Having finished his survey of the lake, Captain Bonneville proceeded on his journey, until on the banks of the Bear River, some distance higher up, he came upon the party which he had detached a year before, to circumambulate the Great Salt Lake, and ascertain its extent, and the nature of its shores.  They had been encamped here about twenty days; and were greatly rejoiced at meeting once more with their comrades, from whom they had so long been separated.  The first inquiry of Captain Bonneville was about the result of their journey, and the information they had procured as to the Great Salt Lake; the object of his intense curiosity and ambition.  The substance of their report will be found in the following chapter.

38.

Plan of the Salt Lake expedition—­Great sandy deserts—­ Sufferings from thirst—­Ogden’s—­River—­Trails and smoke of lurking savages—­Thefts at night—­A trapper’s revenge—­ Alarms of a guilty conscience—­A murderous victory—­ Californian mountains—­Plains along the—­Pacific—­Arrival at—­Monterey—­Account of the place and neighborhood—­Lower—­ California—­Its extent—­The Peninsula—­Soil—­Climate—­ Production—­Its settlements by the Jesuits—­Their sway over the Indians—­Their expulsion—­Ruins of a missionary establishment—­Sublime scenery—­Upper California Missions—­ Their power and policy—­Resources of the country—­Designs of foreign nations

It was on the 24th of July, in the preceding year (1833), that the brigade of forty men set out from Green River valley, to explore the Great Salt Lake.  They were to make the complete circuit of it, trapping on all the streams which should fall in their way, and to keep journals and make charts, calculated to impart a knowledge of the lake and the surrounding country.  All the resources of Captain Bonneville had been tasked to fit out this favorite expedition.  The country lying to the southwest of the mountains, and ranging down to California, was as yet almost unknown; being out of the buffalo range, it was untraversed by the trapper, who preferred those parts of the wilderness where the roaming herds of that species of animal gave him comparatively an abundant and luxurious life.  Still it was said the deer, the elk, and the bighorn were to be found there, so that, with a little diligence and economy, there was no danger of lacking food.  As a precaution, however, the party halted on Bear River and hunted for a few days, until they had laid in a supply of dried buffalo meat and venison; they then passed by the head waters of the Cassie River, and soon found themselves launched on an immense sandy desert.  Southwardly, on their left, they beheld the Great Salt Lake, spread out like a sea, but they found no stream running into it.  A desert extended around them, and stretched to the southwest, as far as the eye could reach, rivalling the deserts of Asia and Africa in sterility.  There was neither tree, nor herbage, nor spring, nor pool, nor running stream, nothing but parched wastes of sand, where horse and rider were in danger of perishing.