| Show S A GRAPHIC description OF AN interesting TRIP A PARTY OF WELL KNOWN GENTLEMEN EXPLORE THE GREAT SALT LAKE ITS ISLANDS AND A PORTION OF ITS SHORE about 8 on the morning of sousie e might have been seen seenah at the utah central depot in salt lake otta a group of fourteen persons earnestly eama earm estly discussing something of great Am importance to them two or three of f thesa theia represented gentlemen of the j sh adby genteel style while the rest on casual notice ight have been bukea for full all f fledged tramps the i party consisted of dr J u R patk park T cram ors J B toronto J T klag kings bury orson howard J ff paul evan stephens and aad 3 H moyle J B blo reton J K R cook 3 1 E R alien ae A M woolley 2 D J ross W jennings and WG W G THE START the 8 train carried us to farmington from which place we were convey conveyed coave ed in wagons to the lake shore and without much del delay ay were aboard the ship ready read to make a tour of the great aa sak it lake T THE HE CRAFT AND WEATHER the boat is a schooner rigged two mated masted vessel 60 feet long IN 12 feet wide and stands about four feet out of tile the water about noon all were aboard and the vessel set iet sail for fremont island where we arrived df after ler dark and anchored in a little bay near the southeast end of the island the wind blew all night the vessel rocked the waves roared as they beat against the shore so that to sleep was next to impossible next morning the sun rose bright and early so did the crew after breakfast most of the party went ashore to walk over the island collect specimens and to study the character of the geological formations while the vessel was vas to sail around to the north end of the island and pick us up FREMONT ISLAND fremont Fremon fc island is about 11 14 miles in circumference and is covered mainly with sage brush or island pine some specimens of which were about S seven e V en feet beet high and from six to eight incites inches in diameter there is good grass on the island and as fresh water has been obtained it makes an ad admirable m 1 ra sheep range A fatiguing wa walk lk in the hot sun brought us to the hi highest hest point in the island it is said that near this spot fremont lost the cover to the object end of his telescope and we instinctively looked for it but did not succeed in hinding rinding it after a short rest during which we enjoyed the magnificent ent view view of earth sea and sky we descended to the beach over ledges of slate granite and large boulder sto tile the point where we were to be again taken aboard the boat we were soon sailing for promontory POINT which we reached early in the afternoon and all went ashore where we remained a couple of hours the view from Promontory Point is grand rand in the extreme RATHER ROUGH our next objective point was dolphin island we sailed northward along the western shore of the promontory before a stiff gradually developed into a heavy gale it was now night light there was no moon buethe but the stars were shining brightly shedding a dull uncertain lustre over tile the watery surface the captain was unacquainted with this portion of the lake and the great speed with which the vessel was driven before the wind produced some gear ear that she might be driven ashore on some part of the lake the wind whistled and moaned through the rigging riggin g the waves dashed against the sides of the vessel with terrific roar the salt water carried by the roars wind win swept over the deck attempts were made to sleep but with very poor success three or four heads ata at a time could be seen rising from the blankets aud peering out into the misty light some poor fellows were compelled to crawl to the sides of the vessel and remain for some minutes watching the fury of the waves and doing other things in proportion daylight at last dawned and the wind died away the captain said we had out ridden one of the severest storms that he had encountered during his experience on the lake with daylight we found ourselves within five or six miles of the northern extremity of the lake and consequently far to the north ot of dolphin island we therefore sailed towards the southwest beating against head winds and reached the island late in the afternoon t DOLPHIN ISLAND is dry and uninteresting there is little vegetation excepting a stunted growth of sage A lazy bizzard and a tew few small black spiders were occasionally sio nally feen been the schooner was anchored in a small well protected bay and we determined to stay for the night lit here we enjoyed oar first good raillie rAil ni nights ht s sleep since leaving home the next loraing mo july 1 we weighed anchor and set bet sail FOR GUNNISON ISLAND the wind was favorable and blowing so hard that the vessel could only carry half sail the ride was deliga delightful deligato tf ua but the waves were high and some ot the crew crawled away in the shade of the sails to lie flat upon their backs and dream of loved love dones ones at home we were soon anchored off the shore of gunnison and the whole party was soon on the island As we walked along the shore we wet were e surrounded by immense flocks of gulls they literally darkened the air as they rose upon the wing and hovering over our heads beads almost deafened us with their discordant screams their