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FROM NEW ZEALAND
TO
LA K E M I C H IGAN.
BY
W. T. LOCKE TRAVERS, F.L.S.,
ATJTHOR OF
“PICTURESQUE NEW ZEALAND,” “THE LIFE AND TIMES OF
TE RAUPARAHA, CHIEF OF NGATITOA,” ETC., ETC.
WITH A MAP
ūlºllington, 3.3. :
ISDWARDS & Co., PUBLISHERS, BRANDON STREET.
1889.
To
f
CHARLES JOHNSON PHARAZYN, Esq.,
LATE M.L.C. OF NEW ZEALAND,
THIS WORK IS DEDICATED,
AS A
TRIFLING RECOGNITION
OF A
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PREFACE.
SoME of my readers may ask why this work contains so
little of my personal experiences, during my journey
through that part of America which is referred to in it,
and why it is silent as to the impressions I may have
formed of the character, habits and customs of the
people with whom I mingled P My answer is, that my
travelling experiences were of the tamest kind, and that
my intercourse with the limited number of persons with
whom I came in contact, was too slight to justify the
expression of any positive opinions respecting them.
The chief object of my work is to show that the
extraordinary rapidity with which the enormous area
described in it — equalling all Europe in size — was
colonized, was due to the discovery, in 1847, of some
“glittering particles of gold * during the prosecution
of an industrial work, for, practically, the then only
white settler in north California. It is intended also,
by giving, on the one hand, an account of the physical
conditions which obtained within this immense territory
prior to and at the time of that discovery, and of the
interesting and adventurous explorations through which
PREFACE.
those conditions were made known, and on the other
hand, an account of the wonderful changes brought
about by the sudden intrusion into it of a vigorous
civilized people, to afford my readers some idea of the
impulse given to western settlement, by that discovery,
an impulse which was soon afterwards strongly felt
both in Australia and New Zealand. My work has
been written in the belief, that this course would be
far more interesting and instructive than namby-
pamby experiences of travel, or crude observations
upon the character, habits and manners of the people
of the Western States.
WM. THOS. T.OCKE TRAVERS.
WELLINGTON,
AUGUST 1889.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
THE PACIFIC—TUTUILA AND ITS ISLANDERs—PALMYRA ATOLL–
WRECK OF THE HENRY JAMEs—RESCUE OF THE CREw—
OAHU AND ITs ScLNERY-HoNor,ULU e e º, tº
CHAPTER II.
SAN FRANCISCO—NEW HEVETIA—THE DISCOVERY of GoLD AT
SUTTER’s MILL–YERBA BUENA—THE PRESENT CITY-
CHINA Town—THE PALACE HoTEL–SEAL RocK * -
CHAPTER III.
THE ROUTEs To SALT LAKE CITY-WALLEY OF THE SACRAMENTo—
THE SIERRA NEVADA—THE GREAT DESERT-ORIGINAL
DIscovKRIES IN CALIFORNIA—SIR FRANCIS DRAKE AND
THE INDIAN KING—WHENCE THE NAME OF THE GREAT
BAY-THE SAN JoAQUIM—WALKER’s PAss .. - «»
CHAPTER IV.
THE GREAT BASIN–SHOSHONE INDIANs—THE BEAR RIVER—
SINGULAR VoICANIC PHENOMENA-THE GREAT SALT LAKE
—FREMONT’s VoyagE–KIT CARson's BoAT—STRANGE
FooD—TIAMATH LAKE–PYRAMID LAKE–INDIAN EN-
CAMPMENTS-THE DESERT-ATTACK ON INDIANS—SEVIER
LAKE gº tº © tº - © tº tº tº tº
CHAPTER V.
CROSSING THE SIERRA–INDIAN VISITORs—DEATH OF THE DoG —
SUMMIT OF THE PASS—GREAT CoID AND SUFFERING—
RIO DE Los AMERICANos—NEW HELVETIA—THE SAN
JoAQUIM—THE DESERT-INDIAN ATTACK UPON A SPANISH
PARTY-SITMMARY PUNIGIIMENT –[IT CARSUN AND GUDEy's
EXPLOITS—SUFFERINGS IN THE DESERT .. e e
PAGE
47
66
86
CHAPTER WI. PAGE
SALT LAKE CITY-THE MoRMON MIGRATION TO UTAH-
HISTORY OF THE SUPERSTITION tº gº tº e 111
CEIAPTER WII.
FURTHER HISTORY OF MoRMONISM––SALT LAKE CITY-THE
TEMPLE–THE TABERNACLE—THE WATER SUPPLY AND
INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTIONS OF THE CITY –ForT DOUGLAs
AND ITs SURRoUNDINGS tº tº tº e e tº 129
CEHAPTER VIII,
. LEAVE SALT LAKE CITY-THE ROCKY MoUNTAINs—THE GREEN
AND RIO GRANDE RIVERs—THE BLACK CANON OF THE
GUNNISON.—THE GRAND CANON OF THE ARKANSAs—THE
BLow-UP of THE OVERHANGING ROCK–THE PRAIRIE5—
MANITOU AND ITS SPRINGS tº º tº gº s º 152
CHAPTER IX.
THE ROCKY MoUNTAINS AND THE PRAIRIEs—MYTHS AND LEGENDs
OF THE INDIANs—-THE TRIBEs of Color ADo, ARKANSAs,
AND NEBRASKA–TRAITs of CHARACTER—THEIR HABITs
AND CUSTOMs tº q tº º & is $º º 177
OGDEN
CHAPTER X.
FIRST EXPLORATION OF KANSAS AND NEBRASKA–ALARMs—THE
“CERNE '' of THE BUFFALos—Port LARAMIE–IMMIGRANT
PARTIES-DANGERS FROM HosTILE INDIANs—PRESENT
CoNDITION OF Count RY gº tº e tº $º º 197
CHAPTER XI.
DENVER—THE MINES AT SILVERTON AND LEADVILLE-STRANGE
INCIDENTs—THE “SMELTERs ''-RAPID PROGRESS AND
BEAUTY OF THE CITY • - tº gº º ºg 220
CEHAPTER XII,
CHICAGO — THE MISSISSIPPI — REMARKABLE SCENERY — THE
BURIAL OF DU Bouque—ST. ANTHoNY’s FALLs—INDIAN
LEGEND–PROGRESS OF MINNESOTA—THE CITY OF CHICAGO
—ITS RAPID RISE AND PROGREss—THE GREAT FIRE-
CoNCLUSION º º e e © e. tº & 240
APPENDIX . . . tº gº * @ tº º . . 257
CHAPTER I.
THE PACIFIC–TUTUILA AND ITS ISLANDERs—PALMYRA ATOLL–WRECK
OF THE HENRY JAMEs—-RESCUE of THE CREW-OAHU AND ITS
ScFNERY--HoNor,ULU.
IN 1888 I found it necessary to visit England, and as
I had never been in America, I determined to proceed
to San Francisco, and from thence across the Continent
to New York, en route for Liverpool. I left Auckland
on the 22nd May in the steamship Mariposa, one of
the three vessels chartered by the Union Steam
Shipping Company of New Zealand, for the purposes
of the subsidized Mail Service between Australia, New
Zealand and America. The Mariposa is a fine ship of
3000 tons burthen, and, with one exception, is very
well fitted. The exception, however, is an important
one, and interfered seriously with the comfort of the
saloon passengers during the voyage. The fact was,
that the doors of the staterooms afforded the only
means of ventilating them, and as almost the whole
Voyage extends through tropical regions, the heat at
night, especially in the upper berths, was almost
insufferable. Moreover there were no punkhas in the
saloon, which, independently of other causes, made
A
2 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
meal times periods of acute suffering. The bed and
table linen were scanty and wretched in quality, and
appeared to have been picked up at some rag fair.
The food, though abundant of its kind, was mucky and
badly served, whilst, in disagreeable contrast to the
order and cleanliness which characterize this class of
service in American Hotels, the stewards were ill dressed
and dirty, both in person and ways. The officers were
evidently high class seamen, and the discipline of the
ship was carried out with perfect quietness and order.
Looking to this, it appeared strange that the table and
stewards’ service should have been so inferior in
character, but I was given to understand that these
departments were under the exclusive control of the
chief steward, with whom the Commander was not
entitled to interfere, except in matters directly involving
the discipline of the ship. -
We had an unusually large number of saloon
passengers, comprising English and American globe-
trotters, New Zealand and Australian settlers pro-
ceeding to visit America or the old country, and the
usual complement of persons engaged in trade. For-
tunately there was not a single contre-temps during
the voyage, and, what with concerts and the ordinary
amusements of ship-board, the time passed agreeably
enough. The first land made after leaving Auckland,
was the island of Tutuila, one of the Navigator Group.
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 3
We lay in close vicinity to the island for nearly an
hour in order to take in mails from Samoa, which are
usually forwarded to meet the mail steamers during
their voyage to and from San Francisco. In common
with the rest of the Group, Tutuila is entirely of
volcanic origin. It is very mountainous and broken,
and is covered with dense tropical vegetation extending
to the water’s edge. The inhabitants appear to be
quite uncivilized in our acceptation of the term. Targe
numbers of them came off to the ship in their canoes,
bringing for sale rudely carved implements, palm leaf
fans, and indigenous flowers and fruits, the latter con-
sisting chiefly of cocoanuts and bananas. As the
canoes approached we were struck with the appearance
of the upper parts of the heads of the occupants, which
were all pure white. When they reached the ship, we
found this was owing to the hair being plastered with
lime made from coral rock. To account for this
practice, we were informed that the daughter of one of
the principal chiefs of Samoa had, a few years pre-
viously, visited some relatives at Tutuila, who then saw
her for the first time, and were struck with the beauty
of her hair, which was of a light red color. Anxious
to improve the appearance of their own hair, they
adopted the plan above referred to under the advice of
an European visitor to the Island, who had assured
them that the application of lime would bring about
4 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
the desired change of color. It had not produced that
result in any of the persons who came under my notice,
and I am inclined to think that the habit in question
was an old one, originally adopted for the sake of
cleanliness, and to mitigate, in some degree, the irritation
due to the plague of flies which infest the island,
rather than with a view to personal adornment. In
physical aspect the men were remarkably fine and well
made. They were profusely tatooed from the waist to
below the knees, in very fine lines and patterns, so as
to give them, at a distance, the appearance of wearing
some form of dark close-fitting clothing. With the
exception, however, of a few leaves and flowers, both
sexes were practically naked, and were as much at home
in the water as out of it.
I observed that most of the persons of both sexes
who visited the ship, were marked with scars on various
parts of the body, apparently from healed superficial
ulcers, which led me to suppose that they suffer from
cutaneous diseases, due in all probability to their living
exclusively on fish and the ordinary edible vegetable
products of tropical islands. They are nominally
Christians, and are occasionally induced to engage in
work for the missionaries and traders, but the facility
with which they can obtain food sufficient for their
wants, makes them idle and lacking in persever-
8, Il Cé.
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LARE MICHIGAN. 5
The island is almost entirely composed of high steep
mountains, reaching in several places an altitude of
3000 feet and upwards. These mountains are broken
and picturesque in outline, and support a dense vege-
tation extending to the water's edge, amongst which the
cocoanut and other forms of palm are conspicuous.
The population is said to be considerable, numbering,
as I understood, several thousand persons. Their
dwellings are mainly constructed of materials derived
from the cocoanut palm, and are distributed along the
line of the sea shore, nestled amongst groves of the
cocoa and banana. The chief trade productions of
Tutuila are copra, cocoanut fibre, and small quantities
of cotton, coffee and béche de mer, which the inhabitants
dispose of to the German company that succeeded
Messrs. Godeffroi and Sons, of Hamburg, in the
Pacific Trade; but I was informed by a passenger who
joined our ship at the island, that pearls, of which he
had obtained a number from one of the Chiefs, had
recently been discovered, and that although the extent
of the probable supply had not yet been sufficiently
estimated, there was some hope that it would prove to
be considerable. Tutuila is about seventeen miles in
length by five in width, and is almost cut in two by the
harbour of Pago-pago, one of the finest in the South
Pacific. We did not enter the harbour, and T am
therefore unable to make any observations upon it, but
6 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAIKE MICHIGAN.
it seems strange that it has not yet attracted much atten-
tion on the part of the naval powers, which are now so
hotly disputing the possession of Stations in the Pacific.
Amongst the letters from Samoa, our Commander
received information from the American Consul there,
corroborated by the officer in command of one of the
American war ships at Apia, that an English ship,
bound from Newcastle in New South Wales to San
Francisco with coals, had been wrecked upon a reef
to the westward of Palmyra, an Atoll lying some 1400
miles to the Northward of Samoa. It was suggested in
these communications, that he should proceed to the
relief of the passengers and crew, who had taken refuge
on the Atoll. As this lay close to our own course,
he at once determined to act upon this suggestion.
After leaving Tutuila, the voyage continued to be
without incident until we sighted the Atoll, which we
did about eleven o’clock in the morning of the 29th of
May. As may naturally be supposed, the utmost
interest was excited throughout the ship as we neared
the Atoll, not only by the expectation of giving relief
to the shipwrecked people, but also by the opportunity
afforded of a sight of one of those remarkable for-
mations to which the above name has been given.
Nor was expectation in either respect at all disappointed.
Gradually, as we neared the island, a faint, peculiar
line appeared on the horizon, which, on closer approach,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 7
assumed the appearance of a grove of trees rising
directly from the waters of the ocean, but masked, in its
lower part by a line of flashing light, produced, as we
found on nearer approach, by the waves breaking upon
an outlying coral reef. The surface of the Atoll is in
no part more than seven or eight feet above that of the
surrounding waters, and the space between the latter
and the internal lagoon rarely exceeds fifty or sixty
yards in width, and is often much less. The surface
consists of decomposed coral, and is covered with cocoa-
nut palms and other plants whose seeds are capable
of germinating notwithstanding long carriage by sea
water. To those who take more than a mere passing
interest in the formation of coral islands, I recommend
a perusal of the interesting theory propounded on the
subject by the late Mr. Darwin, and the writings and
suggestions of subsequent observers (many of which
are to be found in the columns of “Nature *), which
appear to throw considerable doubt upon the sound-
ness of his conclusions. Our approach had been
joyfully observed from the Atoll, and we saw the
shipwrecked people moving along the shore line, and
making preparations to come off to us in the boats with
which they had reached it from the scene of the wreck.
The following account of the wreck, and of their rescue
was published after our arrival in San Francisco, and
is quite correct.
8 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
“We are indebted to the Secretary of the Post Office
for an account of the wreck of the British barque Henry
James, whose crew and passengers were rescued by the
Mariposa, which left Auckland on the 21st ult, reached
Tutuila on the 26th, and Honolulu on the 1st inst.
The reports are from the mail agent:—While lying off
Tutuila, Captain Hayward received a private letter
from Lieut. Cressap, of the U.S. steamer Mohican,
stating that a boat had arrived at Apia containing the
first officer and four men of the British barque Henry
James, and reported the loss of that vessel on a reef
about 36 miles north-west of Palmyra Island. They also
stated that the rest of the crew and passengers had
taken refuge on the island. A schooner had been
chartered to proceed to their relief, but upon maturely
considering the situation, the distance that the vessel
must cover (about 1400 miles), the adverse winds and
currents which she would probably meet, and lastly,
the destitute and suffering condition of the castaways,
Captain Hayward deemed it his duty to proceed
to their rescue. The island was reached at 3.5
p.m., 29th May, and the shipwrecked crew were soon
recognised launching their boat. A boat was im-
mediately lowered from the Mariposa, under the charge
of the Chief Officer, Mr. Hart, and upon meeting the
boat from the shore, relieved them of a portion of their
load and returned to the ship, the other boat returning
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 9
to the shore for the rest of the ship’s company, who
were out of call on the other side of the island. By
6.15 p.m. all were safely on board, and the Mariposa
proceeded on her course. Liberal donations of clothes
and money flowed in on the outcasts, and they were
soon made comfortable. No serious sickness had
occurred amongst them, although the women and
children were beginning to suffer from lack of food and
the necessaries of life.
“Captain Lattimore reports as follows:—The Henry
James was an iron barque, of 945 tons register, built at
Glasgow in 1882, bound from Newcastle, New South
Wales, with a cargo of coal consigned to Balfour,
Guthrie and Co., San Francisco, and owned by the
North British Ship Company, of Glasgow. She ran
on a reef thirty-five miles northwest of Palmyra at 10
p.m. on the 16th April last, while going about five
knots, in a smooth sea. Two boats were got ready as
Soon as possible, and ladies and children lowered first,
over the stern, as the sea was breaking along the main
deck. All hands and some few provisions being safely
in the boats, they stood by the ship until daylight.
The captain, in leaving the ship last, had a narrow
escape from drowning through falling into the sea.
Finding it impossible to get on board the ship again,
owing to the heavy surf making a clean breach fore
and aft, sail was made on the boats at 7 a.m., and
10 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
Palmyra Island reached at 5 p.m., a landing
being effected at 7 p.m., having had heavy
showers, and shipping many seas in the interim. They
found on the island the remains of six huts, but no
inhabitants; also a quantity of firewood, which had
been cut and piled probably by some previously ship-
wrecked crew. The ladies and children were made as
comfortable as possible, a fire lighted, and some mutton
and biscuits formed the first meal. No clothing or
other effects were saved except a pair of blankets, and
they were thoroughly drenched. On Saturday, 21st
April, a boat in charge of the first mate with the boat-
swain and three seamen, who volunteered, left the
island at noon for Samoa, a distance of 1400 miles,
which was safely completed in 19 days. The provisions
were seven pounds of bread, (one half of the entire
stock), one six pound tin of mutton, two bottles of
whisky, one pound of cheese, 260 cocoanuts, and ten
gallons of water. On the 24th of April, at 4 a.m., the
remaining boat was launched from the beach, and
headed for the wreck, which was reached at 10 a.m.
The ship was settling down, and, as the sea was
breaking over her fore and aft, it was impossible to
board her, and the attempt was abandoned for good.
The boat returned to the island at ten the next morning,
During the six weeks’ stay on the island, with the
exception of diarrhoea, all hands enjoyed fairly good
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 11
health. Water was found on a small island about two
miles from the camp. Cocoanuts were found in
abundance, and these, with eels,” birds, land crabs, and
pepper grass, formed their diet. On the 29th May, at
2 p.m. a steamer was sighted, which proved to be the
O.S.S. Co.'s steamer Mariposa. A boat was lowered
from the steamer in charge of the first officer, and by 6
p.m. they were all safely on board.”
A committee formed to distribute the relief fund
referred to in the above account, made careful enquiry,
not only into the relative losses and wants of the ship-
wrecked people, but also into their conduct during
their stay on the island. This brought out the fact,
that one of the seamen had frequently given trouble
and had stolen and consumed some tins of preserved
milk, which had been set apart from the salvage for
the exclusive use of the young children. For these reasons
the committee excluded him from participation in the
fund, but he nevertheless found sympathisers, led by a
strong-minded American lady, with the result that his
misconduct was rewarded with a larger subscription than
had fallen to the share of any of those amongst whom the
general relief fund was distributed, and he afterwards ex-
hibited a considerable amount of insolence towards those
who had sought to punish him for his misconduct.
• The eels proved to have been water-snakes.
12 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN.
On the evening of the first June, we arrived at
EIonolulu, the voyage from Palmyra having been
without event of any kind. The night was too dark
to observe the harbour on our way to the wharf, but as
soon as the vessel was moored, a large number of the
passengers landed. The scenes presented in the town
were in the highest degree picturesque and beautiful.
Almost all the houses beyond the principal business
street have gardens attached to them, filled with
magnificent palms and other tropical plants, all growing
with a luxuriance and beauty only faintly imitated in
European conservatories. As Honolulu is everywhere
lighted by the electric light, the effects produced were
lovely in the extreme, calling to mind the brilliant
scenic exhibitions in the grand extravaganzas and
ballets at the Metropolitan theatres at home. I
wandered about for hours, and felt utterly disinclined
to leave these exquisite scenes and return to the ship.
But even there I found much interest in observing the
natives who thronged the wharf, some engaged in dis-
charging and re-loading the ship, others in carrying on
trade in curiosities, flowers and fruit with the passengers,
and others again, in picturesque costume listlessly
looking on. On the following morning I visited the
principal public buildings in the town, exclusive of the
palace, to which I could not obtain admission, though
I managed a walk through the grounds by which it is
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 13
surrounded. The Legislative and Government depart-
mental buildings are handsome and well arranged.
In the chamber of the nobles are portraits of several
of the Kings and Royal Princes, all pure-bred Sandwich
Islanders. The Legislative body consists partly of
half-caste and partly of full-blood natives, of whom
Some are nominated for life by the King and the remain-
der are elected, both sitting in a single chamber.
The general administration of the affairs of govern-
ment is, however, entirely in the hands of white people,
chiefly Americans, and the time is evidently not far
distant, when the aboriginal element will cease to have
any power or occupy any position of importance in the
islands. Targe numbers of Chinese and Japanese are
already settled there, and on the day preceding our
arrival, a steamship had come in from Japan with
nearly a thousand emigrants. Nearly all the waiters
and other servants at the hotels and in private establish-
ments belong to these nationalities, besides which large
numbers of them are engaged in farm and garden
cultivation. The town is generally well laid out, and
its principal shops contain every kind of European,
American and other goods, at reasonable prices. The
residences of the wealthier people, are situated partly
along the line of a handsome street named Nuuanu
Terrace, which runs nearly parallel with the general
trend of the town, but away from its business parts, and
14 EROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
partly on its outskirts. They are generally well built,
and in many instances are remarkably beautiful, whilst
all are surrounded by gardens and plantations com-
prising varieties of palms and luxuriant flowering plants.
TJnfortunately a portion of the town is practically given
up to the Chinese, and, as usual in places where these
people congregate, is characterised by a filth and squalor
in painful contrast with the generally respectable and
cleanly appearance of the remainder. The surroundings
of Honolulu are extremely beautiful. The island of
Oahu on which it stands, (in common with the entire
Hawaiian group) is of purely volcanic origin, and the
great lava beds, ejected from many large vents, have
been cut down by streams of water into narrow valleys,
bounded by lines of high precipitous hills, presenting
every variety of crag and peak, of gorge and precipice
the whole being covered with dense vegetation kept
rich and luxuriant by the constant moisture which
characterizes the windward side of all the islands. T
drove up one of these valleys to the Pali, a place of
much interest in the history of the wars of the
Sandwich Islanders. The valley is narrow and ends
abruptly in a steep and broken face of rock, which rises
even more precipitously on either hand, to the height
of 1000 feet and upwards. The view from the head of
the pass is remarkably fine, both shores of the island
being visible. It is said that many years ago, the
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 15
whole number of a great native war party was driven
over this point and killed by the fall, and that their
bones still lie mouldering below, but of these ghastly
remains I saw nothing. A road has now been cut
down the rock face, upon which I saw trains of ponies,
some loaded with produce for the town markets, and
others taking home the supplies which their owners
obtained in exchange from the storekeepers. The
valley contains many well cultivated dairy farms, which
yield an abundance of excellent cream, milk and butter
to the townspeople, and is also the site of the works by
which the town is supplied with water. There is an
idea prevalent amongst the inhabitants of temperate
climates, that cows, under the Torrid Zone, do not yield
rich milk. Humboldt refers to this in his personal
narrative, and remarks that, during an excursion
through the vast plains of Calobozo (one of the hottest
parts of Venezuela), which were covered with grasses
and herbaceous sensitive plants, he became convinced,
that the ruminating animals of Europe become perfectly
habituated to the hottest climates, provided they find
water and good nourishment. He found the milk
produced in the provinces of New Andelusia, Barcelona
and Venezuela, to be excellent, and the butter richer
and better flavored than that produced on the ridge of
the Andes, enjoying in no season a temperature higher
than the Pyrenees or the mountains of Estremadura.
