. Life, explorations and public services of John Charles Fremont . Viewed from ourelevation, the face of the country exhibited only-rocks and grass, and presented a region inwhich the artemisia became the principal wood,furnishing to its scattered inhabitants fuel fortheir fires, building material for their huts, andshelter for the small game which ministers totheir hunger and nakedness. Broadly markedby the boundary of the mountain wall, andimmediately below us, were the first wate:.s ofthat Great Interior Basin which has the Wah-satch and Bear River mountains for its eastern,and the Sierra N
. Life, explorations and public services of John Charles Fremont . Viewed from ourelevation, the face of the country exhibited only-rocks and grass, and presented a region inwhich the artemisia became the principal wood,furnishing to its scattered inhabitants fuel fortheir fires, building material for their huts, andshelter for the small game which ministers totheir hunger and nakedness. Broadly markedby the boundary of the mountain wall, andimmediately below us, were the first wate:.s ofthat Great Interior Basin which has the Wah-satch and Bear River mountains for its eastern,and the Sierra Nevada for its western rim ; andthe edge of which we had entered upwards ofthree months before at the Great Salt Lake. When we had sufficiently admired thescene below, we began to think about descend-ing, which here was impossible, and we turnedtowards the north, travelling always along therocky wall. We continued on for four or fivemUes, making ineffectual attempts at severalplaces; and at length succeeded in gettingdown at one which was extremely difficult of. 1 iiiil I < ,l!i o; lill • CENTRAL BASm. 143 descent. Night had closed in before the fore-most had reached the bottom, and it was darkbefore we all found ourselves together in thevalley. There were three or four half-dead drycedar-trees on the shore, and those who firstamved kindled bright fires to light on the of the mules rolled over and over two orthree hundred feet into a ravine, but recoveredhimself, without any other injury than to hispack; and the howitzer was left midway themountain until morning. January 10. We continued our reconnois-sance ahead, pursuing a south direction in thebasin along the ridge; the camp following slowlyafter. On a large trail there is never any doubtof finding suitable places for encampments. Wereached the end of the basin, where we found,in. a hollow of the mountain which enclosed it,^ an abundance of good bunch grass. Leaving asignal for the party to encamp, we continue
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