Show 108 as anything but scientific writers have been deceived Without having by Bonneville’s description of the lake followed his journeys as outlined in Irving's book they state quite definitely just when Bonneville visited the lake and from what vantage point he ’’first" beheld it Here is one of the interesting passages in the Bonne- Many 6 account: ville (living) To have this lake properly explored and all its secrets revealed was the grand scheme of the captain for the present year "1833 and while it was one of which his imagination evidently took a leading part he believed would be attended with great profit from the numerit ous beaver streams with which the lake must be fringed Bonneville's interest in the lake exploration was more real He spent three years in the within easy traveling distance of the Great Salt academic than he vowed to have completely explored and mountains Lake which its "secrets reveal- not sufficiently stimulated to cause him to visit its shores His descriptions of it are fantastic — which might be expected from one who learned from hearsay only His estimations of the lake altitude furnish a good example of the type of information he had at his command According to him the plateau in which the ed" yet -- his curiosity was lake lay was estimated to be a mile and three quarters above the sea approximately 9240 feet This is an error of more than 5000 feet 6 Irving Rocky Mountains I 209 |