16 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
I was amused at seeing, growing as roadside weeds,
even in the very ditches, tropical flowering plants and
ferns, specimens of which I formerly cultivated in my
own greenhouses at a cost of from one to two guineas
each. Cocoanuts, bananas, guavas, Oranges and man-
goes are extensively cultivated, and are abundant
and excellent, although the latter fruit is only agreeable
to those who have acquired a taste for it, the flavour
having a suspicion of turpentine, which, at first, is a
little trying. In other respects it is rich and delicious.
I tried the Avocado pear, another tropical fruit, which,
however, proved to be a bad imitation of the mango,
Although the climate appears to be well adapted for the
growth of the bread-fruit, I did not see any on the
island. Strawberries were abundant and well-flavored,
and satisfied me that the fruits indigenous to tropical
countries are not, as a rule, to be compared in delicacy
and richness of flavour, to those of temperate climates.
After returning from the Pali, I drove to Kapiolani
Park. The drive was very interesting, and the
plantations along the road extremely beautiful, the
gardens being bright with oleanders, lantanas, hibiscus,
bougainvilleas, and other handsome shrubs and Creepers,
whilst the air was heavy with the perfume of gardenias,
roses, and a host of other richly-scented plants. I
visited Queen Emma's Hospital, and several of the
Schools, churches, and other public institutions. The
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 17
buildings are generally good, and the institutions well
conducted. It is, indeed, the boast of Honolulu that
nearly the whole of the rising generation can read and
write, and I was informed that nearly £10,000 a year
is spent in education in Oahu alone. I found that
much indignation had recently been excited by a
statement made by Mr. Ballou, an American writer
who had not long before visited the islands, to the
effect, that so short a time as fifty or sixty years ago,
the natives always ate the prisoners taken in battle, and
often made war for the sole purpose of securing
prisoners to be roasted and eaten. These statements
are absolutely denied by those who are most conversant
with the history of the native race, although it is
admitted that, before 1819, when King Kamehameha II.
had insisted on the adoption of the habits of foreign
civilization, the natives were, as in the case of the
people of Tahiti, bound in a gross and cruel idolatry,
and offered human sacrifices to their gods. It appears,
too, that the heart and liver of the sacrifice were eaten
as part of the religious rite, and that this was also
Sometimes done in the case of foes of distinction, killed
in battle, under the idea that those who partook of
them would acquire the valour and endurance of the
dead man. But it is strenuously denied that canni-
balism, such as that indulged in by the natives of Fiji
and New Zealand, for example, was ever practised by
B
18 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
the Sandwich Islanders. At present, at all events, the
natives are a well conducted and industrious people,
though seemingly destined to die out, as the result of
contact with European civilization, and the adoption of
the habits and vices which it induces. It will be
remembered that Captain Cook estimated the population
of the group at 400,000 persons, which must, however,
have been excessive. In 1823 the American missionaries,
after careful enquiry, fixed the number of the native
people at 142,000, but the last census gives the total as
somewhat under 45,000. The men, too, are said to be
far more numerous than the women, and I was in-
formed that not more than half the married women
bear children. One could almost have better understood
this degree of barrenness before the introduction of
civilized habits, for, until that took place, female virtue
was absolutely unknown, the women indulging in
indiscriminate intercourse with the men. But Darwin
has pointed out that wild animals become sterile under
domestication, and it is not at all improbable that so
great a change in the conditions of life as that which is
induced when an uncivilized race is brought under
civilized control, may produce a similar result, especially
when, in addition to other operative causes, they become
subject to the influence of foreign diseases. This,
however, is a large question, upon which I have not
sufficient material to dilate.
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 19
The climate of the islands is in no degree unsuited to
Europeans. The range of temperature does not exceed
200eg. of Fahrenheit, the mean temperature of the
cooler months being 62deg., and of the hotter, 80deg.
They are never visited by hurricanes, but during the
cool seasons the rain-fall is nearly 80 inches, and strong
winds prevail. The indigenous matural productions
were very limited, but a large number of the fruits of
other tropical and semi-tropical countries have been
introduced, and grow and produce luxuriantly. Cattle
and sheep have thriven greatly, and the produce of
wool, hides and tallow, is now considerable and
increasing. The present population is a very mixed
one, comprising pure and half-caste natives, English,
Americans from the United States, French, Germans,
Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, and people of many other
nationalities, though in smaller numbers than those
specially enumerated. The total number, according to
the census of 1878, was about 58,000, of which the
natives and half-castes were 48,500, Chinese 5,900,
Americans 1,280, English 890, Portuguese 430, Germans
275, French 80, and other nationalities 666. I was
informed, however, that the latest census showed that
the natives and half-castes have diminished to 45,000,
although the population generally had largely increased.
Efforts have been made to check the influx of Chinese,
but as yet without any satisfactory result. No similar
20 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
objection is made to the Japanese, whose habits are
cleanly and who do not bring with them diseases of the
same class as those which affect the former.
The trade and commerce of the islands are on a
sound footing. The imports, which, in 1845, amounted
to $547,000 only, had increased to $4,879,000 in 1886,
and the exports, which, in 1845, were $270,000, reached
$10,566,000 in 1886. The number of vessels entered
inwards and outwards at the various ports during the
year 1886, with their respective tonnages, were as
follows:—American 220, 128,224 tons; Hawaiian 29,
40,242 tons; British 38, 39,435 tons; French 8, 5,551
tons; other nationalities 7, 6,206 tons. The exports
comprise sugar, rice, coffee, wool, hides, tallow, arrow-
root, maize, copra, béche de mer, and large quantities
of fruit, such as Oranges, bananas, cocoanuts, mangoes,
custard apples, guavas, etc., the largest part of which
are sent to San Francisco. We took with us, to that
port, nearly fifty tons of bananas alone, and I was
much interested in observing the number of centipedes,
beetles and their larvae, and the larvae and pupae of
moths and other specimens of insect life, which were
thus being introduced into Western America.
We left Honolulu about one o’clock in the afternoon
of the 1st June, bound for San Francisco, and arrived
there on the 9th without incident of any kind.
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 21
To those who look at an ordinary chart of the Pacific,
it may appear strange, that it can be traversed in many
directions without falling in with any land. And yet,
but for the necessity of calling at Tutuila and Honolulu,
we should not, in a direct course from Auckland to San
Erancisco, have seen any land whatever, although the
distance is nearly 6000 miles, and although it would
appear, looking at the chart, that we should have had to
pass close to many groups of islands. Some distin-
guished voyager in the Pacific before the days of ocean
steam navigation, observed that he had formed no
adequate conception of the extent of the western coast
line of America, until he had sailed from Cape Horn to
Alaska in a vessel of fair speed, which took four months
in accomplishing the voyage. In like manner, I had
formed only a faint idea of the extent of the Pacific and
of the distances which separated the various groups of
islands shown on the charts, until I had taken the
voyage from Auckland to San Francisco, but I can now
understand how much chance had to do with the
discovery of even such comparatively large tracts as the
Islands of New Zealand. This, too, explains the
absence of almost every form of life on the line of
our voyage, for, except flying fish and a few birds seen
when nearing Tutuila and the Sandwich Islands, no
form of life was seen. Flying fish were very numerous
in places, occasionally rising, in actual shoals, in front
22 FROM NEW ZEATAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
of the ship; but I saw none rise beyond a foot or two
from the surface of the water. In the Atlantic, on the
other hand, they frequently rise to the height of nine
feet and drop into the chains and even upon the deck
of a large ship. Their flight is certainly a true flight,
for I observed that they were able to change its
direction, and to follow all the undulations of the
surface of the water, before dipping into it. This fish
is of delicate flavor, and was the only one that I saw in
the market at Honolulu, where it was abundant. I
regret that I did not examine any of them in order to
ascertain the size of the natatory bladder. In the
Atlantic fish this, in an animal only 6% inches long,
has been found to be 3.6 inches long and 0.9 of an inch
broad, containing 34 cubic inches of air. The flight of
many of those I observed in the Pacific was longer than
any that I had seen in the Atlantic, which increases
my regret at not having examined some of those which
were offered for sale at Honolulu.
It was interesting to observe the change which
gradually took place in the appearance of the night
skies, as we made our northing. We gradually lost
the many splendid constellations of the southern
hemisphere, but it was almost a reward to renew our
acquaintance with Charles' Wain and the other
northern constellations which we had known in our
youth. “Nothing,” it has been remarked, “awakens
FROM NEw ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 23
in the traveller a livelier remembrance of the immense
distance by which he is separated from his own country,
than the aspect of an unknown firmament.” I felt it
strange, too, to observe that my shadow, which, for
nearly forty years had been pointing to the south, had
changed its direction to the north, even before we had
reached the Equator, a fact which, for a time, a good
deal disturbed my ideas of position.
CHAPTER II.
SAN FRANCISCO—NEW HELVETIA—THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD AT SUTTER’s
MILL–YERBA BUENA—THE PRESENT CITY-CHINA Town—THE
PALACE HOTEL–SEAL ROCK.
THE first sight of the harbour and city of San Francisco
is highly interesting, especially to those who know
anythingofthecondition of the vast tract of country which
lies between the Mississippi river and the Pacific coast
line, before the discovery of gold in California. It will
be remembered that, until the close of the war between
Mexico and the United States in 1847, that part of the
above tract which comprises the present states of
California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and portions
of the states of Utah and Colorado, was under the
direct dominion of Mexico, by which it was then ceded
to the United States. Up to that time the chief settle-
ments within this great area, were Yerba Buena,
which stood on part of the site of the present city of
San Francisco, and had a population not exceeding 500
people; Santa Barbara and Los Angeles on the coast
line, and the inland towns of Tucson, Santa Fe and
Pueblo; all of which stood on the outskirts of the great
desert that lies between the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 25
Mountains. Portions of the country in the vicinity of
these towns were occupied as cattle-ranches, carried on
by Mexican proprietors, or for the benefit of the
members of the Roman Catholic religious houses, (of
which there were several within the territory in
question), the members of which were engaged in a vain
attempt to convert and civilize the Indian people in their
neighbourhood, without, however, making any effort to
teach them the arts and occupations of civilized life; the
result being that, whilst their efforts were useful at first in
mitigating the effusion of blood which was pretty constant
amongst the natives, they failed to lay any solid basis
for a better state of society. Indeed, these missions
proved to be absolutely hostile to the progress of the
Indians, for those Indians under their control progressive-
ly lost all the characteristics of independence, as a conse-
quence of being subjected, even in the slightest actions of
their domestic life, to rules which made them stupid in
the effort to make them obedient. The remainder of the
country was roamed over by Indian tribes, which
subsisted solely on its limited natural productions and
were constantly engaged in predatory warfare against
each other, and against the small Mexican population,
which often suffered severely from their incursions. It
may easily be conceived that, under such conditions, the
territory in question was not likely to make any
progress in settlement or in material wealth, and we
26 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN.
find, in effect, that, until it had passed under the
dominion of the United States, its only export was a
small quantity of hides which were annually collected
at the harbours along the coast. There can be no
doubt, however, that the Spanish monks were aware
that gold existed in considerable quantities in various
parts of the area above referred to; but this fact was
carefully kept from the outer world, in order to prevent
the influx of foreigners which would result from its
being made known, and the certain loss of influence
over the Indian population which the monks would in
that case sustain. And so, an enormous territory,
capable, under proper cultivation and management, of
yielding sustenance for millions of civilized people, and
of producing nearly everything which helps the material
advancement of mankind, was kept in a desert condi-
tion, solely for the purpose of fostering the vain project
to which I have referred.
All this has become changed, however, as the result
of the gold discovery which took place at Sutter’s mill
in 1847, a discovery which has not only led to the
formation of a special class of people, previously
unknown amongst European nations, now numbered
by hundreds of thousands, who devote themselves
almost exclusively to the business of gold, silver
and diamond mining, and are to be found scattered
throughout the gold producing regions of the Globe,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 27
but has brought about the rapid colonization of
the vast territory extending from the Mississippi to the
coast line of the northern Pacific, including British
Columbia and Vancouver’s Island. Prior to this dis-
covery, so small were the general gatherings of gold in
both the Old and New Worlds, that the average produce
had not, for many years, exceeded the annual value of
£5,000,000, but this discovery and the subsequent
opening of the gold mines of Australia, New Zealand
and South Africa, have led to an enormous increase in
its production, and to a complete change in all previously
received ideas with respect to gold mining, both as an
industry and as a branch of geological investigation.
A glance at a map of that part of North America
which includes the country between the Mississippi and
the shores of the Northern Pacific, shows, besides the
Rocky Mountains, two other main chains, all con-
verging towards their northern extremities in British
Columbia, but diverging to the southward. The central
chain is named the Sierra Nevada, and the western one is
that which forms the outer boundary of the
Sacramento and San Joaquim valleys. Between the
Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada lies one of the
great deserts of North America, consisting, chiefly, of
the extensive basin in which Salt Lake, Lake Utah,
Sevier Lake, Pyramid Lake, and a host of others of
lesser dimensions appear, as the remains of a once
28 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
vastly more extended water area. With the exception
of the Mormon Settlements near the two first-named
lakes, scarcely any part of this desert tract is as yet
inhabited, except by a few miners, and others directly in-
terested in their labours, and, as will be shown further on,
the Mormon settlements themselves have only been
rendered possible, by the facilities for irrigation which
are afforded by the streams flowing from the neigh-
bouring Wahsatch and Uintah Mountain Ranges.
The Sierra Nevada almost rivals the Rocky Moun-
tains in altitude, but its ridges and summits are less
broken and rugged.
The coast range presents few breaks or gaps between
the sea and the valleys of the Sacramento and San
Joaquim, the most important one being the outlet of
the united Sacramento and San Joaquim rivers, which,
by their junction, form the noble harbour of San
Francisco.
The actual discovery of the gold which has been found
disseminated throughout this extensive region, took
place in this wise.
During the erection of a water power saw mill on
Captain Sutter’s property at New Helvetia, the
contractor engaged in the work, observed “some glitter-
ing particles” in the “dirt ’’ (as gold bearing gravels
are technically termed by the miners), taken from the
bed of the race which was being cut to supply the water
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 29
wheel. These particles proved on examination to be gold.
The work people soon became aware of this discovery, the
news of which also quickly spread throughout the sur-
rounding districts and found its way to Yerba Buena,
and such was the character of the reports received, that
that town, and all the adjacent districts were at once
emptied of their inhabitants, who flocked en masse to the
“diggings” at New Helvetia. The supply of the precious
metal proved to be enormous and widely extended, and
no sooner did intelligence of the nature and extent of the
discovery reach the eastern states of America and Europe,
than a rush of emigrants from all nations set in towards
California. This immense influx of people—comprising,
too, a very mixed class, into a practically unsettled and
uncivilized country, was attended, in the first instance,
with very evil results, whilst the sudden and enormous
gold harvest threatened for a time to demoralize industry
and throw the machinery of commerce out of gear. It
was predicted by many, who were, however, soon proved
to have formed erroneous opinions on the subject, that
the supply of gold would speedily be exhausted, but, as
a fact, every new account received from the scene of
operations, showed that the range of the gold seekers
was being further and further extended. “Gold,”
says a writer well acquainted with the development of
this discovery, “was found accumulated in the beds of
rivers, in the gullies of the mountains, and in the
30 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
gravels of the plains. It was found set deep in quartz
or mixed with crumbling granite. It was found in
digging a well at San Francisco, and then, a hundred
miles off it was dropping from cliffs into the sea, and
slowly settling through the sands of the shore. The
searchers had to dig pits, to climb mountains, to turn
rivers, to sink shafts, to run galleries, to uncover plains,
to break, to crush, to roll, to shake, to wash and to
amalgamate. One discovery quickly supplanted another,
and one set of implements quickly yielded to another.
At one time a rocking machine for separating the gold
was in great demand, but before manufacturers
could send out a supply, it was superseded by a cradle
of ingenous construction. Then came chrushing-mills
of various kinds, for pounding the auriferous quartz of
Mariposa. An immense amount of machinery was sent
out for this purpose, and was doubtless turned to good
account ; but the earlier accounts from California spoke
of discoveries which offered gold without the use of
tools or machines other than the common implements
for turning up the soil, for the precious metal in this
case lay in a soft greasy slate, easily to be crumbled
between the fingers. The slate was thickly interspersed
with extremely fine particles of gold, which were
separated by means of quicksilver. At a spot appro-
priately named Mount Ophir, fine specimens had been
met with of “soft clay slate saturated with gold, in
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 31
small particles and large lumps. These treasures lay
from 10 to 30 feet below the surface, so that a great
deal of top dirt had to be thrown up before the slate
was reached. Seven Mexicans, who made this discovery,
and kept their secret eight days, made in that short
time 217,000 dollars. One lump might yield three
dollars, another twelve dollars, and so on. Other
searchers, from a shaft twenty feet deep, obtained the
soft clayey slate in buckets, and found from eight to
twelve dollars worth in each bucket. This new discovery
came within the limits of the ‘diggings,’ and fell
under what was called ‘placer” law, that is, every man
who came might claim his thirty feet square and set to
work as he pleased, without asking the landowner's leave.
But if he wanted to plant mills and make expensive
mining works, he had to obtain a grant of the soil.”
A great number of persons were soon congregated in
the new diggings, and a flood of gold seemed to threaten
the European market. From the great Californian
field of enterprise, thirty millions of gold found their
way in a few years into the commercial world, without
producing any very striking or marked effect ; but it was
thought that, if this rate of produce continued, there
must eventually be produced corresponding alterations
in money matters. During the period of excitement
caused by these discoveries, Australia and even New
Zealand, supplied a quota of emigrants to the field of
32 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
operations, and many vessels left the ports of those
colonies freighted with passengers and food supplies for
the “diggings” at El Dorado. It was but little to be
wondered at, therefore, that some of the men who had
gained experience in gold seeking in California, should,
in process of time, have found their way to Victoria and
New South Wales, and ultimately to New Zealand,
and should have found indications, in each of these
places, of the presence of the precious metal which was
afterwards produced in such enormous quantities in
each of those colonies. The result was that, in 185ſ, an
influx of gold seekers but little less great than that which
occurred in California, took place to Melbourne and
Sydney, followed by a further contribution, to the
markets of the world, of quantities of gold nearly as
large as those which had been produced in California
itself.
Now, whilst it may be admitted that American
enterprise would have speedily altered the condition of
things which obtained on the sea-board of the North
Pacific before its cession by Mexico, it is clear that
the City of San Francisco owes the foundation and the
maintenance of its present extent and greatness, its
expanding commerce, its varied manufacturing and
other industries, its extensive public works and
institutions, and its connection by many lines of railway,
road, and telegraph with other parts of the Union and
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 33
with British Columbia, Canada and Mexico, to the result.
brought about by the discovery of “some glittering
particles” in the race at Sutter's Mill; and that the
TJnited States owes the rapid colonization of the
territory westward of the Mississippi, to the immense
subsequent extension of that discovery and to the
further discovery within it of vast deposits of silver,
lead and other metallic ores, and of practically in-
exhaustible supplies of coal and other useful earthy
minerals. * -
When I come to a description of the changes which
have taken place along the line of route which I
travelled from San Francisco to Chicago, my readers
will be better able to conceive the extraordinary
rapidity with which the work of colonization has
proceeded throughout the regions in question, whilst
volumes could be filled with accounts of the interesting
events and incidents which occurred during its progress.
On approaching the coast in the neighbourhood of
San Francisco, the country has by no means an
inviting aspect. Towards the north it rises in a lofty
range, whose highest point is Table Hill, and forms
an iron-bound coast from Pinto de Los Reyes to the
mouth of the harbour. To the south there is an
extended sandy beach, beyond which the sand hills of
San Bruno rise to a moderate height. The entrance to
the harbour, however, is very striking, bold and rocky
- - C
34 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
shores confining the tidal waters, which pass between
them into and from a large estuary. In this, several
rocks and islands are scattered, upon which various
public buildings have been erected. The distant shores
of the bay extend north and south far beyond the
visible horizon, exhibiting one of the most spacious,
convenient and safe harbours in the world, whilst to the
east rises the great Sierra, brilliant with the tints which
are produced by the atmosphere of the beautiful climate
of California.
TJp to the year 1842, the appearance of Yerba
Buena, (which then occupied part of the site of the
present city), as described by Captain Wilkes of the
TJnited States exploring expedition, was certainly not
impressive. Its principal buildings consisted of a
rough frame occupied by the agent of the Hudson’s Bay
Company; a store kept by an American named Speer;
a billiard room and bar; a poop cabin of a ship occupied
by a Mr. Hinckley, and a blacksmith's shop and some
outbuildings. At that time, too, its site and the hills
around it consisted of barren rock and sterile soil, and
the miserable aspect of the whole place was aggravated,
at low water, by the appearance of an extensive mud
bank, which was then uncovered.
Now all has changed. A great city has replaced the
wretched village of Yerba Buena ; the hills, which
formerly presented a miserable aspect, are nearly
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 35
covered with fine buildings; the unsightly mud flat
and much beyond it have been reclaimed from the sea,
and the soil with which they have been covered, has
become the site of large piers and warehouses; whilst
the eye dwells with pleasure on the evidence, every-
where manifest, of a great and extending commerce.
The city occupies a commanding position facing its
beautiful bay, and lies in an amphitheatre formed on
the slopes of a number of hills, of which the principal
are Telegraph, Rincon and Russian Hills. Its
appearance from the Bay in its immediate vicinity,
however, is not very striking, owing to the fact that
the frontage on the shore line is occupied by extensive
warehouses, wharf-sheds and other unsightly buildings,
which mask any general view of the city.
The main streets, as in nearly all large American
towns, are straight and parallel to each other, and are
intersected at right angles by cross streets, by which
means the city is divided into convenient building
blocks. There are several open squares, but only one
or two of them are as yet planted, or can be considered
in any way ornamental. The public buildings are
large and handsome, the chief ones being the Custom
House, Mint, Municipal Buildings, Marine and other
Hospitals, Medical Colleges, Schools of Mechanical
Arts, Public Libraries (of which one, containing nearly
60,000 volumes, is free), Theatres, and many Churches
36 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
and Charitable Institutions. It also possesses an
extensive and valuable mineralogical collection,
illustrative of the mineral productions of the State.
I visited many of these, including some of the
theatres, which are handsome and well decorated.
Good companies were playing in them, and the
attendance was crowded; but ventilation is not much
attended to, and the heat was consequently very trying.
Besides the foregoing, San Francisco contains a large
number of factories, machine shops, glass works, sugar
refineries; flour, saw, woollen and rice-cleaning mills
and chemical works, and many fine quasi-public edifices
used for banks, insurance offices and other purposes of
general business. The streets (except California Street)
are generally narrow, and all are ill paved, but
admirably conducted tramways obviate, to a con-
siderable extent, the discomfort and inconvenience of
getting about them.
California Street contains a large number of fine
buildings, without, however, any order as regards
height, or architecture; but this gives it a picturesque-
ness which is generally wanting where more regularity
exists. At night this street is particularly beautiful.
In addition to the public electric lamps, it is then
illuminated by innumerable similar lights, under
brilliantly colored glass shades, from the shops, hotels,
refreshment Saloons, and other places of general resort,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 37
besides the flitting red and green lamps of the many
tramway and other carriages, which are constantly in
motion. The shops and refreshment rooms are hand-
some and attractive, and are supplied with everything
required by advanced civilization, at prices not un-
reasonably in excess of those which obtain in the
eastern cities of America and in Europe.
