["Indication," Notes of a Trip Through Western Utah No. 6, Alta California, October 14, 1860]

 

NOTES OF A TRIP THROUGH WESTERN UTAH.

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Description of Mono Lake.

            Mono Lake deserves a more extended notice than we have yet given it. The name is said to be of Indian origin, and to be somewhat significant of the American appellation of " Dead Sea." We cannot vouch for its correctness, however, our acquaintance with the Indian nomenclature being too limited to enable us to judge with certainty. There is certainly no reason why it should he of Spanish derivation, as it is the last place in the world to be chosen as a family residence by any of the monkey tribe, neither the climate nor the facilities for obtaining food (worms excepted), being such as a monkey would admire.

            Mono Lake is 27 miles long by 16 miles broad, and lies very nearly east and west, its eastern and western terminations being curved around towards the north very slightly — just enough to be partially hidden from each other by the intervening hills and mountain slopes. The surface of the Lake is 8,000 feet above the level of the sea, and its water is so strong of Alkaline, that no living thing is known to exist beneath them, save a brownish colored insect, about three-fourths of an inch long, and somewhat snail-like in appearance, with the addition of something bearing the slightest possible resemblance to badly shaped and less than half developed wings. They seem to have been created expressly for that locality, to serve as food for the Indians and multitudinous gulls, residents of the vicinity, and the ducks and geese that visit the Lake at certain seasons of the year, in quest of food. In favorable weather, when the surface of the Lake is quiet and smooth, they crawl ashore in myriads ; and when there has been a strong wind setting in from one direction, for any length of time, they are drifted ashore in myriads of myriads ; frequently lying knee deep along the beach, near the water's edge. Here the Indians used to assemble and gather them for food, and here the hogs do now resort, and the ducks and geese do congregate in countless numbers to feed and grow fat upon them. We were informed that it was nothing uncommon to find the fat an inch thick on the ducks and geese, but that they require parboiling before being cooked, to relieve them of a somewhat fishy taste imparted to them by the worm. After feeding upon these worms extravagantly, as ducks are very apt to do, they resort to the mouth of the creeks putting into the Lake from the west and south, in quest of water to drink, and wash themselves in, and are killed in large numbers from behind blinds erected for the purpose. We were told of as many at thirty six having been killed at a single shot, the killing of fifteen or twenty being considered quite a common feat.

            One remarkable feature of Lake Mono is the tendency of its waters to flow from the circumference to the centre, near to where the islands are located. This tendency is said to be no greater from the west and south, where some ten or a dozen creeks disemborgue their water, than from the north and east, where there are none. This, together with the unfathomableness of the waters towards the centre, has led to the supposition on the part of some, that they find an exit by some subterranean passage somewhere near that locality. We incline to the opinion, however, that if such were really the case, the Alkaline properties of the water long ere this would have been corrected, and Mono have become a fresh water lake. We will therefore content ourselves with getting rid of the surplus water by evaporation, and leave the supposed subterranean passage to be explored by some one more curious than ourselves.

            Another remarkable feature of the Lake is its two islands, and its rocks jutting out above the surface of the water, some of them near to the island ; and others along the shore, as well at elsewhere. The larger of the two islands affords springs of pure, cold water, salt water, and mineral water hot enough to boil an egg in four minutes. Some of the rocks afford springs of a similar character, and are supposed to have been formed by deposits from them. The existence of hot springs beneath the surface is evidenced in divers places, by the difference in the temperature of the waters in different localities, it being quite warm in some places, and quite cold in others. The general temperature of the surface of the larger island is said to be rather too warm to afford altogether comfortable camping quarters for the night. The gulls, notwithstanding, find on it suitable places to deposit their eggs, which are said to be quite abundant during the egg season.

Gorgeous Panorama.

