Show 52 by letter to G K Yarren He said in part: On all the maps of those days the Great Salt Lake was one two had the of these outlets to the Pacific Ocean Buenaventura River which was supposed to head there the was from my name of the other I do not recollect It my party alone that it was asexplorations and those ofhad no outlet that the Buencertained that this lake aventura and all other California streams drained only the western slope It was for this reason that Mr W Irving named the Salt Lake after me and he believed I was fairly entitled to it This attempt oh the part of Irving to give Bonneville's name to the Great Salt Lake did not take well with those who knew how little Bonneville had contributed to the exploration of that lake henoe it was not adopted However Joseph Walker one of Bonneville's men did lead a party around the north end of the lake and across Nevada to California blasting the theory that the lake was connected with the Pacific Bonneville's subsequent map based partially on the findings of Walker was the first to show the Great Basin as such with interior drainage only This was Bonneville’s important contribution to the knowledge of the west G K Gilbert while surveying the shore lines of prehistoric Lake Bonneville evidently misled by Irving's book into believing that Bonneville had actually explored the lake and because of the Bonneville map ventured "to propose for it the ancient lake the name of Bonneville in honor of Capt B L E Bonneville 7arren Memoir to Accompany the Maps of the Territory of the United States from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean 35 34 This letter is dated "Gila River 22 OS G K August 24 1857" |