TInfortunately, a part of San Francisco is occupied by
Chinese, the population of that part of the city
numbering upwards of 50,000. I visited China Town,
and it is impossible to give any adequate description of
its filth and squalor, and of the offensive evidences of
immorality which it presents. The streets are narrow,
ill paved, and, so far as I saw, without any appliances
for cleansing them. The major number of shops in it
are used for the sale of food which, to the general run
of Europeans, would appear to be unfit for human con-
Sumption, consisting of stale vegetables, stinking fish,
either dried or lately from the water, meat which
appeared to be derived from the knacker’s yard, and
other articles more or less disgusting in smell and
appearance. The Chinese inhabitants, too, clad in
dingy blouses, with their expressionless faces, rendered
most hideous when they shew their large irregular yellow
teeth, their bloodless sallow complexions, and bald
heads,-were in keeping with the surroundings, and
added to the generally disgusting appearance of the
38 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
quarter. Some years ago China Town was the subj ect
of an elaborate investigation and report by a committee
of the Board of Supervisors of the city and county of
San Francisco, and the general result of their enquiry
was of a most damning character.
It is certainly unfortunate that such a blot on
civilization should exist in the principal city of Western
North America; and there can be no doubt that the
condition of things above faintly described fully
justifies the steps which the United States, Australia
and New Zealand are adopting, in order to prevent the
influx of a people so utterly regardless of all the .
decencies of civilization. The gain to be obtained by
the example of thrift and industry which the Chinese
afford, is as nought compared to the contamination which
results from contact with them, and I am satisfied that
it is in every sense the interest of European colonizing
peoples, to prevent their congregating in the colonial
cities and towns, or in obtaining any strong footing in
the rural districts. The condition of the quarter they
occupy in San Francisco and some other cities of the
Union, affords a clear answer to the remonstrances of the
Chinese Government against their exclusion from the
colonies. That Government should be made to under-
stand that, until the Chinese have learnt to adopt the
same modes of life as the Europeans, they will not be
permitted to inhabit our towns or mix with our people.
FROM NEW ZEATAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 39
Competition with our labourers has really very little
to do with the matter.
The water supply of San Francisco is magnificent.
In 1876-7 an elaborate and costly examination of a
number of sources, from whence a large and continuous
supply could be obtained, was undertaken by the Board
of Supervisors, and no less than six schemes were
reported upon, each of which would yield one hun-
dred millions of gallons daily, the cost varying from
$14,200,000 to $23,000,000. I am not sure which of
the schemes was ultimately adopted, but the supply is
abundant and continuous. Open canals are used for a
considerable distance from the sources, in which the
flow of the water is rapid. This ensures the continued
aeration of the water, which contributes largely to its
purity and excellence. The ultimate pressure on the
delivery pipes is upwards of 300 feet, an important
point in relation to fire extinction. The fire brigade
organization is in every respect admirable, the
appliances requiring traction being available, at each
station, in eight seconds after an alarm has been given.
The horses are trained to place themselves under the
harness on the first stroke of the alarm bell, the harness
is lowered to their backs, and is almost instantaneously
fixed by a series of springs, whilst the hose-reels, &c.,
are attached simultaneously. Those members of the
Brigade who are for the time being on duty at the
40 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
station, descend from their rooms by means of slides
conveniently placed for the purpose; the main doors are
thrown open, and all necessary appliances are at once
on their way to the scene of the fire.
The city is remarkable for its hotels, many of which
are splendid in structure and appointments, and admir-
able in their management and the comfort they afford.
I stayed at the Palace, which, though not the largest,
is certainly one of the most excellent hotels in America.
It cost $3,250,000 or £812,500 in construction, and can
accommodate 1200 guests. The bedrooms are large,
well furnished and comfortable, and the drawing and
dining rooms are really magnificent. In addition to
the ordinary dining arrangements, it contains a separate
restaurant, which is one of the best I ever saw. Looking
to all this and to the luxurious excellence of the table
and attendance, the extreme civility of all engaged in
the management, and the many minor conveniences
afforded to visitors, the charges were very moderate.
There is one special point in which American hotels are
far in advance of those in Europe, namely, that of
attendance. The dining rooms usually contain a
number of separate tables, at each of which six persons
are accommodated, two waiters attending to each table.
The kitchen arrangements are such as to accord with
this, and the result is, that there is not that delay in
service, which is so trying and unpleasant in European
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 41
and especially in English hotels, in which the attendance
is generally scanty and unsatisfactory. I was much
amused, however, at one matter of common practice in
the American hotels. On the night of my arrival, I
placed my shoes outside my bed-room door, expecting
to find them clean next day. On opening the door in
the morning they were still there and still soiled. I
summoned the chambermaid, who told me that the
matter was no concern of hers, but that she would send
the porter of the flat to see me about it. He came and
informed me that it was not the practice to clean shoes
in the manner I had supposed, and cautioned me about
leaving mine outside my door again, as they might
“vamoose,” which I understood as a corrupted Spanish
word for “disappear.” I asked what I should do, and
he advised me to apply to the hail porter. I descended
with my soiled shoes on and appealed to the hall porter,
who, pointing to a recess under the great staircase, told
me to go in there and he would “send a gentleman who
would clean my shoes.” I went in and heard the
porter call out to some one, “Here, Bill, here’s a man
wants a shine.” The “gentleman * soon made his
appearance. The recess referred to was fitted with
a high bench on which I perched myself. On a lower
one were fixed upright iron standards in pairs, on
which foot-supports were placed, upon which the “man
as wants a shine” places his feet and gets it. I got
42 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
mine—cost, ten cents. I found similar establishments,
both in and out of the hotels, all over the American
towns, and during my walks frequently took advantage
of them to get a rest and a “shine.”
The markets are well supplied with every kind of
meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, and the mode in which
the latter is packed makes it very attractive.
Strawberries, cherries, plums and peaches were
delicious and abundant, and although there were also
plenty of oranges, bananas and other tropical and
semi-tropical fruits, the demand for these was not great,
in view of the abundant supply of the former.
I cannot say much for the surroundings of San
Francisco, which are certainly not attractive. Golden
Gate Park, fronting the ocean, which formerly consisted
of shifting sand dunes, now reclaimed, is well laid out;
but the effects of a recent north westerly gale upon the
vegetation seemed to indicate that much difficulty will
be found in maintaining its beauty and freshness. I
observed that many New Zealand shrubs, cordylines,
&c., were used in the plantations, and these appeared to
have withstood the effects of the gale better than the
pines and other introduced forms. I visited the large
hotel in front of the seal rocks, and it was interesting
to observe the gambols and listen to the deep roaring of
the numbers of these animals which congregate upon
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 43
them. They are strictly protected, heavy penalties
being imposed for molesting or injuring them.
I need scarcely say that the commercial importance of
San Francisco is very great, and that much impulse has
been given to its progress, within the last ten years, by
the construction of the several lines of railway of which
it is the western terminus. The coinage at the mint
had amounted, in 1884-5, to upwards of $72,000,000.
The export of treasure has fluctuated a good deal; in
1884-5 it reached $17,540,000, with quicksilver of the
value of $488,000. The exports by sea for the same
period, including treasure, reached $37,170,800, and
the imports, $37,170,100. Besides treasure and quick-
silver, the chief foreign exports are wheat, timber, hides
and canned fish, and the imports consist of a great
variety of raw and manufactured articles. No record is
kept of the value of goods exported or imported by rail,
but there is no doubt that it exceeds those which are sea
borne. The vessels entered inwards for 1884-5 were, L
sailing vessels, 619 of 604,200 tons, and 228 steamers;
but I have no record of those cleared.
Many large ocean steamers are engaged in passenger
and goods traffic between San Francisco and British
Columbia, Mexico, Central and South Western America,
the Sandwich Islands, Japan, China and Australia,
whilst others of smaller size maintain communication
with Sacramento, Marysville, San Jose, Santa Clara,
44 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
Los Angeles and other places. It is interesting to note.
that whilst the population of Yerba Buena was only
200 in January, 1847, at the end of that year it
numbered upwards of 2000, whilst that of the new city
of San Francisco was, in 1850, 34,000; in 1860, 57,000;
in 1870, 149,000; in 1880, 234,000 and in 1885,
275,000, of whom the Chinese numbered upwards of
30,000. I have no returns later than 1885, but it is
certain that everything has largely increased during the
interval. I may add here the following interesting
notice with respect to the fruit trade of California:— .
The British Consul at San Francisco, in the course of
a report on the agriculture of California, refers to the
enormous fruit trade of that state. It produces every
kind of fruit that grows in a semi-tropical and temperate
climate. Among the former are the orange, lemon, citron
shaddock, and other citrus fruits, the olive, pomegranate,
fig, banana, apricot, nectarine, walnuts, almonds and
grapes, producing wine and raisins; belonging to the
temperate zone are apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches,
currants, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries and
strawberries. The green fruit trade of the state has
increased enormously. In 1887, the trade in green fruit
with the eastern states, amounted to about 35,000,000lb.
weight. The output of the various canneries in 1886
amounted to about 30,000,000lb., including 659,950
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 45
cases of fruit, 208,500 of vegetables, and 22,500 of jellies
and jams.
The estimate for 1887 is 792,500 cases of fruit, with
an average of about 45lb. of fruit to the case. Of these,
220,000 cases were peaches, 175,500 apricots, 150,000
pears, 60,000 cherries, 40,000 plums, 35,000 grapes,
25,000 blackberries, and 15,000 each strawberries and
gooseberries. The export of dried and evaporated fruits
and vegetables in also enormous. Thus the export of
grapes treated in this way in 1887 was 16,000,000lb.;
apricots, 15,000,000lb.; honey, 1,340,000lb.; French
prunes, 1,750,000lb. ; walnuts, 1,500,000lb.; peaches,
(evaporated) 1,250,000lb. ; almonds, 500,000lb.; plums,
500,000lb.; and smaller quantities of many other fruits.
The growing of grapes for raisins has proved a most
profitable crop, with a ready market for all that can be
made. Californians believe that their raisin crop will
eventually drive the foreign produce from the markets
of the United States, and, from the statistics of the trade,
the Consul is inclined to believe that they will. The
wine production in 1887 was 13,000,000 gallons.
150,000 acres of the state are planted with vines, and
not less than 90 per cent. of these are foreign varieties.
That the improvement in the quality of the wine pro-
duced is very marked there can be no doubt, and the
former Californian wine, with its disagreeable, harsh,
fozy taste, is fast becoming a thing of the past. This is
46 |FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
due to the importation of the best varieties of foreign
vines, and a more careful system of cultivation, manu-
facture and preservation of the wine.
The number of sheep in the state is from four to
four and a-half millions; the wool clip in 1854 was
175,000lb., and in 1876 it had reached 56,550,970lb.
After this it fell off, and in 1887 was 31,564,231 lb., but
with a great improvement in the quality.
CHAPTER III.
THE ROUTES TO SALT LAKE CITY-WALLEY OF THE SACRAMIENTo—THE
SIERRA NEWADA—THE GREAT DESERT-ORIGINAL DISCOVERIES IN
CALIFORNIA—SIR FRANCIS DRAKE AND THE INDIAN KING—WHENCE
THE NAME OF THE GREAT BAY-THE SAN JoAQUIM—WALKER's PAss.
I LEFT San Francisco on the 11th June by the Central
Pacific Railway direct for Salt Lake City, intending to
proceed from thence by the Denver and Rio Grande
line to Denver, and by the Burlington route to Chicago.
There are several principal railway routes by which the
latter city may be reached from San Francisco, namely,
1, By the Central Pacific to its junction with the
Oregon and California, thence by that line to its
junction with the Northern Pacific and by that line to
Mineapolis, and on by the Burlington route; 2, By the
same route to Umatilla junction on the Columbia River,
and thence by the Oregon Railway and Navigation
Company’s line to its junction with the Union Pacific
line, and by that line to Cheyenne, and thence by the
Burlington route; 3, By the Central Pacific direct to
Salt Lake City and thence by the Denver and Rio
Grande to Denver, and on by the Burlington route;
4, By the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific and
Atlantic and Pacific to Albuquerquo, and from thonoe
48 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN.
by the Topeka, Atchison and Santa Fe direct to
Denver, or to La Junta and on to Atchison on the
Missouri, and from thence, or Denver, as the case may
be, by the Burlington route; and 5, By the Central
Pacific and Northern Pacific to Los Angles, Bettson
and Rincon, and from thence to Albuquerque and on as
before, either to Denver or by La Junta to Atchison or
Ransas City, and from either of these by the Burlington
route to Chicago.
On each of these routes there are many points of
interest, and Salt Lake City may be reached either by
the third, which is the direct route, or by either of the
first two, by making for Pocatello in Idaho, and from
thence by McCammon and Ogden to Salt Lake, but
except for those who wish to visit Oregon and Idaho,
there is no reason for adopting so roundabout a course.
The direct route leads through Sacramento, and from
that city across the Sierra Nevada, descending that
range to Reno, and from thence amongst the detached
ridges, plateaux, valleys and sandy plains which occupy
the western and northern edges of the Great Basin, to
Ogden and Salt Lake City. The railway from Sacra-
mento to the summit of the Sierra follows the general
line of the Rio de los Americanos and crosses it near
Donner Lake, some few miles to the southward of the
pass over which Fremont made his adventurous
journey in 1844.
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 49
We left San Francisco at half past three in the
afternoon, crossing by ferry steamer to Oatlands, then
taking the railway to the ferry over the Sacramento at
Behicia, and on without further change to Ogden and
Salt Lake City. I had no opportunity of seeing
Sacramento, and but little is at any time seen of the
Sierra Nevada, whilst crossing it by the ordinary
eastern train, which is always done at night. Owing
to our train having been delayed during this part of the
journey, by causes which I was unable to discover, we
did not get through the snow sheds on the Sierra
during the night, and had, therefore, to traverse many
miles of them by daylight on the morning of the 12th,
a process even more wretched than an equal length of
ordinary tunnel, not only because of the tantalizing
effect of the little glimpses, which we occasionally ob-
tained through openings in the slabbed sides of the sheds,
of the great mountain chain, and of many beautiful
plants and flowers growing on the sides of the line,
but also because of the unpleasant effect produced by
the bright sunlight as it passed through those openings
in rapidly broken flashes. The car in which I travelled
was called the “Contento,” and afforded me my first
experience of a sleeping car. It would have been
comfortable enough but for the great heat, aggravated
by the unpleasant fumes from several large kerosene
lamps, which were kept burning during a great part of
D
50 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
the night. Passengers by this line usually breakfast at
Reno at the eastern foot of the Sierra, but, owing to the
delay above referred to, we were compelled to stop at
Truckee, about 1100 feet below the summit, (which is
about 7000 feet above sea level), a place most graphi-
cally described by Miss Bird in her account of her life
in the Rocky Mountains. Immediately after crossing
the summit we came in sight of Donner Lake — a
beautiful sheet of water filling a depression in the
mountains and probably the site of an extinct glacier, L
which was the scene of a sad and terrible drama in the
early years of Californian settlement, of which a short
account is given in Miss Bird’s book. The mountains
rise on each side of the pass to the height of from 9000
to 11,000 feet above sea level, and during winter are
completely covered with snow, of which, however, at
the time of my journey they were comparatively free.
. The eastern slopes were formerly densely timbered with
magnificent pines, but for many miles on each side
of Truckee the whole of the larger timber had been
cut, without, however, altogether destroying the
picturesqueness of the scenery, the smaller timber giving
some relief to the barrenness of the mountains.
The Sierra Nevada is the main condenser of the
moisture which the southerly winds bring from the
regions of maximum evaporation in the Pacific. This
burden of moisture is almost entirely unloaded on the
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 51
western side of the Sierra, but little being left for deposit
on the elevated plain country to the eastward. Observa-
tions on these points, (taken along the line of the
Central Pacific Railway) have shown that on the
western slopes this precipitation increases with the
altitude, and obtains its maximum at about 5000 feet
elevation, preserving it to the highest point to which
systematic observations have extended, namely, the
summit of the pass over which the line has been
constructed.
Starting from Sacramento the increase of rainfall, in
ascending, is as follows:—At Auburn, 1300 feet above
sea level, it is 50 per cent. greater than at Rocklin, 270
feet high, whilst at Colfax, 2450 feet above sea level,
the fall is 33 per cent. more than at Auburn, and nearly
equal to that at the summit, the lowest rates being 75
per cent. and the highest 83. At Truckee on the
eastern slope, at 5000 feet elevation, the average fall is
54 per cent. of that at the summit, whilst at Reno, some
miles to the eastward of Truckee, and 4500 feet above
sea level, the fall is never so much as 10 per cent.
of that at the summit. The lowest fall on record
was that in the winter of 1870-71, in which there
were at the summit 37.77 inches, at Colfax 81.07
inches, at Truckee 16.16 inches, and at Reno 3.82.
The general physical aspect of the Sierra is
that of immense peaks and ridges of granite,
52 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
the summits denuded, bald and bare, when free of snow,
the less exposed flanks of the higher regions supporting
a scanty vegetation, chiefly consisting of stunted trees,
always struggling with and almost overwhelmed by the
climatical conditions by which they are environed.
Here and there, mingled or alternating with the granite,
or perhaps overlying it, are picturesque masses of
basaltic rocks. Scarcely any organic life, except the
struggling vegetation, is visible in these higher alti-
tudes. Descending to a lower level on the western
side, perhaps two thousand feet below, the landscape
opens out into amphitheatres, in which lakes and
meadows, once lakes themselves, afford a variety of
scenery less grand but softer to the eye. Cattle and
sheep are driven here from the plains below, for the
sake of the pasturage which these meadows afford for
three or four months in the year. These flocks and
herds return to the plains when the first premonitory
storms visit the mountains. This second level is tim-
bered with groves of fir and tamarisk. Descending
still lower, a sugar pine belt is found, and below that
again the ridges are closely covered on the tops and
flanks by magnificent forests, of which by far the
greater part are coniferous trees, with here and there an
oak. The flanks of these ridges are deeply eroded by
the small streams, which, at short intervals of distance
on either side, pursue nearly parallel or converging
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 53
paths, uniting in the main streams which lie perhaps
2000 feet below. The main streams pursue nearly
parallel paths, and uniting in the lower foot-hills they
form the rivers which have distinctive names on the
maps. These streams fall over rocky channels with
precipitous descent, at one season boiling torrents, at
another gentle rivulets. -
The geological character above described in the
higher regions is changed in the mining districts, which
cover perhaps the lower third of the flanks of the
mountains. Here the gold bearing slates lie with
upturned edges, and the granite gradually disappears.
EIere and there calcareous deposits occur, but generally
to a very small extent. Except the miners there are
few or no inhabitants, and little or no cultivation.
The upper regions contain many lakes, which lie
nestled in greater or less profusion all along the range,
with areas from a few acres to some hundreds, in
amphitheatres surrounded by peaks and ridges a thou-
sand feet or more above them, and generally with
narrow outlets. The lakes are said to be undergoing a
process of diminution, both in depth and in area.
They are the resting places of the granite detritus,
eroded from the mountains above by the small streams
which supply them, and this action, in time, supple-
mented by the aid of frost, must, it is believed, bring
54 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
them to the condition of the meadows, which in some
Cases surround them.
From this description of the physical character of
the Sierra, its picturesque appearance may be imagined
by any one at all acquainted with the aspect of a great
mountain range, whilst the climatal conditions on its
eastern side, fully account for the generally barren and
desert character of the region which lies between it and
the Rocky and Wahsatch mountains. These latter
ranges together serve to precipitate the moisture carried
by the higher air currents from the Oceanic areas of
evaporation on the eastern side of the Continent, as
well as from the great lakes to the eastward of the
Mississipi, and from the moist region in the northern
parts of the British possessions.
The desert region above referred to—usually known
as the “Great Basin "-is one of the most remarkable
deserts of North America. Its lower grounds have a
general elevation of about 4,800 feet above sea level.
In shape it is nearly square, each side measuring about
525 miles. Its northern side lies at the foot of the
mountain ridge, which extends from the Bear River on
the east to the line of the Sierra Nevada on the west,
and on the northern side of which nearly all the chief
affluents of the Columbia River take their rise.
Its eastern boundary is the foot of the Rocky and
Wahsatch Mountains, and extends from the great bend
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 55
of the Bear River in the north to the San Bernardino
range in the south, and its western boundary is the
eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, from Buffalo Valley
in the north, to the extremity of the Sierra, which lies
about 150 miles below the lakes in which the San
Joaquim River has its source. The Central Pacific
Railway, after reaching Humboldt Lake, follows the
general line of the river of the same name (which runs
nearly parallel with the northern boundary of the desert),
until it enters the country which forms the northern
boundary of the Great Salt Lake. There is a branch
narrow gauge line from Reno to Carson City, which
runs for nearly 140 miles along the eastern foot of the
Sierra, and there are two other narrow gauge branches
further to the eastward, one from Battle Mountain to
Cloverdale, and the other from Palisade to Eureka,
each running in the valley of a tributary of the
Humboldt. Within the area of the desert there are a
large number of detached ranges, some of them attaining
a height of from 4000 to 5500 feet above the general
level of the basin, and all having a trend from north to
south. Many of them have been found to contain
valuable mineral deposits, including silver; and small
towns have been erected in the vicinity of such places,
each of which is supported by the mining inhabitants
of the neighbourhood. T am not aware whether culti-
vation to any extent is carried on by these people, but
56 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
the description given of the interior of the great basin,
by Fremont and other explorers, leads me to suppose
that, except in the immediate vicinity of water courses
as they emerge from the mountain ridges, there is but
little country available for that purpose.
The history of the development of California, Utah
and Colorado is very interesting, but more especially
that part of it which includes the last forty-five years,
of which I propose to give an account further on.
The first explorations of California were conducted by
the Spaniards, and were commenced whilst Ferdinand
Cortez was viceroy of Mexico. In 1523 the Emperor
Charles W., by a letter from Walladolid—where he was
then holding his Court, directed Cortez to search for a
passage which would lead to the East Indies from the
western coasts of New Spain. Cortez, in reply, expressed
a strong hope of being able to comply with this instruc-
tion, and made many attempts to discover such a
passage. Amongst others he equipped two vessels in
1534, one of which he placed under the command
of Hernando Grixalva, and the other under Diego
Bercerra de Mendoza, with orders to fully explore the
shores of the Gulf of California, and to ascertain what
had become of a vessel which had previously been
despatched on the same quest, and had not since been
heard of. The first night after the departure of their
ships from Tehuantepec they became separated, and never
FROM NEW ZEAT AND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 57
met again. Grixalva, having discovered an uninhabited
island, to which he gave the name of St. Thomas,
returned to New Spain. Bercerra, who was a haughty
and passionate man, and treated his crew with great
severity, was assassinated at the instigation of the pilot,
who then took command and directed his course
towards the north. Having reached the peninsula, he
gave the name of Santa Crux to the place where he
cast anchor, and which has since been identified as the
Bay of Paz, on the western shore of the Gulf. He
and twenty of his men having been murdered by the
Indians, all further, attempts to carry out the expedition
were abandoned, and the ship returned to Tehuantepec.
In 1535, Cortez in person visited both shores of the Gulf,
which was then named the Sea of Cortez, a name after-
wards successively changed to the “Red Sea,” and the
“Vermillion Sea,” both names being suggested in con-
sequence of the color imparted to its upper waters, by
the matter brought into it by Colorado River, and the
latter being that which was ultimately adopted and
which it now bears. No important results having
followed this expedition, Francisco of Ulloa was
despatched, some two years afterwards, to the mouth of
the Colorado River, with instructions to penetrate over-
land into New or Upper California. He failed in
carrying out this design, which, however, was after-
58 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
wards successfully accomplished by a Portuguese pilot,
named Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.
In June 1542, Cabrillo, under orders from the then
viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza, sailed
from Naturdad, in Mexico, to explore the north coast.
He discovered a cape, which he named Cape Mendoza,
in honor of the viceroy, and made a reconnaissance as far
north as 44 deg., but owing to fatigue and illness he
was obliged to return to Mexico.