nests lay scattered over the ground without any apparent order in their arrangement thousands of young gulls of all sizes from those just hatched to some almost ready to fly covered the ground running in fright from place to place and joining their cries with those of their parents it was too late in the season to find fresh I 1 eggs but we collected some that remained unhatched they axe are about the size of turns eggs and ot a brown color covered with irregular dark brown spots on tue east side of the island we found more gills and their young we also found nests containing large white eggs about the size of goose eggs tuese these were the nests of pelicans in some of the nests we found little helpless creatures just hatched batched the ane egg they were entirely destitute of covering and as their little bare red bodies lay exposed to the hot sun it anade us wonder how they could live under such unfavorable conditions young pelicans of all sizes were huddled together gether Lo in groups here and there ane re these goslings gollings go slings are an awkward and ungainly mass of fat covered with wita a flue fine aud and exceedingly thick down of light color the old pelicans retired quietly to a distance where they remained main ed sailing around in the air or floating on the waters of the little bay anxiously watching our movements the food of these birds consists entirely of fish which they must necessarily obtain either from bear river the jordan or the weber the nearest of these points is more miles distant making necessary a flight of at least 60 miles to procure and transport food for the sustenance of their dofing young the island is an irregular ridge of rocks consisting almost entirely of compact limes limestone lone between the water and storm lioe line on the western beach coarse and ana fine conglomerate or is found in broad of various thickness very hard and generally inclined to the slope of the beach it is surrounded by beautifully cleir clear and translucent water and is one ot the pleasant est and most interest ing spots we visited the northern end ot of the island is a nearly perpendicular cliff of black and egray limestone ii between five and six hundred feet in height this cliff is quite easily ascended on the south s so 0 leaving the gulls and pelicans to care f for or themselves we climbed to the summit of the rock and were ivere amply rewarded for our pains by the cool breeze and unsurpassed scenery presented to our view hundreds of feet below us the waves dash furiously far up against the rocky surface of the cliff the little bays on each side of the island are covered with gulls floating lightly and gracea gracefully ully upon the undulating waters while flocks of the more dignified pelicans may maybe be seen lazily flying in the distance we enjoy our pleasant and peculiar surroundings as long long as time tim e will permit then slowly and ada almost 10 st reluctantly retrace our steps toward the ship hip OFF FOR FOB THE SHORE once more on board we set sail to the southwest with the visiting tile the shore of the desert which borders the lake in that direction A stiff north breeze carries us over the waves and almost before we know it the rudder which extends a jew few inches below the flat bottom of bt the boat becomes unmanageable and on examination we and that it has cut a long serpentine track in the soft yielding bottom of the lake it is not long before we come to a standstill stand still it is unnecessary to cast anchor we are aground although the water is not more than two feet deep we look forward in vain for the shore before us as far as the eye can reach is presented t the beautiful clear and calm s surface ur of tae lake we are gazing upon a M mirage ge nothing daunted daunt edthe the little skiff I 1 is manned and rowed in the direction the shore should be after going about one and a half miles the skiff touches bottom and refuses to yield to the persuasive powers of the oars shoes and stockings are removed and after wading for nearly three fourths of a mile the shoreline shore line is reached but so low and ill defined that it is difficult to tell where the water ends and the land begins after examining the country anif and procuring some sandy specimens the party returned to tile the ship in the mean time by the use of poles and oars the vessel is again got afloat and worked off into deeper water where she anchored for the night I 1 A stationary SAM SAIL ETC just before dark three of the crew wishing to play smart boarded the skiff and started for strongs knob an island lying apparently but a short distance to the eastward of the vessel they took turns at rowing which they kept up tor for nearly two hours they had by this time lost sight of the ship and the island seemed farther away than ever ane wind rose and with it the waves it was determined to row back to the ship the skiff was turned larded around and a star taken for a guide alter after rowing for a length len th of time thought necessary to take them back to the ship the weary steersman put down his oar to see progress was being made when lo 10 and behold the boat was waa stationary it had run aground how long they had bad been traveling at that rate of speed they co could uld not tell i the fact that they were lost slowly and gloomily