            The mountain scenery to the westward of Mono Lake and town, is very fine; the Sierra Range, with its barren, craggy, and half snow-covered peaks, contrasting finely with the bright waters of the lake ; and further on, towards the north, with intervening bench lands, and their green, fresh looking little belts, skirted with pines and watered from the snows above them. The highest mountain in this part of the Range is known as " Castle Peak," and is only some eight or ten miles distant from the town. The bench lands alluded to, lie principally between this peak and the town, and assist in forming the slope, half way up the mountain. A gold bearing quartz ledge runs along the top of the Peak, but we were not informed as to its supposed value. A portion of it has been located.

Continuation of the Trip.

            Leaving Monoville, the sixth day after our arrival, we followed the trail up Mono Gulch, and over a sag in the old rim of the Lake, which at this point forms part of the divide between the waters of the Lake and those of Virginia creek, one of the tributaries of the East Walker River. Smooth-worn granite boulders, but less abundant and of smaller size than those in the immediate vicinity of the town, were scattered along down the ravine leading to Virginia creek, giving it the appearance of having once formed an outlet for the Lake. Some mile or two above the crossing on the creek, is Virginia Town, situated near a grove of timber, and said to be a much better place to winter in than Monoville. Here the old ditch gets its supply of water. The town consists of some twenty or thirty houses, but has no diggings in its immediate vicinity, and seems to be used principally for winter quarters. A few miles further on, in the direction of " The Meadows," at the crossing on Dog creek, is Dog Town, which affords a dozen or so scattering mining residence, and diggings which are said to yield some four or five dollars per day to the man. The population of this town is said to be very slightly Mongolian as well as Caucassian, the respective, individual representatives of the two races being a " Melican man," and a "China-aster" flower, of Celestial origin and growth.

Trout Streams.

            Leaving Dog Town, we passed over to the head of " the Meadows," crossing in regular succession four bold creeks, and one of smaller size, and camped on the largest one, not far from the mouth of another small creek below. These, together with Virginia and Dog creeks, and a bold branch or two, all unite in " the Meadows," and form the East Fork of Walker's river. These streams are all decidedly " trouty" in their appearance — enough so to make an angler's mouth water at the very sight of them. Sometimes they may be seen dashing and foaming over their stony and gravelly beds, and anon curling in eddies, or slowly creeping beneath overhanging willows. Our arrival at our camping ground, was too late in the evening, and our departure from it too early in the morning, to enable us to try our hands at trouting ; albeit, the propensity of our boyhood came strongly upon us, as we thought of those halcyon days when we were a disciple of "Isaac Walton ;" and " brushing away a ——" (mosquito) " from our cheek" we drank a cup (tin cup) of pure, cold water to his memory. We consoled ourselves over our unavoidable disappointment, in not having it in our power to get hold of any of the finny tribe " by hook and by crook," by calling to mind the definition of a full-rigged angler, given by to me one — perhaps Dr. Johnson, viz.: " A rod and line, with a fool at one end, and a worm at the other."

The Meadows.

            " The Meadows" comprise a very handsome little valley of land, somewhere about twelve miles in length by eight in breadth, and lying along above and below the mouths of the creeks and branches which have already been mentioned, as uniting and forming East Walker river. About one-third of this valley, consisting of its outskirts, is sage land, some of it very rich black loam, covered with the most luxuriant grasses and clover, and finely adapted to the purposes of gazing and making hay. A small band of horses, and two or three hundred head of cattle were grazing on the upper part of those meadows, and several men employed in cutting and curing hay on the lower part. Monoville, which is about fifteen miles distant, affords a ready market for the hay, there being a pretty good wagon route most of the way.

Sage Plain.

            On leaving our camp, we turned down the river, instead of crossing over the divide between East and West Walker, via the Warm Springs, and pasted over the meadows into an extensive sage plain, which gradually narrowed down as the mountains encroached upon it, until the trail which we fell into skirted close along down the river, occasionally edging into the narrow green belt along side it We followed this trail until we again reached the green little ravine, when we lunched on our way up, under the wings of a gathering thunder cloud.