In 1599 Gaspar de Zuniga, Count of Monterey and
viceroy of Mexico, acting under instructions from Philip
II., sent out another expedition, with instructions to
found settlements on the Pacific coast of California.
General Wiscania, to whom the command of the land
forces was confided, left Acapulco in 1602, and discovered
the ports of San Diego and Monterey, the latter having
been named in honor of the then viceroy. This ex-
pedition reached the 42nd degree of north latitude, and
on its return the results reported excited the ambition
and cupidity of many private individuals, for the
interior of California was said to be rich in gold and
silver mines, whilst it was also said that pearls of great
beauty and value had been found in the seas along the
coast. The result was that several private expeditions
were despatched between 1615 and 1618, but none of
them led to any important results, and no attempt at
actual settlement was made until 1677, when orders were
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 59
issued by the Court of Madrid for the conquest and
settlement of the whole country. An enterprise was
fitted out for this purpose, at a very great cost, the
command of which was conferred on Admiral Don
Isidoro Otondo Antillon, who was accompanied by
several fathers of the Society of Jesus. This expedition
sailed from Chacala in 1683, and several settlements
were founded along the coast line, those at San Diego
and Monterey being the principal ones. The difficulty,
however, of supplying the expenses, which were very
large,_of these settlements, soon led to their practical
abandonment, but the Jesuits, unwilling to relinquish
the prospect of converting the Indians, determined to
continue the spiritual work they had begun. It was
not, however, until the year 1697 that they were able
to give much practical effect to this desire, and even
then the difficulties they had to encounter were
very great. In the previous year Father Salva Tierra,
a prominent master of the order, desiring to consecrate
himself to the mission of California, endeavoured to
obtain the necessary authority to do so, but his request
was repeatedly refused by the provincials to whom he
proffered it, and, moreover, it was strongly opposed by
the Audiençia of Guadalaxara and by the viceroy of
Mexico. The treasury, which had been exhausted by
Otondo's unfortunate affair, was in no condition to bear
further drains upon it, and even the Court of Mexico,
60 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
though strongly impressed with the importance of the
proposed work, objected to the mission, notwithstanding
that Father Salva Tierra's request was backed by many
influential members of the council of the Indies.
But he was not discouraged, and continued to urge
his suit to the Father-general of his order, who at
length yielded to his requests. The Audiençia of
Guadalaxara had, in the meantime, changed its opinion
on the subject, and he received great assistance from
their solicitor Don José de Miranda Willazar, who
became his fast friend, and seconded his views with all
the influence of his position. At his recommendation
the Audiençia presented a petition to the viceroy in
July 1696, strongly recommending the matter to his
favorable consideration, and the necessary permission
having been at length granted, the Father went to
Mexico, early in 1697, in order to make the necessary
collections and arrangements for the enterprise. There
he met with Father Ugarte, a man of great power and
influence and of indomitable zeal and perseverance, who
undertook to be his agent at Mexico, in order to remove
any difficulties which might from time to time arise.
Some time after, he received promises of considerable
sums of money, and eventually was able to raise fifteen
thousand crowns to defray the expenses of the expedition,
whilst the treasurer of Acapulco offered him the use of
a galliot to convey himself and his suite to Monterey,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 61
and made him a present of a small barque. But, as he
received in addition to all this an annual income, in
order to assure the success of the mission, he pursuaded
the congregation of “Our Lady of Sorrows of Mexico”
to invest eight thousand Crowns for that purpose, after-
wards made up to ten thousand, it having been found
that each missionary required at least fifty crowns a
year for his subsistence.
Having thus obtained all he required to start and
found his mission, he left Mexico on the 10th October
1697, committing to Father Ugarte the care of collect-
ing alms and taxes, and remitting them to him via
Acapulco. After three days navigation the expedition
entered Conception Bay, and disembarked at San
Dionysius, which afforded the best anchorage. Fifty
catholic Indians had accompanied the expedition, in
order to help the father in effecting his installation;
and the zealous missionary, after having provided for
the first wants of the new establishment, began to study
the language of the Indians, in order that he might the
better devote himself to their religious and moral well-
being. It was not, however, without much trouble and
suffering, owing chiefly to the jealousy of the Indian
priests, who saw their own influence being destroyed by
the proceedings of the mission, that Father Salva
Tierra’s efforts were crowned with success, though, at
length, he was enabled to continue his operations for
many years.
62 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
But the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spanish
Territory in 1776 led, amongst other things, to their
missions in California being broken up, and to the
establishment of bodies of Dominican and Franciscan
friars as their successors. The first of these new
missions in Upper California was established at San
Diego, by Father Junipero Serva of the order of St.
Francis, and an old chronicle attributes to this friar the
discovery and naming of the Bay of San Francisco,
destined to become so celebrated in after years. The
account given of the discovery is as follows:—Desiring
to return to Monterey, Fra Junipero followed the coast
range which separates the valley of the San Joaquim from
the sea, but travelled along its inland slopes. In doing
this he passed Monterey without perceiving it, and
arrived at the Bay of San Francisco, to which he at
once gave the name of the founder of his order.
His reason for adopting this name was that, shortly
before leaving San Diego, he received instructions from
the Inspector General concerning the names of the
Saints to be given, as patrons, of the new mission
which he was about to found. The name of
St. Francis was not in the list. “What,” said Father
Junipero, surprised at this omission, “is there to be
no mission dedicated to our dear founder, St. Francis P”
To which the Inspector replied, “If St. Francis wishes
for a mission, let him find a good port for you, and
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 63
then you can call it after him.” The first harbour
discovered after this conversation was the magnificent
bay of San Francisco, and the ecclesiastics, on seeing it,
at once exclaimed, in a transport of joy, “Behold the
port the Inspector desired, and towards which St.
Francis has led us: blessed be his name !”
It was long believed that Sir Francis Drake had
visited the harbour of San Francisco in 1579, although
more careful investigations have led to doubts on this
point. He described the inhabitants, with whom he
had intercourse, as living in huts, but as being destitute
of any clothing except a breech-clout, similar (according
to his account), to that which is now worn by the
Mojave Indians of Colorado, and he represents them
as having presented him with feathers, head-dresses
and tobacco. He states that his arrival soon became
known throughout the neighbourhood, and that some
of the natives announced to him that the King of a
great nation desired to see him, provided he were
assured of protection. Drake says that he made them
understand that the King would be welcome, and that
Soon afterwards he and his buccaneers saw a
numerous band approaching, at the head of which
walked a man of noble appearance bearing a stick
by the way of a sceptre, from which hung two crowns
made of feathers, and three great gold chains, and
that the King came immediately afterwards, sur-
64 EROM NEW ZEATLAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
rounded by a crowd of men of noble stature, clothed
in the skins of animals whilst a multitude of
savages terminated the cortege. He represents them as
having been painted with divers colors, and laden with
all sorts of presents. The sceptre bearer made a long
speech, followed by dances and ludicrous songs. Then
the King advanced towards Drake, and placing on his
head one of the two crowns carried by the sceptre
bearer, made over his kingdom to him, which Drake
readily accepted in the name of his Sovereign. Such is
the story told by Drake, but it is probable that it was
in a great measure invented in order to secure, if
necessary, the subsequent annexation of the country to
the Crown of England. Be this as it may, it is clear
that he and a party of his men advanced some distance
into the country, where they saw rabbits running about
in thousands. On his return he affirmed that it must
contain abundance of gold, of which he said quantities
were found in several spots. Later on, Cavendish and
Rogers visited California, but their account of the
inhabitants is more in accordance with the condition of
the tribes at the time of the gold discoveries described
in the last chapter, than those given by Drake.
Indian tradition says that the bay of San Francisco
was once a lake of fresh water, and was subsequently
joined to the sea by an earthquake, but I am not aware
whether this tradition has received any confirmation
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 65
from the geological examination of the coast line. I
should very much doubt it, looking to the fact that the
supposed lake must, in that case, have occupied the
whole valley of San Joaquim, and a large part of that
of Sacramento, and that its only possible outlet must
have led into the Colorado River, of which, however,
no traces are described by any of the explorers of the
country between the Colorado and the Tulare Lakes.
I have not been able to discover that the Spaniards ever
extended their settlements further north than Yerba
Buena, which, it will be remembered, occupied part of
the site of the present city of San Francisco, or into
the valleys of the Sacramento or San Joaquim, although
they were fully aware of their extent and value; and,
indeed, we shall find that, even so late as 1844, there
were no European inhabitants in either valley, except
at Captain Sutter's settlement at New Helvetia.
CHAPTER IV.
THE GREAT BASIN–SHOSHONE INDIANS-THE BEAR RIVER—SINGULAR
Volcanic PHENOMENA-THE GREAT SALT LAKE-FREMONT's
Voyage—KIT CARSON's BoAT—STRANGE Food—TLAMATH LAKE-
PYRAMID LAKE-INDIAN ENCAMPMENTS—THE DESERT-ATTACK ON
INDIANs—SEVIER LAKE.
THE peculiar physical features of the northern and
eastern edges of the “Great Basin,” and the existence
of the Great Salt Lake, had become known to geo-
graphers through the reports of the trappers and Indian
traders who frequented the Rocky Mountains and the
range which forms its northern boundary, but, until the
results of the exploration undertaken and carried out
by Fremont in 1843-4 were published, there was
no reliable information as to its extent or character, the
accounts derived from the trappers being generally
vague and obscure, whilst occasionally they bordered on
the marvellous. The Great Salt Lake, especially, was
the subject of many remarkable stories. Amongst
others it was said to have no visible outlet, but that
somewhere on its surface there was a terrible whirlpool,
through which its waters found their way into
subterranean passages which led to the Western Ocean.
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN. 67
The mode of life of the Indians who inhabited it was
represented as being so different, too, from that of any
of the tribes on the eastern side of the Rocky Moun-
tains as to excite much curiosity, but as there were no
apparent inducements sufficient to counterbalance the
difficulty and danger of penetrating into this wild and
remarkable region, very little of an authentic character
was known about them until the result of Fremont’s
journey was reported to the United States Government.
In September, 1843, after having crossed the first
dividing ridge of the Rocky Mountains, to the west-
ward of the Green River, (one of the main branches of
the Colorado), he determined to visit the Great Salt
Lake. In order to reach it, he followed the course of
the Bear River, which is its main feeder. This river
has its sources on the eastern side of the range which
forms part of the boundary of the desert, and, after
passing through Bear Lake, curves round the northern
extremity of that range, from whence its course is
southerly until it falls into the Great Salt Lake. Its
valley is fertile and picturesque, and generally quite
level, the mountains on each side rising abruptly from
its edges. From the curve above referred to, the old
emigrant trail to Oregon passed for some distance down
the valley, and then turned over the range of moun-
tains on its western side, descending from thence to the
Snake River, one of the main branches of the Columbia.
68 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
The line of this “trail” is now occupied by the Union
Pacific Railway, a branch of which leads from Pocatello
by McCammon to Ogden. Only a year or two before
Fremont’s journey this route had been a very
dangerous one, owing to frequent incursions of the
Blackfeet Indians, who were and still are remarkable
for their treachery and bloodthirstiness. The moun-
tains to the westward were occupied by Shoshone
Indians, who subsisted on the produce of the chase, and
on the service and other berries, which were found
abundantly in the forest and scrub with which they
were clothed. Fremont found a large body of these
people encamped in the valley, and took the opportunity
of visiting them. When he and his party had
approached within something more than a mile of the
village, a single horseman suddenly emerged from it at
full speed, followed by another and another in rapid
succession; and then party after party poured into the
plain, until, when the foremost rider had come up to
Fremont, the whole intervening plain was occupied
by a mass of horsemen, which came charging down
with guns and naked swords, lances and bows and
arrows. Indians entirely naked, and warriors fully
dressed for war, with the long red streamers of their
war bonnets reaching nearly to the ground, were all
mingled together in the bravery of savage warfare.
They had been thrown into a sudden tumult by the
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 69
appearance of the United States flag, which was
regarded as an emblem of hostility, it being usually
borne by the Sioux and the neighbouring mountain
Indians when they made war upon the Shoshone, and
Fremont’s people had been mistaken for a body of
their enemies. A few words from the chief quieted the
excitement, and the whole band, increasing every
moment in number, escorted Fremont to their en-
campment, where the chief pointed out a place to
encamp in, near his own lodge, and made known the
purpose of the white men in coming to the village. In
a very short time Fremont purchased eight horses, for
which he gave in exchange blankets, red and blue cloth,
beads, knives and tobacco, and the usual other articles
of Indian traffic. He obtained from them also a con-
siderable quantity of berries of different kinds, among
which service berries were the most abundant, and
several kinds of roots and seeds, which he and his party
ate with pleasure, as any kind of vegetable food was
gratifying to them after having been so long confined
to a purely flesh diet. He there saw, for the first time,
the Kooyah, (vallerana edulis), the principal edible root
among the Indians who inhabited the upper waters of
the streams on the western side of the mountains. It
had a very strong and remarkably peculiar taste and
odour, which was comparable to no other vegetable
known to him, and which to some persons was extremely
70 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
offensive. It was characterized by Mr. Preuss as the
most horrid food he had ever put into his mouth ; and
when, in the evening, one of the chiefs sent his wife
with a portion which she had prepared as a delicacy to
regale Fremont and his party, the odour immediately
drove Preuss out of the lodge; and frequently after-
wards he used to beg, that when those who liked it had
taken what they desired, it might be sent away. Most
of the others, however, found the taste rather an
agreeable one, and were glad when it formed an
addition to their scanty meals. It is said to be full of
nutriment, but, in its unprepared state, to possess strong
poisonous qualities, of which it is deprived by being
baked in the ground for about two days.
After leaving this camp, Fremont and his party
travelled leisurely down the valley, in which they found
great numbers of mineral springs, many of them
proving, on analysis, to be of considerable value for
medicinal purposes, equal indeed in all respects to those
at Manitou, whilst others had a pungent, disagreeable,
and bitter taste, leaving a burning effect upon the
tongue and palate. In one part of the valley, whilst
strolling amongst the timber which occupied the bottom
towards the mountains, Fremont found the remains of a
very large number of geysers, which, when in full
activity, must have presented a display upon a grand
scale. Some of them were still active, and consisted of
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 71
columns of calcareous sinter from five to six feet in
height, from the summit of which water was still bub-
bling over. The whole valley, indeed, appeared to be
filled with remarkable evidences of volcanic action, two
of which seemed to have been specially interesting to
him. In one of them he found a great number of springs
issuing from the foot of a mountain spur composed of
compact rock of a dark blue color. The water had a
pungent metallic taste, but was perfectly clear and
bright. It flowed into a basin about fifty feet in
diameter, in which it stood at an elevation of several
feet above the surrounding ground, being retained in
the basin by a wall of calcareous tufa, some ten feet
high. The water when collected in the basin was of a
rich blue color. It appeared to find its way, by a
subterranean passage, into another similar basin some
distance below, from the surface of which small columns
were constantly projected into the air, apparently by
gas escaping violently from orifices in the floor of the
basin. From this second basin the water flowed, also
by a subterranean channel, into a creek which discharged
itself into the main river. *-
Further down the river he made his first acquaintance
with the Digger Indians, said by all travellers in the
country to the west of the Rocky Mountains to be the
most degraded type amongst the aborigines of North
America. His party came unexpectedly upon several
72 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN.
families of these people, who were encamped amongst the
rushes on the bank of a small stream, and were busy about
some weirs, rudely made of cane, for catching fish. They
had large heads with matted hair, were naked, and looked
poor and miserable, as if, in fact, their lives were spent
amongst the rushes in which they were found. On the 3rd
September he reached low grounds covered with rushes
and other water plants, over which the river spread in
all directions, converting the bottom into a fetid mire,
barring further advance on horseback. This morass
was alive with water fowl, amongst which were pelicans,
geese, ducks and plover in enormous numbers. His
party after making their way to dry ground on the left
bank of the river, saw what appeared to be a portion of
an old lake bed, stretching before them as far as the eye
could reach, in the form of a great marsh, level and
bare, and whitened by saline efflorescences. Skirting
this plain for nearly two days, on a trail leading along
the foot of the mountains which formed its eastern
boundary, they reached the fork (afterwards named
Weber's Fork") of a large and well timbered stream,
which flows into the Great Salt Lake. Here they en-
camped, and on the morning of the 6th, on ascending a
* So named after the late Mr. Carl Weber, of Hawkes Bay,
who was lost in October, 1886, in the Mangatainoko Bush,
Wellington Provincial District, New Zealand.
EROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 73
“Butte,” the name given to the peculiar isolated
mountains which are found all over the great desert,
they saw at their feet the object of their anxious search,
the waters of the great inland sea, stretched in solitary
grandeur far beyond the limit of their vision. In his
account of this, he thus describes the feelings he and his
party experienced on first gazing on the remarkable
Scene presented to their view:—
“It was one of the great points of the exploration, and
as we looked eagerly over the lake in the first emotions
of excited pleasure, I am doubtful if the followers of
Balboa felt more enthusiasm when, from the heights of
the Andes, they saw for the first time the great western
ocean. It was certainly a magnificent object, and a
noble terminus to this part of our expedition; and
to travellers so long shut up among mountain ranges, a
sudden view over the expanse of silent waters had in it
something sublime. Several large islands raised their
rocky heads out of the waves, but whether or not they
were timbered was left to our imagination, as the
distance was too great to determine if the dark lines
upon them were woodland or naked rock. During the
day the clouds had been gathering black over the
mountains to the westward, and while we were looking,
a storm burst down with sudden fury upon the lake,
and hid the islands from our view. So far as we could
See along the shores there was not a solitary tree, and
74 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
but little appearance of grass, and on Weber's Fork, a
few miles below our last encampment, the timber was
gathered into groves, and then disappeared entirely.
As this appeared to be the nearest point to the lake
where a suitable camp would be found, we directed our
course to one of the groves, where we found a handsome
encampment, with good grass and an abundance of rushes
(equisetum hyemale). At sunset the thermometer was
55deg., the evening clear and calm with some cumuli.”
The expedition was provided with an indiarubber
boat 18 feet long, and made somewhat in the form of
the bark canoes of the North American lakes. The
sides were formed of two air tight cylinders eighteen
inches in diameter, connected with others at the bow
and stern, and, to lessen the danger from accidents, the
interior was divided into four compartments. It was
sufficiently large to accommodate five or six persons
and a considerable quantity of luggage. Unfortunately
the sheets of indiarubber of which the boat was com-
posed, instead of being sewed, were pasted together in
a somewhat insecure manner, owing apparantly to the
short time given to the maker for preparing it, but this
only added to the excitement which Fremont and his
people felt at the prospect of a voyage on the lake, an
undertaking which had never before been accomplished.
The morning of the 8th was occupied in preparing for
a voyage to one of the islands which had attracted
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 75
their particular attention, and especially in making such
additions to the boat as would lessen the danger in
case they should meet with rough weather. The 9th
was clear and calm, the thermometer at sunrise stand-
ing at 49 deg. As was usual with the trappers on the
eve of any enterprise, Fremont’s people had made
dreams, and theirs happened to be such, as with
superstitious minds, always preceded evil, and con-
sequently they looked very gloomy, but nevertheless
hurried through their breakfast, in order to make an
early start, and have the whole day before them for the
adventure. The channel of the river became by
degrees so shallow, that navigation was at an end, it
being merely a sheet of mud with a few inches of
water, and sometimes none at all, forming the low-
water shore of the lake. This place was absolutely
covered with flocks of screaming plover. The men took
off their clothes, and getting overboard, commenced
dragging the boat, leaving behind them a very curious
trail, whilst the stench from the disturbed mud into
which they sank above the knee at every step was most
disagreeable. After proceeding in this way about a
mile, they came to a small black ridge on the bottom,
beyond which the water became suddenly salt,
beginning gradually to deepen, and the bottom was
Sandy and firm. It was a remarkable division, separat-
ing the fresh waters of the river from the briny water
76 FROM NEW ZEAT AND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
of the lake, which was entirely saturated with common
salt. Pushing their little vessel across the narrow
boundary, they sprang on board, and at length were
afloat on the waters of the unknown sea.
They did not steer for the mountainous islands, but
directed their course towards a lower one, which it had
been decided should first be visited, the summit of
which was like the crater at the upper end of Bear
River valley. So long as the bottom could be touched
with the paddles they were very gay; but gradually,
as the water deepened, they became more still in their
frail vessel of gum cloth distended with air, and with
pasted seams. Although the day was very calm there
was a considerable swell on the lake, and there were
white patches of foam on the surface, which were slowly
moving to the southward, indicating a set of a current
in that direction, and recalling the recollection of the
whirlpool stories. The water continued to deepen, the
lake becoming almost transparently clear, of an
extremely beautiful bright green color; and the spray
which was thrown into the boat and over the clothes,
was directly converted into a crust of common salt,
which covered hands and arms. “Captain,” said
Carson, who for some time had been looking suspi-
ciously at some whitening appearances outside the
nearest islands, “What are those yonder P Won’t
you just take a look with the glass?” Paddling
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 77
ceased for a moment, and Fremont found them to be
the caps of the waves, that were beginning to break
under the force of a strong breeze coming up the lake.
The form of the boat seemed to be an admirable one,
and it rode on the waves like a water bird, but at the
same time it was extremely slow in its progress.
When they were a little more than half way across the
reach, two of the divisions between the cylinders gave
way, and it required the constant use of the bellows to
keep in a sufficient quantity of air. For a long time
they scarcely seemed to approach the island, but they
gradually worked across the rougher sea of the open
channel into the smoother water under the lee of the
island and began to discover, that what was taken for
a long row of pelicans, ranged on the beach, were only
low cliffs whitened with salt by the spray of the waves.
About noon they reached the shore, which was a hand-
some broad beach, behind which the hills, into which
the island was gathered, rose somewhat abruptly, a
point of rock at one end sheltering a bay. Here
they landed, and as there was an abundance of drift
wood along the shore, it offered a pleasant encampment.
The fragile boat was not allowed to touch the rocks,
but after discharging the baggage, it was lifted gently
out of the water, and carried to the upper part of the
beach, which was composed of very small fragments of
rocks.
78 FROM NEW ZEAT AND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
Among the successive banks of the beach formed by
the action of the waves, their attention was particularly
attracted by one, nineteen or twenty feet in breadth, of
a dark brown color. On examination this was found to
be composed, to the depth of ten or twelve inches,
entirely of the larvae of insects, about the size of a
grain of oats, which had been washed up by the waters
of the lake. Alluding to this afterwards, in conversation
with Mr. Joseph Walker, an old hunter, Fremont was
informed by him, that, wandering with a party of men
in a mountain country east of the great Californian
range, he surprised a number of Indian families
encamped near a small salt lake, who abandoned their
lodges at his approach, leaving everything behind them.
As Walker and his men were in a starving condition,
they were delighted to find, in the abandoned lodges, a
number of skin bags containing a quantity of what
appeared to be fish, dried and pounded. On this they
made a hearty supper, and were gathering round an
abundant breakfast of the same material the next
morning, when Mr. Walker discovered that the whole
mass was composed of these worm larvae. The stomachs
even of these stout trappers were not proof against their
prejudices, and the repulsive food was suddenly rejected.
Mr. Walker had further opportunities of seeing these
worms used as an article of food, and Fremont was
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 79
inclined to think they were the same as those which he
had found on the island beach.
The cliffs and masses of rock along the shore were
whitened by an incrustation of salt, wherever the waves
dashed up against them; and the evaporating water,
which had been left in holes and hollows on the surface
of the rocks, was covered with a crust of salt about one-
eighth of an inch in thickness. It appeared strange
that, in the midst of that grand reservoir, one of their
greatest wants had been salt. Exposed to be more
perfectly dried in the sun, it became very white and
fine, having the usual flavour of very excellent common
salt, without any foreign taste; * but only a little was
collected for present use, as there was in it a number of
small black insects.
