Show 110 p to detract somewhat from the economic failure of the Walker expedition He probably cared little about having its secrets revealed The truth of the matter seems to be that Bonneville intended the Walker expedition to be just what it turned out to be a trapping expedition that would trap the streams all the way from the Great Salt Lake to California profitable return for the whole Bonneville enterprise which had failed as yet to take enough beaver to more than pay the actual operating expenses That his interests were more in beaver than lake exploration is shown by his attitude when the party returned to the Bear the following year Bonneville expressed deep regret that the in an attempt to make a expedition had not been more successful However lack of success was not measured in failure to explore the lake but J ' ' rather in the lack of rich packs of beaver pelts Says Irving ”The failure of the expedition was a blow to his Bonneville’s pride and still a greater blow to his purse” Bonneville had evidently heard of Jedediah Smith’s journeys to California and of Peter Skene Ogden’s experiences Both had reported rich on the Unknown (Humboldt) river beaver-beariwaters Perhaps the financial backers of the Bonneville expedition could be appeased somewhat by this new project Competition at least on the Unknown river which ng since Ogden's visits there several years before would not be as keen as it had had probably been left pretty much alone |