dawned upon their minds no trace of the snip could be seen the horizon in all directions ions was closely scanned when away to the northward they beheld a flicker of light its direction was fixed by a star they removed portions of their clothing jumped into the shallow water and pushed the boat against the wind until tile the water and mud dud became too deep for comfort when they climbed into tile the boat and pulled for the star scar after a time a black hulk gradually arose from the darkness and about midnight three tired men climbed over the side of the vessel and went quietly yAo to bed those three were never known to leave the ship again after the shades of evening began to fall th tb next coining finds the wind still blowing tile the norta the schooner tacky tacks off towards KNOB where we arrived about 8 a m this thia island was once and not very long ago a portion of the main land the bar by which it was connected being plainly visible beneath the wat water t r it is bate bare and lifeless after ash ort stay we are all aboard for hat island we encounter contrary winds and spend the nil night tit drifting back and forth on the W waters aters on the cornic morning ot ol july ad we fl find d ourselves eight or ren ten miles from HAT with the wind blowing directly from the island by tacking we reach the island abo about ut noon it is almost covered e with the nests of gulls pelicans and herons the nests were arranged without order and the three kinds were found in the same locality As we walked over tile the island the gulls gulla filled the air overhead the pelicans peli cana retired to a respectful distance and the herons perched themselves on the high points of rucks rocks with their long necks stretched out regarding our movements with suspicious aspic IOUs eyes this island is the smallest yet visited and we went over it in about an hour and set sail for carrington INGTON ISLAND where we arrived before sundown and anchored in a bay on the west side ot of the island carrington island is about eight miles in circumference it abounds in slate ot of line fine quality some of which will admit of a nail being driven through it almost as easily aa as through a shingle some of the slate contains cubic crystals of iron rock was observed served oo in large boulders on the southern slope veined with thick seams of white gaartz limestone and and gray granite with conglomerate existed in considerable sid erable quantities the island is covered with fine bunch grass and if fresh water could be obtain edit would afford fine pasturage for a limited adm number of sheep we remained at anchor under the shelter ot the carrington island all night and had a good rest which was quite welcome after the tossing of the previous night on july ath we were aroused early b by y five or six loud reports one of the crew suddenly remembered that it was the nations birthday and so fired a salute in honor of toe day we were soon under way and moved over to STANSBURY ISLAND ali this is is the second island in point of size in the lake being 12 miles long and 27 in circumference it is a high rocky ridge rising above the surface of tile the lake I 1 and reaches in its greatest elevation the height of nearly feet the scenery along the eastern coast is wild rugged and grand peak towers above peak and cliff above cliff in lofty loft magnificence from the highest peak one can look down in in gloomy solitude upon the varied sane scene of b right bright waters scattered verdure and boundless plains of and desolation below this was our seventh day out and some of the crew being weighed down with business matters family cares or love affairs were anxious to reach home so the captain determined to run across to garfield and let such as desired go home from there this ride was one of the most pleasant of the trip garfield was reached a little after 4 pm p m and moyle paul moreton woolley jennings and stephens were put ashore the pride pi ide of the lake for such our vessel was called only remained at garfield a few minutes when she set sail and tacked off towards CHURCH ISLAND another night was spent sailing about upon the briny waters the morning of july ath found us near 0 the island we tacked up along the western coast about eight miles and wens wen ashore the beach is very pretty being composed of pebbles of all ail shapes sizes and colors siept mens representing the characteristic rocks and formations of this island were collected and stowed away in the ship the same was done on all the islands islando visited some very flue alne specimens beill being obtained church asland island is so large that we had to be contented with going over but a small portion of il ii however as we sailed up the western coast we could not help appreciating the beautiful scenery presented about sundown we set sail HOMEWARD BOUND 11 all the night we drifted helplessly about in a succession of calms and ant puffs of wind morning found us in nearly the same position we were in the previous night the whole of july ath was spent in strenuous efforts to reach home but calms and contrary winds named our fondest hopes another night was spent upon the water the next morning about t the schooner anchored off the farmie ton beach and eight as hard rough looking characters as are not generally seen in |