Carrying with them the barometer and other instru-
ments, they ascended to the highest point of the island
—a bare rocky peak 800 feet above the lake. Standing
on the summit, they enjoyed an extended view of the
lake, enclosed in a basin of rugged mountains, which in
many places rose directly from the water's edge with
bold and precipitous bluffs. Following with the glasses
the irregular shores, they searched for some indications
* Salt is now largely manufactured, by evaporation, at Great
Salt Lake, and is sent from thence to all parts of the United
States.
80 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
of a communication with other bodies of water, or the
entrance of other rivers; but the distance was so great
that nothing could be made out with certainty. To the
southward, several peninsular mountains, 3000 or 4000
feet high, entered the lake, appearing, so far as the
distance and their position enabled them to determine,
to be connected by flats and low ridges with the
mountains in the rear. Those were probably the islands
usually indicated on maps of that region as entirely
detached from the shore. As the season of their opera-
tions was when the waters were at their lowest stage,
Fremont thought it probable that, at the season of high
waters in the spring, the marshes and low grounds were
overflowed, and the surface of the lake considerably
greater. In several places the view was of unlimited
extent, here and there a rocky islet appearing above the
water at a great distance, beyond which everything was
vague and undefined. Looking over the vast expanse
of water spread out beneath them, and straining the
eyes along the silent shores over which hung so much
doubt and uncertainty, and which were so full of interest,
he could hardly repress the almost irresistible desire to
continue the exploration; but the increasing snow on
the mountains was a plain indication of the advancing
season, and their frail linen boat appeared so insecure
that he was unwilling to risk the lives of his people.
He, therefore, unwillingly resolved to terminate the
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 81
survey there, and remain satisfied with what they had
been able to add to the unknown geography of this
singular region. They also felt pleasure in remembering
that they were the first, who, in the limited annals of
the country, had visited the islands, and had broken,
with the cheerful sound of human voices, the long
solitude of the place.
The boat in which this voyage was made is pre-
served in the museum at Salt Lake City, where
it is called “Kit Carson’s Boat,” and an inspection
of it affords unquestionable evidence of the indomitable
pluck shown by Fremont and his companions in their
long and adventurous expedition. He made no attempt
then to penetrate any further into the Great Basin, but,
returning on his tracks to the Bear River valley, he
crossed the range on its western side to the Columbia
trail, which he followed to Fort Vancouver. Whilst
there he determined to visit the Sacramento and San
Joaquim valleys, and from thence across the desert to the
Great Salt Lake, before returning to the Missouri. In
order to accomplish this, he was compelled to cross the
dividing range between the Columbia and the Great
Basin, and to travel down its western edge to Tlamath
Lake, which lies on the eastern side of the Sierra
Nevada, and from thence along the western edge of the
basin, until he found some suitable point from which he
could pass over to the western side of the Sierra. The
F
82 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
enterprise was a serious one to undertake at the
beginning of winter, with a party of twenty-five persons
only, composed of men of many nationalities—
American, French, German, Canadian and Indian,—
most of them young and some even under the age of
twenty-one years. But amongst his party were some of
the most famous “mountain men” known in the history
of the trappers, – Kit Carson, Godey, Lajeunesse,
Tabean and others, tried men and “Indian fighters ” of
the first rank, and who proved, during the adventurous
journey which they were about to undertake, their
capacity to meet danger and difficulty with an ever
increasing determination to overcome them.
They left the valley of the Columbia on the 25th
November, and, after encountering much hardship—
their journey being often, for days together, through
pine forests which afforded but little sustenance for their
horses, they reached Tlamath Lake on the 10th Decem-
ber. This proved to be a picturesque spot, rendered all
the more attractive by an abundance of excellent grass,
which was much needed for their animals. The character
for courage and hostility attributed to the Indian inha-
bitants of the country around the lake had induced much
caution on the part of Fremont and his people, but
although they were satisfied, from the occurrence of
signal Smokes in various directions, that their encamp-
ment had become known to the Indians, it was not
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 83
visited by any of them during the day of their arrival.
Seeing this, and that their journey from that point
would take them through entirely unknown regions,
Fremont determined, if possible, to obtain Indian
guides, and for that purpose to visit some of their
villages, one of which was observed in some low ground
on the edge of the lake, which was evidently covered
with water during the wet season. Accordingly, he
collected his people and rode out towards the village,
which was composed of huts, on the tops of which the
Indians were collected. When they had arrived within
half a mile of the village, two persons were seen advancing
towards them, who proved to be the chief and his wife,
who, in excitement and alarm at the unusual event and
the formidable appearance of the strangers, had come
out to meet their fate together. The chief was a very
prepossessing looking man, with handsome features and
a singularly soft and agreeable voice, and he and his
wife were soon reassured as to the intentions of the
strangers. On reaching the village they found the huts
grouped together near the bank of a river which flowed
from the lake. The huts were circular, and about
twenty feet in diameter, with rounded tops, supported
from the inside by beams and posts. They were entered
by a door placed on the top, from which the people
descended into the interior. Their only means of
subsistence appeared to be a small fish, great quantities
84 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
of which, strung and smoke dried, hung in festoons
about the interior of the huts. They were very skilful
in the manufacture of mats from the grass and rushes
which grew in abundance round the village. Their
shoes were made of grass and seemed well adapted for a
snow-clad country, and the women wore on their heads
closely woven baskets, which made very neat and
serviceable head coverings. Unlike any other Indians
fhat Fremont had met with, they wore shells in their
noses, but he does not say what shells they were. They
had numbers of singular looking dogs, resembling
wolves, which sat on the tops of the huts. It was with
great difficulty he was able to make them understand
his desire to be informed of the nature of the country
to the southward, their language being quite different
from that of the Shoshone and Columbia River tribes.
He left Tlamath Lake on the 13th December, and
on the 10th January, after having endured in the
meantime a good deal of hardship, discovered Pyramid
Lake, which lies at the eastern foot of the Sierra, about
fifty miles to the northward of the line of the Central
Pacific Railway. On reaching the summit of a moun-
tain pass on the line of his route, which was very much
encumbered with snow, he found a defile descending
rapidly on the other side for about two thousand feet,
beyond which stretched a sheet of water some twenty
miles broad. It broke upon their eyes like an ocean.
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 85 .
Waves were curling in the breeze, and their dark green
color showed that the water was deep. At its western
end it communicated with the line of basins over which
they had lately been travelling, and on the opposite
side it swept a ridge of snowy mountains forming part
of the great Sierra. It was an unknown body of
water, lying at an elevation of 4890 feet above sea
level, and, therefore, nearly 700 feet higher than the
Great Salt Lake. It was the nearest lake to the
western rim, as the Great Salt Lake is to the eastern
rim of the Great Basin. Its most striking feature, that
indeed which suggested the name given to it, was a
remarkable rock, near the centre of the lake, in the
exact form of a pyramid, and about 600 feet above the
level of the water. All the streams flowing into this
lake were stocked with magnificent salmon trout, and
the Indians who resided on its banks were sleek and
fat, and appeared to lead an easy and happy life. It
was from this point that Fremont determined to cross
the Sierra into the valley of the Sacramento, an enter-
prise of no ordinary difficulty and danger, as will be
seen from the next chapter.
CHAPTER W.
CRossING THE SIERRA–INDIAN VISITORs—DEATH OF THE Dog –SUMMIT
OF THE PASS — GREAT Co.L AND SUFFERING — Rio DE Los
AMERICANos—NEW HELVETIA—THE SAN JoAQUIM—THE DESERT-
INDIAN ATTACK UPoN A SPANISH PARTY-SUMMARY PUNISHMENT—
KIT CARSoN AND GODEY's ExPLOITs—SUFFERINGS IN THE DESERT.
IN order to understand the serious nature of the enter-
prize in which Fremont and his party were about to
engage, we have to consider that the season was the
most inclement of the year, that men and horses alike
had already suffered much during their long journey
from the Columbia, and that the difficulty of obtaining
food in a mountain district was rendered still greater
by the fact, that the whole range was then covered
with snow to its very base on the eastern side. The
route followed was, no doubt, approximately that which
has since been selected for the Central Pacific Railway,
and the description which I have already given of that
route, and the physical character of the Sierra, are of
themselves sufficient to shew the hazardous, if not
dangerous nature of the proposed undertaking. Fre-
mont had determined, in the first instance, to follow up
the principal course of the affluent of Pyramid Lake, but
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 87
after conversing with the Indian Chiefs, he abandoned
this idea and favoured a more southern route. He
left Pyramid Lake on the 16th January, and on the
22nd he and his party found themselves at the foot of
the mountains, in the valley of a stream having large
branches, one of which flowed along the base of the foot-
hills of the main range, and the other from the mountains
to the south east. He encamped at the fork of these
streams, where he found good grass for the horses, his
camp being, by observation, 5020ft. above the sea level.
It was evident that, up to this point, they had been
flanking the Sierra ever since leaving Summer Lake,
and that the continued succession and almost connexion
of lakes and rivers, which they had encountered, were
the drainings of that range. On leaving this camp
they moved along the course of the south east branch
of the river, in the hope that it might lead to an easy
pass across the mountains, which had been reported to
Fremont before he left Vancouver, but in this hope,
as will be seen, they were destined to be grievously
disappointed.
On the 24th they fell in with an Indian, who had
with him, in a skin bag, a few pounds of the seeds of
the Pinus monophyllus, now commonly known as the
nut pine. The nut, though oily, was of agreeable
flavour, and formed no mean portion of their subsistence
during their stay in the mountains. On the 25th they
88 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
practically commenced the ascent, and speedily found
themselves above the snow line, the snow deepening as
they advanced. The mountain they were on, however,
did not prove to be the main range of the Sierra, for on
reaching a saddle, which they had taken for the water-
shed,they saw a valley below them on the other side,
beyond which the mountains rose higher still, one
ridge above another, and presenting a rude and rocky
outline. They descended to the valley and encamped,
the snow being from three to four feet in depth. As
the day had been warm, their mocassins had become
wet with melting snow, and when the sun began to
decline, the cold suddenly became very great, and they
had much difficulty in keeping their feet from freezing.
Fremont had a small quantity of brandy with him,
which he had treasured with much care, and which he
found, on this occasion and afterwards, of very great
value. In the morning the thermometer was 2deg.
below zero, but, as there was good grass below the
Snow, his people remained encamped for the day,
while he himself, with Carson and Preuss, made a
reconnaissance of the ground to be gone over on the
following one. From the 26th to the 30th they
gradually ascended to a higher level, their march being
entirely through snow, but the animals were still able
to obtain a fair quantity of grass below it. On the
30th they reached an upland valley. After the camp
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 89
had been formed it was visited by some Indians, who
satisfied Fremont that he was still at a considerable
distance from the watershed of the main range. He
explained to them that he wished to cross the range
into the valley of the Sacramento, and desired to
engage them as guides, offering them in payment
presents of scarlet cloth and other articles, which
possessed great attraction for the Indians, but, although
much tempted, they absolutely refused to accompany
him beyond a certain point to the southward, from
whence they told him, that at the end of one day’s
travel he would find other Indians, living near a pass,
who could furnish him with a guide. The Indians had
brought with them a considerable quantity of the pine
nuts, which Fremont purchased and which formed a
welcome addition to his stock of provisions. He learnt
from these people that during the most rigorous part
of the winter these nuts formed their chief and often
only means of subsistence.
On the 13th February the ascent of the main range
was commenced. By observation it was soon found
that they could not be more than 70 miles in a direct
line from Captain Sutter's settlement. This was ex-
plained to the men, whom Freemont then called upon
to make an effort to cross the mountains, which, if
successfully accomplished, would put an end to their
hardships and troubles. They accepted this decision
90 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LARE MICHIGAN.
with cheerfulness, and that day was passed in prepara-
tions for this arduous work. Legging mocassins,
clothing, all was put into the best state possible to resist
the cold. Their provisions were very low; they had
no grease or tallow of any kind, and the want of salt
was being seriously felt. A dog which they had found,
months before, in the Bear valley, and which had
become fat, was killed, and when the meat was laid out
on the snow it looked good, and, with a couple of
rabbits brought in by the Indians who had accompanied
him to this point, made a strengthening meal for the
whole camp, which had been living chiefly on pine nuts
for several days. On the 2nd the weather was clear,
and the clouds which had rested on the higher peaks
began to disperse before the sun. But the prospect
was far from inviting, and the people were unusually
silent as they proceeded to ascend, still higher, into the
deep snows which lay on the flanks of the mountains.
On their way up they discovered two Indian huts, so
completely covered with snow, that they might easily
have escaped observation. There was a family living
in each, but the only trail in the neighbourhood was to
a clump of the nut pine, from which each family
apparently obtained its means of subsistence. On this
day Fremont and his party travelled sixteen miles,
and reached an elevation of 6,760 feet, the nut pines
there giving way to heavy timber. They had been
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 91
compelled, several times during the day, to break a
road through heavy snow drifts, for which service a
party of ten was formed, mounted on the strongest
horses, each man in succession opening the road on foot
or on horseback, until himself and his horse became
fatigued, when he stepped aside and another took his
place. On the following day they only made seven
miles, having been compelled to open much of the road
by the above means, a course which caused much
fatigue and suffering both to the men and animals.
They camped near some springs round which was a
little grass, but the majority of the horses were sent to
a spot four or five miles back, where the baggage had
been left, and a better supply of grass had been seen.
On the 4th their hardships had increased very seriously,
and the Indian guide, whom they engaged at the foot
of the ascent, pointing to the summits of the range,
which were then visible, began to harangue them in a
loud voice, saying that if they attempted to proceed
they and their animals would perish in the snow.
With the aid of signs he was able to make them com-
prehend his simple ideas. “Rock upon rock, rock upon
rock, snow upon snow, snow upon snow ; even if you
get over the snow, you will not be able to get down the
mountains on the other side, which are densely covered
with timbor.”
29 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
The night of the 4th had been too cold to allow the
people to sleep and they were up early. Their guide
had deserted them, having evidently made up his mind
not to risk his life by proceeding further, his bad faith
and treachery being in perfect keeping with Indian
character. Whilst some of the men were engaged in
bringing up the horses and baggage, others were busy
in preparing snow shoes and sledges, Fremont himself
having determined to explore the mountains ahead.
This he did, accompanied by Kit Carson and Mr.
Fitzpatrick and a reconnoitring party on snow shoes.
After a laborious march of ten miles they reached the
top of a peak to the left of the pass, from which, far .
below them and dimmed by distance, they saw a large
Snowless valley, beyond which, nearly 100 miles away,
was a range of mountains, which Carson at once
recognized as the coast range, lying between the valley
of the Sacramento, and the Pacific. “There,” said he,
is the little mountain ; it is fifteen years since I saw it,
but I am as sure of it as if it was only yesterday.”
Below them lay, as they believed, the valley they were
seeking, and which they looked upon with a degree of
delight only conceivable in persons who had suffered
the terrible hardships which they had undergone and
were still enduring.
Fremont and the reconnaissance party returned to
camp the same day, and on the morrow, all their
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 93
energies were directed to crossing the saddle. They
supposed that, after the baggage had been drawn over
the trail made by their advance on the previous day,
, the snow passed over would be sufficiently hard to bear
the animals. Its general depth was from five to six
feet, but many places occurred where it was upwards of
twenty, and as both horses and men were almost
exhausted from want of food and rest, the difficulty of
passing over this part of the journey was necessarily
very great indeed. But a severe gale arose which con-
tinued from the 9th to the 13th, the driving snow
continually obliterating the tracks which were made by
the advance parties, notwithstanding they had beaten
down the surface with mauls constructed for the purpose.
They had already subsisted for some days solely upon
the flesh of the weaker horses, which they had been
compelled either to kill or abandon, but on the 13th the
supply gave out and they were reduced to killing 8,
little dog—of the peculiar breed mentioned in the
account of the Indian village at Tlamath Lake, -which
had accompanied them so far.
It was not till the 20th, after a daily repetition of
similar hardships, that they succeeded in reaching the
summit of the pass, which by boiling water observation
was found to be 9,350 feet above sea level, and 2000 feet
above the south pass on the Rocky Mountains. It is
not necessary to follow them in their descent from this
94 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
point, which was attended with severe labour and
suffering, not lessened by their disappointment on
finding, when they reached the valley below, that it
was that of the Rio de Los Americanos, and so densely
timbered, as to require eight days of hard travel before
they reached Captain Sutter’s settlement, at New
Helvetia, where they were received with the utmost
hospitality and kindness, and were enabled to recruit
before commencing their further long and arduous
return journey to Saint Louis.
Captain Sutter’s settlement consisted of a large tract of
land, of which he had obtained a grant from the Spanish
Government. He had, at first, experienced some trouble
with the Indians, but by the exercise of well-timed
authority, had succeeded in converting them into a
peaceable and industrious people. The ditches around
his extensive wheat fields, the making of the sun-dried
bricks of which his fort was constructed, the ploughing,
harrowing and other agricultural operations, were en-
tirely the work of these Indians, for which they received
a very moderate compensation, principally in shirts,
blankets, and other articles of clothing. In the same
manner, on application to the chief of a village, he
readily obtained as many boys and girls as he had any
use for. There were at the time of Freemont’s visit a
number of girls at the fort in training for a future
woollen factory, but they were then all busily engaged
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 95
in constantly watering the gardens, which the unfavor-
able dryness of the season had rendered necessary.
The occasional dryness of some seasons was the only
complaint of the settlers in the valley, as it sometimes
rendered the crops uncertain. Mr. Sutter was about
making arrangements to irrigate his lands by water
from the Rio de Los Americanos. He had in that
year sown, and altogether by Indian labour, 300
fanegas of wheat.
A few years previously the neighbouring Russian
establishment of Ross being about to withdraw from
the country, sold to him a large number of stock, with
agricultural and other stores, with a number of pieces
of artillery and other munitions of war, for which a
regular yearly payment was made in grain.
The fort was a regular adobe structure, mounting
twelve pieces of artillery, two of them brass, and
capable of admitting a garrison of one thousand men;
at the time of Fremont’s visit the garrison consisted of
forty Indians in uniform, one of whom was always
found on duty at the gate. As might naturally be
expected, the artillery was not in very good order.
The whites in the employment of Captain Sutter,
American, French, and German, amounted to about
thirty men. The inner wall was formed into buildings,
comprising the common quarters, with blacksmiths' and
other workshops, the dwelling house, with a large
96 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
distilling house and other buildings, occupying more
the centre of the area.
The fort was built close to a pond-like stream, at
times a running Creek, communicating with the Rio de
Los Americanos, which enters the Sacramento two
miles below ; the latter was there a noble river about
300 yards broad, deep and tranquil, with several .
fathoms of water in the channel, and its banks con-
tinuously timbered. There were two vessels belonging
to Captain Sutter at anchor near the landing, one a
large two-masted lighter, and the other a schooner,
which was shortly to proceed on a voyage to Fort
Vancouver for a cargo of goods.
Since his arrival, several other persons, principally
Americans, had established themselves in the valley.
Mr. Sinclair, from whom Fremont experienced much
kindness during his stay, was settled a few miles distant,
on the Rio de Los Americanos. Mr. Coudrois, a
gentleman from Germany, had established himself on
Eeather River, and was associated with Captain Sutter
in agricultural pursuits. Among other improvements,
they were about to introduce the cultivation of rape-
seed (brassica rapus), which they had every reason to
believe was admirably adapted to the climate and soil.
The lowest average produce of wheat, as far as was
then known, was 35 fanegas for one sown ; but, as an
instance of its fertility, he was informed that Senor
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 97
Valego obtained on a piece of ground where sheep had
been pastured, 800 fanegas for eight sown ; but, as the
produce varied a good deal according to locality, no
very correct idea of the average could be formed.
An impetus had been given to the active little popu-
lation by Fremont’s arrival, as his party were in want
of everything. Mules, horses, and cattle had to be
collected ; the horse mill was at work day and night, to
make sufficient flour; the blacksmith's shop was put in
requisition for horse shoes and bridle-bits; and pack
saddles, ropes, and bridles and all other little equip-
ments of the camp were again to be provided. The
delay thus occasioned was one of repose and enjoyment,
which their situation required, and, anxious though they
were to resume their homeward journey, was regretted
by no one.
Fremont left New Helvetia on the 24th March.
His direct course home was nearly due east, which,
however, at that season of the year was impossible, and,
there being no opening the westward, they were
necessarily forced south for upwards of 500 miles, to a
pass at the head of the San Joaquim River. This pass,
reported to be good, was discovered by the Mr. Joseph
Walker who has already been mentioned, and whose
name was afterwards given to it. To reach it, the course
lay along the valley of the San Joaquim, the river on
the right, and the lofty wall of the impassable Sierra on
- G.
98 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
the left. From that pass Fremont was to move south-
eastwardly, having the Sierra then on the right, and so
reach the “Spanish Trail,” deviously traced from one
watering place to another, which constituted the route
of the caravans from Pueblo de Los Angeles to Santa
Fe in New Mexico. From the pass to this trail was
150 miles. Following that trail through a desert,
relieved by some fertile plains,—indicated by the
recurrence of the term vegas, until it turned to the
right to cross the Colorado, the course would be north
east, until they reached the latitude of Utah Lake, and
from thence to the head of the Arkansas in the Rocky
Mountains. This course of travelling, forced upon
them by the structure of the country, would occupy a
computed distance of 2000 miles before they reached the
Arkansas. Not a settlement existed throughout the
whole route, and the names of places along it being all
Spanish or Indian indicated that it had been but little
trodden by American feet. Though long and beset with
hardships, this route presented some points of attraction,
in that it involved tracing the Sierra Nevada from New
Helvetia to Walker's Pass, turning the Great Basin, and
perhaps crossing its rim on the South, and so completely
solving the problem whether any river, except the Colo-
rado, flowed to the sea direct from the Rocky Mountains
through that part of the continent. They would also
examine the southern extremity of the Great Salt Lake,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 99
of which they had visited the northern part the year
before. During this journey up the San Joaquim valley,
he learned that the Indians of the Sierra still made
frequent descents upon the Spanish settlements on the
western side of the coast range, which they kept con-
stantly swept of horses, and to which they were guided
by refugees from the missions; and that, although parties
of soldiers occasionally followed the incursionists across
the coast range, they never entered the Sierra. Whilst
he was encamped near the great feeder of Tulare Lake,
he was visited by a party of about 50 Indians, who had
come to see him from a village not far distant. He
made them some small presents, for which they gave him
in return otter skins, many kinds of fish, and bread made
of acorns. Amongst them he found several who had
formerly resided at the missions, but had left when these
were broken up. They told Fremont that they were
called by the Spaniards, Mansitos (tame), in distinction
from the wilder tribes of the mountains, but they
appeared to feel themselves very insecure, not knowing
at what moment the sins of the wild tribes might be
visited upon them. In the present state of the valley
of San Joaquim and of the surrounding country, it
would be difficult to believe, but for the parallel afforded
by some of the Australasian colonies, that such a con- .
dition of things as Fremont describes, could have
existed there only 45 years ago. They reached the
100 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
eastern side of Walker's Pass on the 9th April. The
valley on its western side was even then very rich, and
is now highly cultivated, forming in effect one of the
most beautiful tracts of country in California. On the
eastern side all was different, for after crossing a low
spur near the end of the valley which led to the foot of
the mountains, the desert came into view, apparently
illimitable in extent. A hot mist floated over it, through
which it had a white and glistening appearance, a few
dry looking “Buttes” and isolated black ridges rising
suddenly upon it. “There,” said their guide, stretching
his hands towards it, “are the great llanos: no hay agua,
no hay Zacate, no hay nada, (there is neither water nor
grass, nor anything else) every animal that goes upon
them dies.” It was indeed a dismal prospect, and it
appeared hard to believe that so great a change could
have taken place in so short a distance. No part of the
world could produce a valley more verdant and fresh,
more alive with birds and animals, than that of the San
Joaquim, and yet within a few miles of it they found a
vast desert spread before them, from which the boldest
traveller might well have turned away in despair.