Possibility of a Wagon Road.

            As we returned from East Walker by the same route that we went, we will have occasion to say but little more respecting it, further than this, that we satisfied ourselves as to the entire practicability of constructing a good wagon road, all the way from Eagletown to Mono Lake, at a comparatively reasonable cost. There would be but little heavy grading required, and a good deal of the way would require but little more than the removal of the sage and brush wood, and, in some places, the removal of the stones. Both water and grass are abundant at convenient distances, and there is no place where a sufficiency of wood of some kind or other cannot be found for camping purposes.

Scarcity of Game.

            We were somewhat disappointed at finding so little game in a section of country which is seemingly so well adapted to it, having met with nothing entitled to the name, save a goodly number of sage hens, rabbits and hares, in the sage plains, some half a dozen antelope and a solitary badger. Near the water courses we would occasionally see a few meadow larks, robins and doves, and hovering over and around the mountain slopes that jut into the sage fields, flocks of a noisy species of bird of a seemingly blueish color, and about the size of a quail. These could be heard during almost any hour of the night, the resemblance of their notes being about midway between those of a magpie and a jackdaw. We saw a few large sized hawks, hovering over the grass plots and sage fields, and the croak of a solitary raven, once or twice reminded us of the great prophet of old, who was fed by them. In the sage plains we found a species of sparrow, besides a few other small birds, among which we must not forget to mention the old acquaintance of our boyhood, the regular "blue bird," whose song brought to mind the old homestead " far, far away," and with it, the heart felt sentiment of a favorite song, " I would I were a boy again." Nor must we omit mentioning a more recent acquaintance of the sage fields, in the shape of a small half slate and half dove-colored songster, with slightly bronzed back, wings and tail, and a very pretty looking brown crown on its head, and a song at the earliest dawn, that the most exquisite canary might not be ashamed of. So much for the birds.

            And now for the animals and reptiles. We have made mention of antelopes. We heard coyotes occasionally, but saw none — and the only remaining animals that we did see, were a species of frisky little striped squirrels, which were in great abundance, and some of them not larger than mice. The sage fields generally seem to be the paradise of lizards, horned frogs and grasshoppers. We saw no poisonous reptile or insect among them, nor, indeed, a serpent of any kind whatever. They are doubtless to be found, as the rattlesnake, and one or two other of the serpent tribe, and also the tarantula, abound in this (Gold Hill and Virginia) vicinity, and the animate life is probably like the vegetable productions of the two sections — pretty much the same.

The Return.

            Returning from East Walker, we camped again at the Mountain Spring, beyond the west fork, and where we were to have been met by a gentleman, who would conduct us to the ledge called " The Two Republics," and whose failure to appear, impressed us with the belief that he had come to the same conclusion with ourselves, that the place was not worth the trouble of a visit. Proceeding on our way, we stopped for a short time at Eagleville, to partake of the hospitalities of our old friend, one of the " quartz-fanciers," who had preceded us on his return, and were shown specimens of silver-bearing quartz, from the " float-rock," in the tunnel which he was running, in search of the " Eagle" and " Central" ledges, and which impressed us with the belief that the " large expectations" of Eagleville will, in due course of time, be realized, and some Knickerbocker will yet chronicle its " three hundred houses and fifteen hundred inhabitants, standing with their gable ends to the street."

            After camping again — on the Carson, above Genoa, and enjoying the luxury of a fine mess of trout, the next evening found us safe at home again, " rather the worse for wear," but pleased with our trip, notwithstanding, and satisfied that Gold Hill, and Virginia and Silver Cities, are emphatically the mining localities of that greatest of all mining regions, Western Utah ; and the " Comstock, " and its " continuations," wherever they may be, the lead of all the leads that have been, or will be struck for many a day to come. And thus ends our Mono trip, notwithstanding the fears of some of our good friends, on account of our protracted absence, that we had ourselves been " prospected" by the Pi Utes.

INDICATION.