Show 70 continent In the name of Ashley who had described this lake eighteen or twenty years before Captain Bonneville ever crossed the mountains I protest against the name What justice what honor can there be in claiming the right of naming that wonder of the western waters after Bonneville when it had been found circumambulated and trapped on as early as 1820 by Provost? In this letter the dates are all wrong and it is full of errors For example Provot did not enter the fur trade until 1822 how could he have discovered Salt Lake in 1820 as claimed by this article? Would he have kept his discovery a secret? This is an obvious attempt to divert honor and credit from one man to another by a third who is not careful enough to quote his facts accurately to give Provot credit for Says hei ’'There was one man Chittenden seems however having discovered the lake Etienne Provost the veteran mountaineer who had first pene- - 20 Vandiveer Lake" Great the to Salt the regions of trated also gives Provot credit for having preceded Bridger to the shores of the Great Salt Lake Etienne Provot seems to have been at the lake some while during the time during the winter of 1823-18summer of 1824 Jim Bridger floated down Bear river and tasted the salt 21water of the lake thinking it to be an arm of the sea Since Provot was not in the Salt Lake vicinity during 1823 Vandiveer just adds to the evidence already assembled to 24 20 Chittenden 21 C A American Fur Trade Vandiveer Fur Trade 196 I 276 |