Their cavalcade presented a strange and grotesque
appearance; guided by a civilized Indian ; attended
by two wild ones from the Sierra ; a Chinook from the
Columbia; their own mixture of nationalities; all
armed; four or five languages all heard at once; above
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 101
a hundred horses and mules half wild; American,
Spanish and Indian dresses and equipments inter-
mingled ; scouts ahead and on the flank; a front and
rear division; the pack animals, baggage and horned
cattle in the centre; the whole, stretching a quarter of
a mile along the dreary track, gave to the party an
almost Asiatic rather than an American appearance,
so strictly was it in keeping with the wild and desolate
character of the scene. The vegetation, too, was weird
and strange, huge Yuccas and Cactuses, and a
Zygophyllaceous shrub, with leaves covered with a
resinous substance, being prominent, whilst the brilliant
orange colored Escholtzia (or Californian poppy) and
many other bright flowers gave relief to the otherwise
desolate appearance of the country. On the 18th they
reached the object of their search—the Spanish trail,-
which, at the point where they struck it, ran directly
north. From this point they had six degrees of
latitude to make, in order to regain that on which they
wished to cross the Rocky Mountains. As their
animals had suffered much in the journey from the
pass, and they knew that between them and the Great
Salt Lake the country was poor in grass and deficient
in water, they rested here until the 22nd. The line of
route they were about to take was marked by the bones
of horses and mules which had perished in attempting
the same journey, and they felt the importance of
102 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
resuming their march with fresh and vigorous animals.
It was strange, too, that, although they had met people
in California who had passed over this trail, they had
not been able to obtain any correct information about
it, and soon found that what had been told them was
quite inaccurate. The rivers they actually found had
not been mentioned, whilst others which had been
specially described by name and locality did not exist
in the part of country to which they had been assigned.
The road, which had been described as tolerably good
and Sandy, with so little rock as scarcely to require the
animals to be shod, turned out to be the rockiest they
had ever travelled, and very nearly destroyed their
band of mules and horses. So bad, indeed, did it prove
to be, that on the 24th some of the horned cattle had
already become so tired and poor, that they were
compelled to kill them and dry the meat. Whilst thus
employed, they were surprised by the sudden appearance
in the camp of two Mexicans, a man named Fuentes
and a boy, the latter a handsome lad only eleven years
old. They had belonged to a party of six, the remain-
ing four having been the wife of the man, the father
and mother of the boy, and a man named Giacomo
Santiago, a resident of New Mexico. They had left
Pueblo de Los Angeles on the coast, with thirty horses,
under the guidance of Giacomo, in advance of a great
caravan which every year travelled from the coast
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 103
settlements to Santa Fe. Having penetrated the
desert as far as they thought consistent with safety,
they halted at the Archilette, one of the usual camp-
ing grounds, about eighty miles from Fremont’s
camp, where there was sufficient grass for the animals
and a good spring of water. Some Indians had been
seen lurking about their camp, who in a day or two
came in, and, after behaving in a very friendly manner,
took their leave without having awakened any suspicion.
Soon afterwards, however, a party of about 100
Indians appeared in sight, advancing towards the
camp. It was either too late, or they had not the
presence of mind to take proper means for safety, and
the Indians charged down upon them, firing volleys of
arrows. The man and boy who escaped were on horse
guard at the time, and succeeded in driving many of
the horses through the assailants, and made off at full
speed across the plain, leaving the other members of
the party to their fate. They continued their flight
for nearly sixty miles without a halt, and then leaving
the animals at a watering place on the trail called
the Agua de Tomaso, hurried on in the hope of
meeting the Spanish Caravan, and thus discovered
Fremont’s camp. He received them kindly and
promised them whatsoever aid it might be in his power
to give. On the 26th his party reached the Agua de
Tomaso, and found that the animals which had been
104 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAIKE MICHIGAN.
left there were gone, whilst abundant indications
showed that they had been driven off by the Indians.
Rit Carson and Godey agreed to join the Mexican in
pursuing them, and being well mounted, the three set
off on the trail. In the evening the Mexican returned,
his horse having given out, but Carson and Godey had
continued the pursuit. The next day, whilst Fremont
and his people were encamped near a pool, fed by a
spring which had been dug out either by Indians or
travellers, a war-whoop was heard, such as Indians
make when returning from a victorious enterprize, and
soon afterwards Carson and Godey appeared, driving
before them a band of horses, which the Mexican
recognised as part of those which he had left at Agua
de Tomaso. Two bloody scalps, dangling from
Carson’s gun, shewed that they had overtaken the
Indians as well as the horses, and their story of their
adventure, as told to Fremont, is characteristic of
the daring of the men and of the species of warfare
carried on at that time between the mountain men and
the Indians. “They informed us,” says Fremont,
“that after Fuentes left them, from the failure of his
horse, they continued the pursuit alone, and towards
nightfall entered the mountains, into which the
trail led. After sunset the moon gave light, and
they followed the trail by moonshine until late in the
night, when it entered a narrow defile and was difficult
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 105
to follow. Afraid of losing it in the darkness of the
defile, they tied up their horses, struck no fire and lay
down to sleep in silence and in darkness. Here they
lay from midnight till morning. At daylight they
resumed the pursuit, and about sunrise discovered the
horses; and immediately dismounting and tying up
their own, they crept cautiously to a rising ground
which intervened, from the crest of which they
perceived an encampment of four lodges close by.
They proceeded quietly, and had got within thirty or
forty yards of their object, when a movement among
the horses discovered them to the Indians. Giving the
war shout, they charged instantly into the camp,
regardless of the number which the four lodges would
imply. The Indians received them with a flight of
arrows shot from their long bows, one of which passed
through Godey's shirt collar, barely missing the neck.
Our men fired their rifles upon a steady aim, and rushed
in. Two Indians were stretched on the ground, fatally
pierced with bullets; the rest fled, except a lad that
was captured. The scalps of the fallen were instantly
stripped off; but in the process, one of them, who had
two balls through his body, sprung to his feet, the
blood streaming from his skinned head and uttered a
hideous howl. An old squaw, possibly his mother,
stopped and looked back from the mountain side she
was climbing, threatening and lamenting.
106 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
The frightful spectacle appalled the stout hearts of
our men, but they did what humanity required, and
quickly terminated the agonies of the gory savage.
They were now masters of the camp, which was a
pretty little recess in the mountain, with a fine spring and
apparently safe from all invasion. Great preparations
had been made to feast a large party, for it was a very
proper place for a rendezvous and for the celebration
of such orgies as robbers of the desert would delight in.
Several of the best horses had been killed, skinned, and
cut up : for the Indians living in mountains, and only
coming into the plains to rob and murder, make no
other use of horses than to eat them. Large earthen
vessels were on the fire, boiling and stewing the horse
beef, and several baskets, containing fifty or sixty pairs of
moccasins, indicated the presence or expectation of a
considerable party. They released the boy, who had
given strong evidence of the stoicism or something else
of the savage character, in commencing his breakfast
upon a horse's head as soon as he found he was not to
be killed, but only tied as a prisoner. Their object
accomplished, our men gathered up all the surviving
horses, fifteen in number, returned upon their trail, and
rejoined us at our camp in the afternoon of the same
day. They had ridden about 100 miles in the pursuit
and return, and all in about 30 hours.” The time,
place, object and numbers considered, this expedition
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LARE MICHIGAN. 107
of Carson and Godey may be considered amongst the
boldest and most disinterested which the annals of
western adventure, so full of daring deeds, can present.
Two men, in a savage desert, pursue day and night an
unknown body of Indians into the defiles of an un-
known mountain, attack them on sight without counting
numbers, and defeat them in an instant—and for
what? To punish the robbers of the desert, and to
avenge the wrongs of Mexicans whom they did not
know. I repeat: it was Carson and Godey who did
this, the former an American, born in the Boonslick
county of Missouri; the latter a Frenchman, born in
St. Louis, and both trained to western enterprise from
early life."
On the 29th, after having traversed a most sterile
and repulsive part of the desert, they reached
the Archilette, where the Mexican party had been
attacked. The prominent features of the route to this
place had been dark sierras, naked and dry, and on the
plains a few straggling plants, of which the cactus was
the most abundant. The Archilette itself was a grassy
spot, on which a considerable number of willows grew,
surrounding some springs which caused its fertility, and
constituted the only camping ground within many
miles. The perfect silence of the place was ominous;
and on riding up they found the dead bodies of the
two men, naked, mutilated and pierced with arrows.
108 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
Of the women there was no trace and they had
evidently been carried off captive. A little lap-dog,
which had belonged to the boy’s mother, had remained
with the dead bodies, and was frantic with joy on
seeing him, while he, poor child, filled the air with
lamentations for his dead father and mother. When
Fremont and his people saw this pitiable sight, and
pictured to themselves the fate of the two women
carried off by savages so brutal and loathsome, all pity
for the scalped-alive Indian ceased, and they rejoiced
that Carson and Godey had been able to give so useful
a lesson to savages who could lie in wait to plunder
and murder innocent travellers. On the 4th May,
after enduring terrible hardships, they reached a rapid
stream flowing to the southward, which proved to be
the Santa Clara fork of the Rio Virgen. “Travellers,”
says Fremont, “ through countries affording water and
timber, can have no conception of the intolerable thirst
whilst journeying over the hot yellow sands of this
elevated country, where the heated air seems to be
entirely deprived of moisture. We ate occasionally the
Bisnada, a plant which has a juicy pulp, slightly acid,
and which is eaten by the travellers to allay thirst,
and moistened our mouth with the acid of the sour dock
(Rumea, venosus). Hourly expecting to find water we
had pressed on, until towards midnight after a hard and
uninterrupted march of sixty miles, our mules, whose
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 109
sense of smell is extremely keen in these desert regions,
began running ahead, and in a mile or two brought us
to a bold, running stream.”
There they encamped for two or three days, in order
to recruit their nearly exhausted animals, and were
unfortunate enough to lose Tabeau, one of their best
men, who was killed by the Indians whilst riding back
on the track in search of a lame horse, an event which
spread a gloom over the whole party. On the 12th
May they reached the head waters of the Sevier River,
flowing northwardly into the lake of the same name.
This lake no longer exists as a lake, the waters of the
river having all been abstracted by the Mormon settlers
on its banks, for the purpose of irrigating the adjacent
country which they now occupy, but when Fremont
saw it in 1844, it was a handsome sheet of water. He
reached it about the 13th May, and a few days after-
wards made Utah Lake, and thus accomplished the
undertaking he had in view when he left the Dalles of
the Columbia, nearly six months before. In speaking
of Utah Lake he says that it was a lake of note under
the dominion of the Utah Indians, who resorted to it for
fish, and that it was believed to be connected with the
Great Salt Lake. “This,” he says, “is the report,
which I believe to be correct ; but it is fresh water
whilst the other is salt, and here is a problem which
erquires to be solved.” But whilst he had thus examined
110 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
the skirts of the Great Basin its interior had still to be
explored, a task which has not even yet been fully
accomplished, and which can only be carried out by a
large expenditure of energy, and an amount of labour
and suffering which few are either willing or able to
undergo.
CHAPTER WI.
OGDEN - SALT LAKE CITY – THE MoRMON MIGRATION To UTAH –
HISTORY OF THE SUPERSTITION.
AFTER breakfasting at Truckee on the morning of the
13th June, my train resumed its journey to Salt Lake
City. At Reno, which is the last town on the route
between Truckee and Ogden, it halted for nearly half
an hour, but there is nothing of interest to be seen
there. It stands at the very entrance to the Great
Desert, and the country around was dry and parched,
holding out but little prospect of comfort during the
journey to Ogden. About fifty miles from Reno
we struck the Humboldt River, leaving the lake into
which it flows, on our right hand. The Humboldt is
the most considerable river within the area of the
Great Basin. Until the construction of the Central
Pacific line was undertaken, it was scarcely known to
any but the trappers and hunters who wandered
about the range of mountains between it and the
sources of the Snake River branch of the Columbia,
by whom it was known as the Saint Mary'or Ogden,
the name which it now bears having recently been
112 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
given to it by the Americans, in compliment to the
Nestor of scientific travellers. It has two branches,
which have their sources in a range of mountains to the
west of the Great Salt Lake, and which unite after a
course of about sixty miles. The river after running
nearly parallel to and along the whole extent of the
northern boundary of the desert, ends in a muddy lake,
the borders of which are flat and whitened by saline
incrustation. As it advances it loses much of its
volume by evaporation, and during the summer season
it rarely exceeds six feet in depth, but along its banks
are deposits of alluvium, formed during floods, and
which are cultivated by the settlers established along
the line of the railway. There is no obstacle to its
course for three hundred miles from the junction to the
lake, and the construction of the Central Pacific Rail-
way, therefore, involved but little work beyond the
bridges necessary for crossing the river at Oreana,
Peko, Deeth and Wells. Until this work was under-
taken the line of the river served as the route for
emigrants from the Eastern States to Upper California,
and before the systematic settlement of that part of
the country had been commenced, its valley was the
rendezrous of the trappers, voyageurs and agents of the
great fur companies, who used to spend part of the
winter there. Now, these “hardy children of the
desert” pitch their tents in the valleys to the north-
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 113
ward, whose streams go to swell the waters of the
Columbia. We struck the river between Granite
Point and Oreana, and it was more or less constantly in
sight from thence until we left it at Wells. The
weather during the journey was almost calm and
extremely hot, the thermometer inside the cars
ranging between 800eg. and 85deg. Fahrenheit. It
was indeed fortunate that there was but little wind, as
we were able to keep the windows of the cars open.
The draught of air, however, was minimized by per-
forated screens, placed in the open spaces in order to
prevent particles of the saline efflorescence which
covers the surface of the ground, from finding its way
into the eyes of the passengers. When this happens
it is attended with acute pain, and there is even danger
of the sight being permanently injured.
Nothing can exceed the generally barren character of
the country we passed through, even at a very small
distance from the actual river course, the only vegetation
consisting of the sagebush and stunted shrubs, which
are found all over the desert.
Early on the morning of the 14th we came in sight
of the Great Salt Lake, which we skirted from Kelton
to Ogden, arriving at the latter place at half-past eleven.
Ogden owes much of its importance to the circumstance
that it is the chief centre of the great railway system
between the Atlantic and Pacific. It is the scene of one
H
114 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
of Bret Harte's stirring poems, written in commemora-
tion of the fact that here, in 1869, the junction was
formed of the first line of rails connecting these two
OC68, DS—
What the engines said,
“Pilots touching head to head,
Facing on a single track,
IHalf a continent at each back.”
This event was one of great public rejoicing, but since
then Ogden has been connected with three of the great
lines which now carry on communication between San
Erancisco and the East. It has been well described as
“A big collection of little houses, behind each of which
is a pretty little farm and market garden.” There is a
ledge beyond the main part of the town, upon which are
situated the better houses of the city, and from which
you can look over the wide plain, with bluffs and ridges
in the foreground, a glimpse of the Lake in the middle
distance, and a vision of sharp-pointed mountains on
the horizon. Ogden is the second city of the Mormon
territory, and is evidently destined to become, by force
of its position, an important place even in the not
distant future: for, besides the large patronage of the
railways, it is the market for the great farming and
mining district of Southern Idaho, and is directly con-
nected with the extensive gold placers and silver ledges
of Montana. We reached Salt Lake City at half-past
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 115
one, the heat being excessive. A large extent of the
country between Ogden and Salt Lake City is cultivated,
the houses and farm buildings lying to the left, at the
foot of the mountains, whose slopes are not far distant
from the borders of the lake. The land is rich and the
number of streams which flow from the mountains have
enabled the cultivators to carry out a system of irrigation
which materially adds to its productiveness. Nearing
Salt Lake City we come upon a patch of sage bush, a
remnant of the original desert, but this is soon passed,
and the line enters upon one of the suburban streets of
the city, in which each of the houses is situated in a
garden densely filled with fruit trees and vegetables.
Salt Lake City was founded in 1847, by Brigham
Young, who with a party of pioneers had left Nanvoo
in the previous year, and made their way across the
Rocky mountains and through the passes of the
Wahsatch to the banks of the Utah River, to which the
name of the Jordan has since been given. Having
selected a site for the future city they commenced at
Once to break up the ground for sowing and planting,
for they were even then short of provisions, and their
very lives depended upon their obtaining a supply before
the winter set in. In order to overcome the extreme
dryness and hardness of the ground, parched by the
long summer's heat, the waters of City Creek Canon
were led in channels to the community farm, and thus
116 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
began a work which has converted a desert, yielding no
food for man, into a district now distinguished by its
wealth, beauty and productiveness. Without civiliza-
tion Utah would still be the barren desert so graphically
described by Fremont, and it is not at all improbable
that, but for the Mormon settlements, the completion of
the great railway system, which now connects the two
sides of the continent, would have been long delayed.
It must be remembered, too, that at the date of the
foundation of the city the territory of Utah was still
under the government of Mexico, for it was not until
the following year that it, in common with the rest of
the country to the north of the present Mexican
boundary, was ceded to the United States.
Within a few weeks after their arrival the colonists
had built substantial log buildings and forts, and had
planted upwards of a hundred acres with wheat, potatoes,
etc. Owing to the lateness of the season, however, much
of the produce was damaged by frosts, and their
difficulties were aggravated by the arrival, in the fall,
of some seven hundred waggons laden with people, who
had but little left of the provisions with which they had
started upon their journey. It was these difficulties
which the energy of Brigham Young had to contend
against, and which, through that energy, were success-
fully dealt with. In the following spring a large extent
of ground was placed under crop, but a new danger
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 117
threatened them, for the young crops were attacked by
myriads of the black cricket and the people were almost
in despair, when relief came in the shape of immense
flocks of seagulls by which the ravages of the crickets were
speedily checked, and the crops partly saved. This was
not unnaturally pointed to by Brigham Young as a
special interposition of Providence in favour of a people
who had suffered much misery and persecution on
account of their faith. Even as it was, provisions fell
short during the winter, and the people were compelled
to subsist for some time on roots and boiled hide.
Within a few years after the foundation of Salt
Lake City, Brigham Young became anxious to establish
a connection with the Pacific Sea Board, and in order
to carry this into effect formed settlements along the
western side of the Great Basin. These were estab-
lished at Paysan, to the south of Utah Lake; at Manti,
in the San Pete Walley; at Cedar city, sixty miles from
Manti, and at various other places on the route towards
the Mexican trail from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. His
object was to place a line of settlements, in échelon, in
this direction, and so by degrees to join the capital by a
continuous chain of occupied stations with Los Angeles
and San Diego. From Cedar city a well formed track
was made through the Escalente desert, and from
thence to the Rio Virgen, a feeder of the Colorado.
There is now a railway from Springville to Frisco, * : .
118 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
small town about fifty miles south of Sevier Lake, with
a branch from Nephi to Manti, and several settlements
have, within the last few years, been established
between Frisco and the line of the Atlantic and Pacific
railway. It is probable, therefore, that the line from
Frisco to Springville will, in course of time, be extended
through the Escalente desert, and along the western
side of the valley of the Rio Virgen, so as to bring
Salt Lake City into direct railway communication with
Ilos Angeles.
The Mormon superstition presents so much that is
curious, looking to the condition of society at the time
when it was promulgated, that I make no apology for
giving some account of it, and of the difficulties which
its founders had to overcome before it became established
on an apparently solid basis. Many years ago a person
named Solomon Spalding—a relation of the man who
invented wooden nutmegs—wrote a work to which he
gave the name of “The Manuscript Found.” This work
purported to be an historical romance, founded upon sup-
posed evidence that the North American Indians were
the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. It professes
to give a detailed account of their journey by land and
sea from Jerusalem to America, under the leadership of
leaders named Nephi and Lehi. These are said to have
engaged in quarrels and contentions after their arrival
*
:... : :in America, and to have separated, in consequence, into
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 119
two distinct nations, one of which was denominated the
Nephites, and the other the Lamanites.
Cruel and bloody wars between them are described,
in which great multitudes were slain, the dead being
buried in large heaps, which are said to constitute the
mounds now so commonly found in North America,
and their civilization and knowledge of the arts and
sciences are dwelt upon, in order to account for the
remarkable ruins and other curious antiquities found in
various parts of the continent.
The book is written in the Biblical style, and com-
mences almost every sentence with “And it came to
pass,” “Now, it came to pass,” but although it exhibits
some power of imagination, as well as a fair degree of
scientific information, it was not considered likely to
take with the public and remained for several years
unnoticed, in the possession of Messrs. Patterson and
Lambdin, printers, in Pittsburg.
Lambdin, one of the firm, having become bankrupt,
determined to raise the wind by some book speculation,
and on looking over the various manuscripts then in his
possession, “The Manuscript Found,” venerable in its
dust, was, upon examination, looked upon as likely to
prove a gold mine which would restore him to affluence.
But his death put an end to the speculation, as far as
his interests were concerned.
120 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN,
Lambdin had intrusted the manuscript to a friend of
his, one Sidney Rigdon, to embellish and alter, so as
to render it more attractive to the general reader, but
Lambdin's death having interfered with the original
design, the manuscript remained unused, until, acting
upon a sudden impulse, Rigdon who knew his country-
men’s avidity for the marvellous, resolved to give
to the world “The Manuscript Found,” not as a mere
work of imagination as its writer had intended it to be,
but as a new code of revealed religion.
For some time Rigdon worked very hard, studying
the Bible, and altering his book so as to homologate it
in some degree with the former, and preaching sermons
based upon the doctrines contained in the supposed
revelation, by which means he excited a considerable
amount of expectation and curiosity. The novelty
and startling nature of the doctrines which he
propounded prepared his hearers for that which
was coming, but Rigdon soon perceiving the evils
which his wild imposture was calculated to generate,
recoiled from his task, not because of any sentiment
of honesty, but because he was lacking in courage.
He was a scoundrel, but a timorous one, and
always in dread of the penitentiary. With him the
propounding of Mormonism was intended as a mere
money speculation, but forseeing the further probable
results of the intended imposture, he resolved to shelter
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN. 121
himself behind some fool who might bear the whole
odium of the imposture when unmasked, whilst he
would reap the golden harvest and quietly retire before
the coming of the storm. He selected one, the now
celebrated Joseph Smith, for this purpose, but, as
frequently happens, the tool he supposed he had found,
though a perfectly unlettered man and quite as great
a rogue as himself, became his master. Smith was a
man of bold conception, full of courage and mental
energy, one of those unprincipled, yet lofty, aspiring
beings who, centuries past, would have succeeded as
as well as Mahomet, and who, even in this enlightened
age, succeeded in bringing about one of the most
remarkable events which has characterized the present
century.
When it was too late to retract, Rigdon discovered
that instead of securing the services of a mere bondsman,
he had subjected himself to a superior will, to which he
had himself become a slave bound by fear and interest,
his two great guides through life. Smith, therefore,
instead of Rigdon became the great religious and
political leader, “the elect of God,” followed and
almost worshipped by thousands of enthusiastic
disciples. The father of Joe Smith, as he was familiarly
called, was one of a somewhat numerous class of persons
then termed, in the west, “money diggers,” living a
Vagrant life, imposing upon the credulous by pretending
122 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
to the power of discovering concealed treasure, but
who subsisted chiefly by stealing horses and cattle.
