause of its peculiar properties. We lingered in the spring fifteen minutes. Twenty-three men were at one time bobbing up and down in it endeavoring to sink, without success. 1 made drawings of this spot, and the surrounding mountains. If it were not for this " blessed water," it would be almost impossible for man to travel across these deserts; the next water is at Cottonwood Springs, twenty miles distant. Twenty miles S. S. W. of us, is a high range of mountains; the two centre ones were covered with snow. We travelled through them by a romantic pass ; the road was level although heavy, being composed of small pebbles, and loose sandstone. I perceived no vegetation, but the usual desert shrubs. In the bosom of these mountains we came to a spring of clear cold water, near which grew luxuriantly, cottonwood, acacias, and a kind of willow in full bloom. We encamped on tolerably good grass. We have before us another Jornada of forty miles for to-morrow's work. I collected from the acacias about an ounce of good "gum arabic." I think it is to all appearance the same tree which produces it in the West Indies. 31st.-We made an early start this morning, and commenced ascending to a high pass, in a rocky range of lofty mountains, studded with pine, and cedars ; the road was ver^ heavy, with loose cobble-stones, and sand. The ascent occupied four hours. We halted at about a |