Show CHAPTER III EARLY MAPS AND LEGENDS OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE Salt Lake has always held a curious interest for explorers and travelers and lack of definite information has led to the fabrication of many superstitions and tales concerning it This lack of knowledge of the lake has been a factor in creating interest in it since its discovery Captain Bonneville expressed a desire and intention to have the lake thoroughly explored in 1833 Fremont approached it vith a great deal of eagerness ten years later Stansbury and his men were "filled with the eager anticipation of sea" as ranging over the mysterious waters of this they prepared for their survey in 1850 Escalante’s report (1776) gave the first definite The Great far-fam- ed knowledge concerning the existence of the Great although rumors of such a lake had almost a century before that time Salt Lake been in circulation for Most of these reports were sketchy inaccurate and filled vith mythical accounts of subterranean outlets rivers connecting it with the sea the existence of a great lake tribe whirlpools and monsters The lake remained practically unknown until Fremont and Stansbury published their reports in 1845 and 1852 respective- 1 rterly "Father Escalante’s Journal" XI 1943 70 Utah Historical Qua- |