Joseph was the second son and a great favorite of his
father, who stated everywhere that he possessed a
species of second sight, which enabled him readily to
discover where treasure had been hidden. His reputa-
tion in this respect was increased by the possession
of a sacred stone, alleged to have been “the gift
of God,” on looking into which he pretended to
learn whatever he wished to know. As this stone did
much towards raising him to his high position, I here
insert an affidavit made by one Nahum Howard
relative to the manner in which it came into Smith’s
possession.
“Manchester, Ontairo County,
“New York, 18.33.
“I became acquainted with the Smith family, known
as the authors of the Mormon Bible, in the Year 1820.
At that time they were engaged in the money-digging
business, which they followed until the latter part of
the season of 1827.
“In the year 1822 I was engaged in digging a well;
I employed Joe Smith to assist me. After digging
about twenty feet below the surface of the earth, we
discovered a singular looking stone, which excited my
curiosity. I brought it to the top of the well, and as
we were examining it, Joseph laid it in the crown of
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 123
his hat, and then put his face into the top of his hat.
It had been said by Smith that he got the stone from
God, but this is false. The next morning Joe came to
me and wished to obtain the stone, alleging that he
could see in it ; but I told him I did not wish to part
with it, on account of its being a curiosity, but would
lend it. After obtaining the stone he began to publish
abroad what wonders he could discover by looking into
it, and made so much disturbance among the credulous
part of the community, that I ordered the stone to be
returned to me again. He had it in his possession
about two years. I believe, sometime in 1825, Hiram
Smith (Joe's brother) came to me, and wished to
borrow the same stone, alleging that they wanted to
accomplish some business of importance, which could
not very well be done without the aid of the stone. I
told him it was no particular worth to me, but I
merely wished to keep it as a curiosity, and if he
would pledge me his word and honor that I should have
it when called for, he might have it, which he did,
and took the stone. I thought I could rely on his word
at this time, as he had made a profession of religion,
but in this I was disappointed, for he disregarded both
his word and honor.
“In the fall of 1826 a friend called upon me and
wished to see that stone about which so much had been
said, and I told him if he would go with me to Smith's
124 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
(a distance of about half a mile) he might see it. To
my surprise, however, on asking Smith for the stone,
he said, ‘You cannot have it.’ I told him it belonged
to me; repeated to him the promise made to me at the
time of obtaining the stone; upon which he faced me
with a malignant look and said, ‘I don’t care who the
devil it belongs to ; you shall not have it.”
“Signed, NAHUM HowARD.”
It will thus appear that Joe certainly had become—
to use a Yankee phrase—“a smart man,” and it was
prophesied by the “old ones” that, provided he escaped
hanging, he would certainly become a General at least,
if he did not eventually reach the office of President of
the States. But Joe’s smartness soon became so great,
that Palmyra, where his father usually resided, became
too small for iis talents and he determined to set off on
his travels, and find a wider field for their exercise. In
the fall of 1826, being then at Philadelphia, he resolved
to get married to a young woman whom he had met in
Pennsylvania, but being destitute of means, he set his
wits to work to raise the necessary funds for the
purpose, and at the same time to obtain such a recom-
mendation to her parents—who had exhibited some
disinclination towards the intended union—as would
secure his success in his suit. He went to a respectable
man named Lawrence, well-known to the girl’s parents,
and stated that he had discovered a very rich silver
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 125
mine on the left bank of the Susquehanna River, and
promised that if Lawrence would go there with him,
and pay the expense of the journey, he should have a
share in the undertaking; that the mine was near high
water mark, and that they could put the silver into
boats and take it down the river to Philadelphia and
there dispose of it. Deceived by Smith’s representations
and promises, Lawrence gave credence to the story and
agreed to advance the money necessary for the expedi-
tion. On reaching Harmony, Joseph was so strongly
recommended by Tawrence that the parents of the
young woman ultimately gave her to him in marriage,
but of course nothing ever came of the supposed silver
mine, and Lawrence had his trouble for his pains.
Whilst following this mode of life Smith found his
way to Pittsburg in the beginning of 1827, and there
became acquainted with Rigdon. A great intimacy
sprung up between them, the result of their intercourse
being that Smith assumed a new character, which first
revealed itself under the following circumstances. In
the month of June of that year he went to a wealthy
but credulous farmer, and told him the following
story:— -
“That some years before a spirit had appeared to
him in a vision, and informed him that in a certain
place there was a record on plates of gold, and that he
was the person who must obtain them, which was to be
126 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN.
done in the following manner: —On the 22nd of
September, he must repair to the place where these
plates of gold, were deposited, dressed in black clothes,
and riding a black horse with a switch tail, and demand
the plates in a certain name; and that after obtaining
them, he must immediately go away, and neither lay
them down or look behind him.”
The farmer, singularly enough, gave credit to this
remarkable communication, fitted Smith out with a
new suit of black clothes, and borrowed a black horse
for his use. Joe (by his own account) repaired to the
place of deposit and demanded the plates, which were
said to be in a stone box unsealed, and so near the
surface of the ground that he could see one end of it.
TJncovering and raising up the lid, he took out the
plates of gold, but fearing that some one might dis-
cover where he had got them, he laid them down in
order that he might replace the lid as he had found it,
when, moving round, to his surprise, the plates were
nowhere to be seen. He again opened the box, and saw
the plates in it; he attempted to take them out again
but was unable to do so, and observed in the box
something like a toad, which gradually assumed the
appearance of a man and struck him on the side of the
head. Not being discouraged at trifles, Joe stooped
down and attempted to take the plates, when the spirit
struck him again, knocking him backwards three or
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN, 127
four rods, and hurting him very much. Recovering
from his fright, he inquired of the spirit, why he could
not take the plates; to which the spirit replied,
“Because you have not obeyed your orders.” He then
inquired when he could have them, and was answered :
“Come one year from this day, and bring with you your
eldest brother; then you shall have them.”
“This spirit,” said Joseph, “was that of the prophet
Moroni, who had engraved the plates, and had been
sent to make known those things to me.” Before the
expiration of the year his eldest brother died; but
notwithstanding his death, Smith returned to the place
of deposit, and again demanded the plates. The spirit
reappeared, and after having inquired for his brother
and been informed that he was dead, commanded him to
come again in another year from that day, and bring a
certain man with him. On Smith’s asking who might
be the man, he was answered that he would know him
when he saw him. -
Thus, while Rigdon was concocting his new Bible and
preaching his new doctrines, Smith was preparing the
minds of the people for the appearance of something
wonderful; and although he was known to be a drunken
vagabond, he nevertheless succeeded in inspiring in
hundreds of uneducated farmers a feeling of awe which
they could not account for. I must pass over many
details, interesting in themselves, but too long for
128 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
insertion in this work. It is sufficient to say that after
a time Smith gave out that he had obtained possession
of the golden plates, and had received from Heaven a
pair of spectacles, by means of which the unknown
characters engraved upon them could be deciphered
and their meaning translated into the vulgar tongue.
It may indeed seem strange that such absurd
statements should have been credited, but the history of
many minor superstitions which have arisen during the
present century, even in an enlightened country like
England, such as those of Johanna Southcote and Sir
William Courtenay, shows to what an extent infatua-
tion may be displayed under similar influences.
CHAPTER VII.
FURTHER HISTORY OF MoRMoRISM-SALT LAKE CITY-THE TEMPLE–
THE TABERNACLE — THE WATER SUPPLY AND INDUSTRIAL
INSTITUTIONs of THE CITY — ForT Douglas AND ITs SUR-
ROUNDINGS.
AT its first organization, which took place whilst the
plates were supposed to be in course of translation, the
new church consisted of six members only, who at once
applied themselves with great zeal to obtain adherents.
Their first offorts were confined to Western New York
and Pennsylvania, where they met with considerable
success. After a number of converts had been made,
Smith announced that he had received a revelation to
the effect, that he and all his followers should go to
Kirkland, in Ohio, and there take up their abode.
Many obeyed this command, selling their possessions
and helping each other to settle on the spot designated.
This place was declared to be the present head-quarters
of the church and the residence of the prophets; but it
does not appear that they ever regarded it as a per-
manent settlement: for, in the Book of Covenants, it is
said, in speaking of Kirkland, “I consecrate this land
- I
130 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN.
unto them for a little season, until I, the Lord, provide
for them a home.” In the spring of 1831, Smith,
Rigdon and others declared themselves directed by
revelation to go on a journey to Missouri, where the
Lord was to point out to them the place of the New
Jerusalem. This journey was accordingly taken, and
and when they arrived a further revelation was
announced, pointing out the town of Independence, in
Jackson county, as the central spot of the land of
promise, where they were directed to build a temple,
etc., etc. After their return to Kirkland a number of
revelations were received commanding the Saints
throughout the country to purchase and settle in the land
of promise. Accordingly many went, and began to
build up “Zion,” as they called it. In 1831 a con-
secration law was established in the church by revelation.
It was first published in the Book of Covenants, in the
following words:–“If thou lovest me, thou shalt keep
my commandments, and thou shalt consecrate all thy
properties unto me, with a covenant and deed which
cannot be broken.” This law, however, has been altered
since that time. As modified, it reads thus:–“If thou
lovest me, thou shalt serve and keep all of my command-
ments, and, behold, thou shalt remember the poor, and
consecrate of thy properties for their support that which
thou hast to impart unto them, with a covenant and a
deed which cannot be broken.”
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 131
In April, 1832, a firm was established by revelation,
ostensibly for the benefit of the church, consisting of
the principal members in Kirkland and Independence.
They were bound together by an oath and covenant to
manage the affairs of the poor and all things pertaining
to the church, both in Zion and Shinakar, the name
then given to Kirkland. In June, 1833, another
revelation was received to lay off Kirkland in lots, and
the proceeds of the sale were to go to this firm.
In 1834 or 1835 the firm was divided, under direc-
tions given in a revelation, so that those in Kirkland
continued as one firm, and those in Missouri as another.
In the same revelation they were commanded to divide
the consecrated property between the individuals of the
firm, which each separately was to manage as a steward.
Previous to this, a revelation had been received
commanding the faithful to build a temple, which was
to be done out of the consecrated funds, under the
control of the two firms. In erecting this building the
firm involved itself in debt to a large amount, to meet
which, in the revelation last mentioned, the following
appears:—“Inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful,
and call on my name, behold, I will give you the
victory. I give unto you a promise that you shall be
delivered this once out of your bondage, inasmuch as
you obtain a chance to loan money by hundreds and
132 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
thousands, even till you have obtained enough to deliver
yourselves out of bondage.”
This implied a command to borrow money in order
to free themselves from the debt that oppressed them.
The attempt to do so, however, failed, and this failure
led to another expedient. In 1835, Smith, Rigdon,
and others formed a mercantile house, and purchased
goods in Cleveland and Buffalo to a very large amount
on six months credit. In the fall other houses were
formed, and goods purchased in the eastern cities to a
still greater amount. A great part of the goods of
these houses went to pay the workmen on the temple,
and many were sold on credit, so that when the notes
given for the goods became due they were dishonoured.
Smith and Rigdon then attempted to borrow money by
issuing their own notes payable at different periods
after date. This expedient not being effectual, the
idea of a bank suggested itself, and in 1837 the “Kirk-
land Bank” was established, but without any charter.
This institution, by which so many were swindled,
was formed after the following manner:—Subscribers
for stock were allowed to pay the amount of their
subscriptions in town lots, at five or six times their real
value; others paid in personal property at a high
valuation, and some paid in cash. When the notes
were first issued, they were current in the vicinity, and
Smith took advantage of their credit to pay off with
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 133
them the debts he and the brethren had contracted in
the neighbourhood for land and other purchases. The
eastern creditors, however, refused to take their notes.
This led to the expedient of exchanging them for
the notes of other banks. Accordingly the elders were
sent all over the country to barter Kirkland notes,
which they did with great zeal, for those of other banks
and succeeded in putting off a large amount, but this
scheme exploded within a few months after its adoption,
involving Smith and his brethren in very great
difficulties. The consequence was that he and most of
the members of the church set off, in the spring of
1838, for Missouri, pursued by their creditors, but to
no effect. In the meantime the Mormons who had
settled in and about Independence in 1831, having
become very arrogant, claiming the whole country as
their own, saying that the Lord had given it to them,
had so exasperated the older citizens that a mob was
raised and expelled the whole body. They fled to
Clay County, where they were permitted to live in peace
until 1836, when a spirit of antagonism towards them
began to manifest itself, and they retired to a district
then very thinly peopled, which the Missouri Legis-
lature, in 1837, created into a county, by the name of
Caldwell, with Far-West for its capital. Here the
Mormons remained in quiet until after the bank
explosion in Kirkland, when they were joined by Smith,
134 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
Rigdon and others of the heads of the sect. Shortly
after this, the Danite Society was organised, the object
of which was to drive the dissenters out of the country.
The members of this society were bound by an oath
and covenant, under penalty of death, to defend the
presidency and each other unto death, right or wrong.
After this body had been formed, notice was given to
many of the dissenters to leave the county, and they
were threatened severely in case of disobedience.
The effect of this was that many of the dissenters
left; among these were David Whitmer, John Whitmer,
Hiram Page and Oliver Cowdery, all original witnesses
to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, and
Lyman Johnson, one of the twelve apostles.
In the early part of the fall of the year 1838, the
last disturbance between the Mormons and the
Missourians commenced. It had its origin at an
election in Davies county, where some of the Mormons
were located. A citizen of Davies, in a conversation
with a Mormon, remarked that the Mormons all voted
one way; this was denied with warmth ; a violent
contest ensued, when, at last, the Mormon called the
Missourian a liar. They came to blows, and the
quarrel was followed by a tremendous row between the
Mormons and the other Missourians.
A day or two after this, Smith, with a company of
men from Far West, went into Davies County for the
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 135
purpose, as he said, of quelling the mob; but when
they arrived, the mob had dispersed. The citizens of
Davies gathered in their turn ; however, the Mormons
soon collected a force to the amount of five hundred
men, and compelled the citizens to retire; they fled,
leaving the country deserted for many miles around.
At this time, the Mormons killed between two and three
hundred hogs, and a number of cattle; took at least
forty or fifty stands of honey, and at the same time
destroyed several fields of corn. The word was given
out that the Lord had consecrated the spoils unto his
host.
All this was done when they had plenty of their own,
and before the citizens in that section of the country
had taken anything from them. They continued these
depredations for near a week, when the Clay County
Militia was ordered out. The contest was a bloody one,
but finally Smith, Rigdon and many others were taken
prisoners, and, at a Court of inquiry, were committed
for trial. Rigdon was afterwards discharged on habeas
corpus, and Smith and his comrades, after lying in
prison for several months, escaped from their guards
and reached Quincy in Illinois, where he joined the
main body of his people, who, under orders from the
Governor of Missouri, had evacuated that State in a body
and arrived in a condition of great destitution and
wretchedness. Their condition, with their tales of
136 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
persecutions and privations, wrought powerfully upon
the sympathies of the citizens, and caused them to be
received with the greatest of hospitality and kindness.
After the arrival of Smith, the greater part of the
immigrants settled at Commerce on the Mississippi
river, a site of great beauty. There they began to
build, and in the short time of four years they had
created a considerable city, to which Smith gave the
name of Nanvoo. *
For some years they were treated by the citizens of
Illinois with respect and kindness, but their conduct at
length became so unsatisfactory as to turn the tide of
feeling against them. In the winter of 1840, they had
applied to the state Legislature for several charters one
for their “new city’ of Nanvoo ; one for the Nanvoo
legion ; one for manufacturing purposes, and one for
the Nanvoo University.
The privileges which they asked for were very
extensive, but such was the desire to secure their political
support, that all were granted for the mere asking ;
indeed, the leaders of the Legislature seemed to have
vied with each other in sycophaney towards this body of
fanatical strangers, so anxious was each party to do them
some favour which would secure their gratitude.
Nanvoo, as already mentioned, was built on the bank of
the Mississippi, in latitude 40deg. 35min, north, and
was bounded on the north, south, and west by the river,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 137
which there forms a large curve, and is nearly two miles
wide.
The surface of the ground was very uneven, though
there were no great elevations. A few feet below the
soil is a vast bed of limestone, from which excellent
building material could be quarried to almost any
extent. A number of tumuli, or ancient mounds,
were found within the city limits, proving the site to
have been a place of importance with the former
inhabitants of the country.
The space comprised was about four miles in its
extreme length, and three in breadth; but the city itself
was very irregular in outline, and did not cover so much
ground as the above measurement would seem to
indicate. It was regularly laid out, the streets crossing
each other at right angles, and generally of considerable
length and convenient width. The majority of the
houses were nothing more than log cabins, but there
were, nevertheless, a great number of plank and brick
buildings. The chief edifices were the temple, and an
hotel called the Nanvoo House, the latter being of brick
on a stone foundation, presenting a front of one hundred
and twenty feet, by sixty feet deep, and being three
stories high, exclusive of the basement.
The temple was a splendid structure of stone,
quarried within the bounds of the city; its breadth was
eighty feet, and its length one hundred and forty,
138 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
independent of an outer court of thirty feet, making the
length of the whole structure one hundred and seventy
feet. In the basement of the temple was the baptismal
font, constructed in imitation of the famous brazen sea
of Solomon ; it was supported by twelve oxen, well
modelled and overlaid with gold. Upon the sides of
the font, in panels, were represented various scriptural
subjects, well painted. The upper story of the temple
was used as a lodge room for the Order Lodge and other
secret societies. In the body of the temple, where the
congregation assembled, were two sets of pulpits, one
for the priesthood and the other for the grandees of
the church. The cost of this edifice was defrayed by
tithing the whole Mormon denomination. Those who
resided at Nanvoo, and were able to labour, were obliged
to work every tenth day in quarrying stone, or upon the
building of the temple itself.
Nanvoo is a Hebrew word, and signifies a beautiful
habitation for a man, carrying with it the idea of rest.
It was not, however, considered by the Mormons as
their final home, but as a resting place, and they only
intended to remain there until they had gathered force
sufficient to enable them to conquer Independence in
Missouri, which they looked upon as one of the most
fertile, pleasant, and desirable countries on the face of
the earth, possessing a soil and climate unsurpassed by
any other region. Independence they looked upon as
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 139
their Zion, where they desired ultimately to rear their
great temple, the corner stone of which had been already
laid. There was to be the great ultimate gathering
place for the Saints; and, in that delightful and healthy
country, they expected to find their Eden and build
their New Jerusalem. In the present aspect of their
affairs, however, it is somewhat more than doubtful
whether their anticipations will ever be realised.
The design of Rigdon at the time of the first publi-
cation of the Book of Mormon had, as already men-
tioned, nothing more than pecuniary advantage in view,
and, indeed, it can scarcely be supposed that he and
those who were associated with him could have antici-
pated the ultimate result of the venture. When,
however, the delusion began to spread, he and his
coadjutors saw the door opened not only for wealth but
also for extensive power, and the following letter
written from Nanvoo, in 1842, by an officer in the
United States artillery, shows how rapidly they had
succeeded in their design to acquire both :—
“Yesterday (July the 10th) was a great day among
the Mormons; their legion, to the number of three
thousand men, was reviewed by Generals Smith,
Bennet and others, and certainly made a very noble
and imposing appearance; the evolutions of the troops
commanded by Joe would do honor to any body of
regular soldiers in England, France or Russia. What
140 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
does this mean? Why this exact discipline of the
Mormon corps? Do they intend to conquer Missouri,
Illinois, Mexico? It is true they are part of the
militia of the state of Illinois by the charter of their
legion, but then there are no troops in the State like
them in point of discipline and enthusiasm; and, led on
by ambitious and talented officers, what may not be
effected by them P Perhaps the subversion of the
constitution of the United States, and, if this should be
considered too great a task, foreign conquest will most
certainly be attempted.
“The northern provinces of Mexico will fall into their
hands, even if Texas should first take possession of
them. These Mormons are accumulating like a snow-
ball rolling down an inclined plane. They are also
enrolling among their officers some of the first talent
in the country, by titles which they give and by money
which they can command.
“They have appointed Captain Henry Bennet, late
of the United States army, Inspector-General of their
legion, and he is commissioned as such by Governor
Carlin. This gentlemen is known to be well skilled in
fortification, gunnery and military engineering gener-
ally; and I am assured that he is receiving regular
pay, derived from the tithing of this warlike people.
I have seen his plans for fortifying Nanvoo, which are
equal to any of Waughan’s. General John C. Bennet (a
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 141
New England man) is the prophet’s great gun. They
call him, though a man of diminutive stature, the
“forty-two pounder.” He might have applied his
talents in a more honorable cause ; but I am assured
that he is well paid for the important services he is
rendering this people, or, I should rather say, rendering
the prophet. This gentleman exhibits the highest
degree of field military talent (field tactics) united with
extensive learning. He may yet become dangerous to
the states. He was Quarter-Master General of the
State of Illinois, and, at another time, a professor in
the Erie University. It will, therefore, be seen that
nothing but a high price could have secured him to
these fanatics. Only a part of their officers and
professors are Mormons; but then they are united by
a common interest, and will act together on main
points to a man. Those who are not Mormons when
they come here very soon become so, either from
interest or conviction.
“The Smiths are not without talent ; Joe, the chief,
is a noble-looking fellow, a Mahomet, every inch of
him; the postmaster, Sidney Rigdon, is a lawyer,
a philosopher and a saint. The other generals are also
men of talent, and some of them men of learning. I
have no doubt they are all brave, as they are most
unquestionably ambitious, and the tendency of their
religious creed is to annihilate all other sects. We
142 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
may, therefore, see the time when this gathering host
of religious fanatics will make this country shake to its
centre. A western empire is certain. Ecclesiastical
history presents no parallel to this people, inasmuch as
they are establishing their religion on a learned basis.
In their college, they teach all the sciences, with Latin
Greek, Hebrew, French, Italian and Spanish ; the
mathematical department is under an extremely able
professor, under the name of Pratt, and a professor of
Trinity College, Dublin, is president of their Uni-
versity. I arrived here, incog., on the 1st inst., and,
from the great preparations for the military parade,
was induced to stay and see the turn-out, which, I
confess, has astonished and filled me with fears for the
future consequences. The Mormons, it is true, are
now peaceable, but the lion is asleep. Take care, and
don’t rouse him. The city of Nan voo contains about
fifteen thousand souls, and is rapidly increasing. It is
well laid out, and the municipal affairs appear to be
well conducted. The adjoining country is a beautiful
prairie. Who will say that the Mormon prophet is not
among the great spirits of the age P
“The Mormons number, in Europe and America,
about one hundred and fifty thousand, and are constantly
pouring into Nanvoo and the neighbouring country.
There are probably in and about this city, at a short
distance from the river, not far from thirty thousand of
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 143
these warlike fanatics, and it is but a year since they
have settled in Illinois.”
In 1845 Smith promulgated an alleged revelation,
under which the practice of polygamy was established
by divine authority as part of the Mormon doctrine.
This excited great indignation, and was severly attacked
by one Foster, in a newspaper published at Nanvoo.
In consequence of strong articles in this paper denounc-
ing the immorality of the new doctrines, Smith and his
people attacked and destroyed Foster’s printing office,
for which act of violence he and his brother Hyram
and several others were lodged in jail, under warrant,
but so incensed were the inhabitants of the State, that
they attacked the jail and shot the two Smiths. Brig-
ham Young was then elected President, but the State
Legislature having immediately afterwards revoked all
their charters, the Mormons made preparations for
leaving. Before these were completed they were
forcibly expelled and their temple destroyed, and they
at once determined to settle in the Far West. Brigham
Young, as already mentioned, led the pioneer party,
which underwent very serious hardships before they
found rest at Utah.
In 1849 they constituted their new settlement at
Utah into a territory, to which they gave the name of
Deseret, meaning “the land of the honey bee.” The
Government of the United States, however, refused to
144 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
recognise their act, though ultimately they formally
created the the territory of Utah, with Brigham
Young as Governor. After this there were many
contests between the general Government and the
Mormon leaders, which culminated in the brutal murder
of a large band of emigrants at Mountain Meadows,
by a party of Mormons and Indians under the
leadership of John D. Lee, one of the bishops of the
new church. For this act he was afterwards tried and
executed, and ultimately submission to the general
laws of the republic was enforced by the army which
entered the Territory in 1858.
In 1882 the general Legislature declared polygamy
to be criminal and subjected those who practiced it to
a variety of disabilities; but the provisions of the act
then passed were evaded and disregarded. In 1887,
however, the legislation was more drastic, for it abolished
all the state laws giving protection to polygamy, made
the wife a competent witness on trials for that offence,
required all marriages to be entered in a public record,
disinherited all illegitimate children, cancelled the
charters of the Mormon church, confiscated all real
property of the church except places of worship and
parsonages, and devoted the proceeds which arose from
its sale to ordinary educational purposes. In order
that these laws might not be evaded, the higher judicial
officers are appointed by the general Government, and,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 145
above all, a strong force of troops is permanently
stationed at Fort Douglas, the guns of which command
the whole city.
These stringent measures have already brought about
very wholesome results, and the day is not distant, when
practices so repulsive to civilized ideas as those in which
the higher dignitaries of “The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints” thought fit to indulge, will
become things of the past, and “the faithful” (as they
call themselves,) will live lives more in accordance with
the ordinary ideas of a civilised people.
In the matter of hotels there is but little choice in
Salt Lake City, the chief ones being the Walker House
and the Continental. The former is pretentious and
noisy, and the latter quiet, but not particularly nice or
well managed. We chose the Continental, which had
the merit of having a spacious upper verandah, shaded
by lime trees, affording a pleasant retreat from the
glare and heat of the sun.
The city is well laid out on the gently sloping ground
between the mountains and the river Jordan, and has
an area of several thousand acres. The streets are all
two chains wide, including the side walks, which are
twenty feet in width. They are nearly all bordered
with lime or other deciduous trees, which afford a
grateful shade, and give the city a pleasing appearance
during the summer season, whilst the constant flow of
J
146 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
water in the side channels, adds, appearently, if not
really, to the sense of coolness which pervades it. The
city stands at an elevation of about 4500 feet above
sea level, which is some 250 feet above the general
level of the plains of the Great Basin. The climate
is good, the mean summer heat not exceeding 74deg.
to 76deg., which, owing to the general dryness
of the air is found not to be oppressive. Indeed, sun-
stroke is rare, although in July and August the
thermometer occasionally reaches above 90deg. As in
all elevated districts the nights are cool and pleasant,
affording a marked contrast in this respect to the
climate of the cities to the east of the Mississippi.
Amongst the public buildings which all strangers
visit are those within the Temple Block, namely,
the Temple itself, which is yet unfinished, the Taber-
nacle, the Assembly Hall and the Endowment House.
The Temple is in all respects a remarkable structure.
It is being built entirely of beautiful highly polished
gray granite, and, when finished, will be a massive and
handsome building. The Tabernacle is a very peculiar
structure, but, like all the buildings designed by
Brigham Young, is especially well adapted for the
purpose for which it was designed. It is elliptical in
shape, 250 feet long by 150 feet wide, and 80 feet in
height from floor to ceiling at its highest part. The
roof is an oval arch, without any centre support, and
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 147
is said to be the largest of the kind constructed of wood.
It rests upon 44 sandstone pillars, each 8tt. by 9ft. in
size, and from 14ft. to 20ft. in height. A gallery
extends round the building, except at the west end,
and has an aggregate length of 480ft. by 30ft. in
width. The whole building affords seating capacity
for 12,000 persons. It has twenty doors, most of which
are nine feet wide, and all opening outwards, so that
an audience of from 9,000 to 10,000 persons can gain
egress in a few minutes. The organ is very large and
handsome, and is said to be exceeded by none in the
United States in sweetness and volume of tone. It was
constructed in the City, under the direction of Mr.
Joseph Ridges. Its front towers are 58ft. high, and
it measures on the base 33ft. by 30ft. But the most
peculiar feature in the building is its remarkable
acoustic properties. A person speaking at Ordinary
conversation pitch can be heard, with the utmost dis-
tinctness, all over it even when filled with people.
When there is perfect stillness, the fall of a pin into
a hat at one end of it is clearly heard at the other. The
Assembly Hall is a handsome building, having the
appearance of an ordinary church. The Museum
contains a highly interesting collection, illustrating
the varied productions of the Territory, including
fine specimens of native minerals and ores, collections
illustrative of the natural history of the country, Indian
148 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
curiosities, specimens of manufactures and art—shewing
their gradual development amongst the Mormon set-
tlers—besides large miscellaneous collections made by
missionaries in their proselyting travels. As already
mentioned, it also contains the boat in which Fremont
and Kit Carson made their adventurous voyage on the
Lake. The Hospitals, Churches, City Hall, Walker's
Opera House, Salt Lake Theatre, and many of the
other public buildings are large and substantial. The
most remarkable institution, however, from an economic
point of view, is the Zion Co-operative Mercantile
Institution, familiarly known as the “Big Co-op.” It was
organized by Brigham Young in 1868, and commenced
business in the following year. It has branches in
Ogden, Logan, and Soda Springs; and its business is
enormous, and is said, indeed, to have amounted to
31,250,000 in 1887. The main building has a depth of
319ſt., and a frontage of 98ft. It has four stories
including cellars, and the stock of goods at last stock-
taking amounted in value to £375,000. Connected
with it are a large tannery and boot, shirt, overall and
jumper manufactories, the whole employing upwards
of three hundred hands. There are many other manu-
facturing establishments carrying on extensive business
in almost every branch of civilized industry, including
glass and chemical works, silk and woollen mills, sash,
door and moulding works, brass and iron foundries,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 149
and engine and boiler works, all of which appeared to
be in full swing. The water works are extensive and
admirably arranged. The supply from City Creek
Canon alone reaches 1,000,000 gallons per hour, and
that portion which is intended for domestic supply
is taken from the creek by a flume, to three distributing
and filtering tanks having a combined capacity of
300,000 gallons. These tanks stand at an elevation of
185ft. above the city, and give an effective pressure
of 86lbs. to the inch. The average daily water supply
by pipes is in summer 8,000,000, and in winter
2,400,000 gallons. The total cost of the works has
been £106,000; the annual expenditure is £1200, and
the revenue £7500.
There are two large bathing establishments within
reach of the city, namely, Garfield Beach about 20
miles away on the line of the Utah and Nevada Railway,
and Lake Park on the edge of the Great Salt Lake,
which has also beautifully laid out pleasure grounds
connected with it, and is reached by the Denver and
Rio Grande Railway. Ample accommodation for
visitors is to be found at both places, but care must be
exercised, whilst bathing, not to allow the water to enter
either the mouth or nostrils, for, owing to its extreme
salinity, it is apt to produce serious effects.
One of the most beautiful and interesting points in the
vicinity of the city is Fort Douglas, the site of the
150 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
military barracks, built on part of the old lake margin,
which lies on the slopes of the Wahsatch at an elevation
of 500 feet above the general level of the city. The
fort and grounds are tastefully laid out and planted, the
waters of a small stream, which here cuts through the
old lake margin, facilitating the culture of all kinds of
trees, shrubs and flowers. From this spot a magnificent
view is obtained. To the right and left stretch the great
mountain chain of the Wahsatch, its higher peaks
covered with snow; below lies the city, apparently em-
bowered in groves of trees; beyond it, on the left, is the
valley of the Jordan, looking rich and green and dotted
all over with the residences of the farming population,
whilst the river itself looks like a narrow blue band
running through the broad extent of cultivated ground.
Still further away rises the Oquirrh Mountain, snow-
capped, and with its summit often veiled by fleecy
clouds; towards the right lies the Great Dead Sea of
America, with its many mountain islands rising from
the broad expanse of deep blue water, the whole
scene closed in by the more distant ranges of the Great
Basin. The air at that additional elevation was cool
and pleasant, and it was with regret that I was com-
pelled to return, even to the shaded walks of the streets
of Utah.
There is much to interest the traveller both in the
city and in the districts immediately around it, but the
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 151
time at my disposal was quite insufficient to permit of
my seeing more than I have actually described. More-
over, all the most remarkable physical features of the
country between the Missouri and Sierra Nevada are
within easy reach from it: the gorges of the Timpanogos,
Wahsatch, and Uintah Mountains; the beautiful valley
of the Bear River, with its remarkable volcanic pheno-
mena; the line of lakes from the Great Salt Lake to the
former bed of the Sevier; the stupendous chain of the
Rocky Mountains, with its wonderful parks and its
extensive mining establishments; the extraordinary
Canons of the Gunnison and Arkansas, and, above all,
those of the Colorado—all of which, and many other
remarkable scenes, are connected with Salt Lake City by
rail. Not less interesting are the changes effected by
the industry of the Mormons in the aspect of the country
to the north and south of their principal city,+changes
which are forcibly brought to notice by the portions of
still unredeemed desert through which the lines of rail-
way occasionally pass. Were I, indeed, asked to select
a point from which the greatest extent of interesting
country in America might best be visited, I should un-
hesitatingly name Salt Lake City.
CHAPTER VIII.
IEAVE SALT LAKE CITY-THE ROCKY MOUNTAINs—THE GREEN AND
RIO GRANDE RIVERs—THE BLACK CANON OF THE GUNNISON.—
THE GRAND CANON OF THE ARKANSAs—THE BLOW-UP OF THE
OvKRHANGING ROCK–THE PRAIRIES-MANITOU AND ITS SPRINGS.
I LEFT Salt Lake City on the afternoon of the 16th
June, the weather continuing hot and dry. Our route
led across the Washatch, Roan, Elk and Rocky Moun-
tains, through Provo, Pleasant Valley Junction, Grand
Junction, Delta, Gunnison, South Pueblo and Colorado
Springs, and is unquestionably, the most picturesque
and interesting in the United States. For some miles
after leaving Lehi, the line ran along the lower slopes
of the Wahsatch, and occasional glimpses were obtained
of Utah Lake, which, however, was lost sight of after
passing Provo. Shortly after leaving Provo we entered
the Canon of the Spanish Fork River, which, though
not in any way particular when compared with the
great Canons we were about to pass through, was in-
teresting to me as being the first example I had seen,
of one of the physical features especially characteristic
of the mountain districts of Colorado. Its sides,
though steep, are rounded, and afford support to small
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 153
groves of the oak and aspen, which give it a soft and
picturesque appearance. It is said to have been for-
merly used as an Indian highway, through which, in
bygone days, the Navajos and Piutes swept down with
fire and Sword upon the early Mormon settlements.
The discovery of some Spanish coins by a road party,
whilst cutting a waggon track through the Canon, gave
rise to the idea that some of the Spanish priests or
friars who had been engaged in the attempt to Christ-
ianise the Indian tribes of the Colorado, had visited
Utah Lake and had left these tokens behind them ;
but it is more probable that they had been obtained
and used as ornaments, by Indians trading with the
Spanish settlements.
The discovery of these coins, however, led to the
stream which runs through the Canon being called the
Spanish Fork. On the western side of the pass, a few
miles below the summit, is Thistle Station, the railway
outlet of the San Pete Valley, which extends from
there to Sevier Lake. This valley was one of the
principal scenes of the war between the Mormon settlers
and the Indians in 1865-67, a large force of the former
having been stationed there to guard the live stock,
gathered into it for protection from settlements which
had been temporarily abandoned, in consequence of
incursions by the Indians. This force took part in the
great fight with Black Hawk and his corps of mounted
154 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
Navajos, in which the latter shewed much skill and
bravery. Some miles on the eastern side of the summit
is Pleasant Valley Junction, from which a branch line
has been carried to extensive coal mines about sixteen
miles away. The coal produced is said to be of excellent
quality, and as the traffic from the mines to Salt Lake
City is chiefly on a descending grade, its discovery has
been a great boon to the inhabitants of the city and its
vicinity, in consequence of the reduction which the
facility of transport has caused in the price of fuel.
Soon after leaving Pleasant Valley Junction we
entered Castle Canon, through which the Price River
runs to the Green River, one of the main branches of
the Colorado. Castle Canon far exceeds that of the
Spanish Fork in grandeur, but nevertheless, only
faintly foreshadows the wonders of the Black Canon
Gunnison, and the Grand Canon of the Arkansas,
through both of which we had to pass before the line
emerged from the great mass of the Rocky mountains.
Price Valley has been formed by cutting through an
extensive deposit of sedimentary rocks, which lie in hori-
zontal beds, shewing no sign of disturbance. The solid
sides are very steep, indeed, generally perpendicular, but
a talus has been formed along the foot of each wall,
upon which clumps of oak and juniper and many
other trees and shrubs are growing, taking away the
dreary appearance which it would otherwise have
FROM NEW ZEATAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 155
presented. Castle Gate, near the entrance to the
Canon, is very remarkable, each side of the gate being
a stupendous wall of rock, which stretches from the
bank of the river to the corresponding side of the
Canon. It has been cut through from top to bottom,
by the river, which has been content with eroding the
space necessary for its own passage through this formid-
able obstacle. It is impossible to conceive the enormous
period which must have elapsed between the commence-
ment of the deposition of the sedimentary matter con-
tained in the strata cut through, and their upheaval to
their present elevation of nearly 7000 feet above sea-
level, during the latter part of which the formation of
the valley unquestionably took place. Independently
of the generally received geological doctrine, that
cataclysms can rarely be invoked as causes of the
phenomena observed in the structure of the earth’s crust,
the total absence from the deposits in question, of any
evidence of sudden or violent disturbance, points to the
conclusion that myriads of years must have intervened
between the commencement of the deposit and the
complete erosion of the valley.
Emerging from Castle Canoli, a little below Lower
Price Crossing, the line runs to the Green River, over
which it passes by a fine bridge. At Cisco it enters
upon the eastern slopes of the Roan Mountains, the
scenery of which is very picturesque. These mountains
156 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
occupy the space between the Green River and the Rio
Grande, the second large branch of the Colorado,
which unite to form the main river about fifty miles to
the south of Cisco. It is said that, from a point a few
miles below the latter place, the summits of the broken
walls of the Great Canons of the Colorado, beside which,
even those of the Gunnison and the Arkansas, stupendous
as they are, almost sink into insignificance, can be seen,
but they were not visible during my journey.
At Grand Junction the line crosses the Rio Grande
over a magnificent bridge, 950 feet in length, and enters
upon the valley of the Gunnison, which it follows to
Delta, situated at the confluence of the Gunnison River
with the Uncompahgré. A branch is now being con-
structed from Delta to Crested Butte, intended to open
out the mining districts in the Elk Mountains, and is
said to run through scenery unsurpassable in beauty and
grandeur. From Delta, the main line, instead of
following the course of the Gunnison River, owing to the
difficulties of the lower parts of the Black Canon, turns
to the southward to Montrose, which is becoming a place
of importance in connection with the mining districts of
the San Juan Mountains, of which those at Silverton are
the most extensive. From Montrose it follows a branch
of the Uncompahgré to Cimarron, where it dashes at
once into the upper part of the Black Canon. An
“observation car ’’ is here always attached to the train,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 157
and ours was speedily filled with sightseers. The
entrance to the Canon from Cimarron is a zig-zag, dark
and narrow, but we soon found ourselves in a broad
chasm, between stupendous walls of rock, occasionally
shadowed by huge overhanging cornices, and rising
abruptly from the level of the river to a height varying
from 1500 to 3000 feet, without a break. Nothing can
exceed the idea of irresistible power which the erosion of
this tremendous chasm creates in the mind of the
observer. Take the smallest fragment of the rock of
which its walls are composed, and it would seem im-
possible for any river, however mighty its rushes, to
produce any effect whatever upon the solid mass which
formerly filled the chasm ; and yet there can be no doubt
that the eroding power of the waters of the Gunnison,
perpetually charged, as they are, with sediment, has
been sufficient to produce all the results we now see.
“Founded,” says an eloquent writer, in attempting to
describe this Canon, “in unknown depth, straight from
the liquid emerald, frosted with foam which flecks their
base, perpendicular as a plummet's line, and polished
like the jasper gates of the Eternal City, rise these walls
of echoing granite to their dizzy battlements. Here and
there a promontory stands as a buttress; here and there
a protruding crag overhanging like a watch-tower on a
castle wall; anon you may fancy a monstrous profile
graven in the angle of some cliff, a gigantic Hermes
158 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
rudely fashioned. In one part of the Canon, where the
cliffs are highest, measuring three thousand feet from
the railway track to the crown of their haughty heads,
faces of the red granite, hundreds of feet square, have
been left by a split occuring along a natural clearage-
line; and these are now flat as a mirror, and almost as
smooth. On the other hand, you may see places where
the rocks rise, sheer and smooth, but so crumpled and
contorted that the partition lines, instead of running at
right angles, are curved, twisted and snarled in the most
intricate manner, showing that violent and conflicting
agitations must have occurred there, at a time when the
whole matter was heated to plasticity. In another
place, the cliff on the southern side breaks down and
slopes back in a series of interrupted and irregular
terraces, every ledge and cranny having a shapely tree;
while not far away in another part of the long escarpment,
the rocky layers, turned almost on edge, have been some-
what bent and broken, so that they lie in imbricated
tiers upon the convex slopes, as if placed there shingle-
fashion.
“Just opposite, a stream, whose source is invisible, has
etched itself a notched pathway from the heights above.
It plunges down in headlong haste, until there comes a
time when there is no longer rock for it to flow upon,
and it flings itself out into the quiet air, to be blown
aside and made rainbows of, to paint upon the circling
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 159
red cliffs a wondrous picture in flashing white, and then
to fall with sibilancy into the river. The river has no
chance to do so brave a thing as this leap of Chippeta
falls from the lofty rock; but, seeing a roughened and
broken place ahead, where the fallen boulders have
raised a barrier, it goes at it with a rush and hurls its
plumes of foam high overhead, as, with swirl and
tumult, and a swift shooting forth of eddies held far
under its snowy breast, it bursts through and over the
obstacle and sweeps on, conqueror to the last.
“In the very centre of the Canon, where its bulwarks
are most lofty and precipitous, unbroken cliffs rising
two thousand feet without a break and shadowed by
overhanging cornices, just here stands the most strik-
ing buttress and pinnacle of them all,—Currecanti
Needle. It is a comical tower, standing out somewhat
beyond the line of the wall from which it is separated,
(so that from some points of view' it looks wholly
isolated) on one side by a deep gash, and on the other
by one of those narrow side-canons, which, in the
western part of the gorge, occur every mile or two.
These ravines are filled with trees, and make a green
setting for this massive monolith of pink stone, whose
diminishing apex ends in a leaning spire that seems to
trace its march upon the sweeping clouds.
“It was in the recesses of the rift beside Currecanti
Needle, says a tradition which at least is poetic, that
160 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
the red men used to light the midnight council-fires
around which they discussed their plans of battle.
Though judgment may refuse the fact, fancy likes to
revel in such a scene as that council-fire would have
made, deep in the arms of the rocky defile. Surely the
time and place were suitable for planning the warfare
of a savage race; and as these untamed men, their
muscular limbs and revengeful faces, disclosed uncer-
tainly,–like the creatures of a flitting fantasy in the
red firelight, enacted with terrifying gestures the
fierce future of their plotting, a spectator might well
think himself with fiends
‘On night's Plutonian shore,’
or else discard the whole picture as only the fantastic
scenery of some disordered dream.
“Opposite Currecanti Needle and Canon stand some
very remarkable rocks, underneath the greatest of which
the train passes. Then there is a long bridge to cross
where the river bends a little, and perhaps the echoing
chasm will be filled with the hoarsely repeated scream
of a warning whistle. And so, past wonder after
wonder, Pelion upon Ossa, buried in a huge rocky
prison, yet always in the full sunlight, you suddenly
swing round a sharp corner, leaving the Gunnison, to go
on through ten miles more of Canon, and crashing
noisily through the zig-zag of the Cimarron, which is
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 161
so narrow and dark as to deserve no better name than
crevice, you emerge into daylight and a busy station.”
This extract will give my readers some idea of the
marvellous scenes passed through during the hour
which the train occupies in its way from Sapinero to
Cimarron; but words are really inadequate to convey
the impression produced by the sight of such wonders.
These are repeated, even on a larger scale, in the Grand
Canon of the Arkansas, which is entered about fifty
miles below the summit of Marshall’s Pass. I am
tempted here to transcribe a quaint story related by
Ingersoll, and which, he says, was seriously told to
him as having actually occurred during the construction
of the railway through this Canon:—
“Thomas Paine tells us, in his Age of Reason, that
the sublime and ridiculous are often so nearly related
that it is difficult to class them separately. It is good
philosophy also, that the higher the strain the longer
the rebound, so no excuse is needed for asking you to
enjoy, as heartily as we did, the story an old fellow
told us at the supper station, who dropped the hint that
he had been one of the ‘boys’ who had helped push
the railway through this Canon. Moreover, he helped
us to a new phase of human nature, as exemplified in
the mind of an ‘old timer.”
“The influence of the Canon on the ordinary tourist,
perhaps, will be comparatively transient, fading into a
R
162 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
dream-like memory of amazing mental impressions.
Not so with the man who has dwelt, untutored, for
many years, amid these stupendous hills and abysmal
gorges. His imagination, once aroused and enlarged,
continues to expand; his fiction, once created, hardens
into fact; his veracity, once elongated, stretches on
and on for ever. Of all natural curiosities he is the
most curious, more marvellous than even the grand
Canon itself.
“Strictly sane and truthful in the day time, he
speaks only of commonplace things; but when the
night comes, and the huge mountains group themselves
around his camp-fire like a circle of black Cyclopean
tents, he shades his face from the blaze, and bids his
imagination stalk forth with Titanic strides. Then, if
his hearers are in sympathy, with self-repressed and
nonchalant gravity he pours forth, in copious detail,
his strange experiences with bears and bronchos,
Indians and serpents, footpads and gamblers, miners
and mules, tornadoes and forest fires. He never, for a
moment, weakens the effect of his story by giving way
to gush and enthusiasm ; he makes his facts eloquent,
and then relates them in the careless monotone of one
who is superior to emotion under any circumstances.
We could not find our old timer in these most favorable
circumstances, but ensconced behind
‘Sublime tobacco which from east to west,
Cheers the tar's labors, or the Turkman’s rest.”
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 163
He seized his opportunity, in our discussion of the
heroic engineering by which the penetralia of the
Royal Gorge was opened to the locomotive, and
began :— .
“Talk about blastin'! The boy’s yarn about blowin’
up a mountain’s nothin’ but a squib to what we did
when we blasted the Ryo Grand railroad through the
Royal Gorge. One day the boss sez to me, sez he,
“Hyar, you, do you know how to handle gunpowder P’
Sez I, ‘You bet !” Sez he, “Do you see that ere ledge a
thousand feet above us, stickin’ out like a hat brim P’
Sez I, ‘You bet I do.’ “Wall, sez he, “that’ll smash
a train into a grease-spot some day, if we don’t blast it
off.’ ‘Jes so, sez I. “Wall, we went up a gulch,
and clum the mountain and come to the presipass, and
got down on all fours, an’ looked down straight three
thousand feet. The river down there looked like a
lariat a' runnin’ after a broncho. I began to feel like
a kite a sailin’ in the air like. Forty church steeples
in one warin’t nowhar to that ere pinicle in the clouds.
An' after a while, it began rainin’ an’ snowin’ an’
hailin’ and thunderin’ and doin’ a regular tornado
biznis down thar, an’ a reglar summer day whar we
wuz on the top. Wall, there was a crevice from
where we wuz, an we sorter slid into it, to within
fifty feet o’ the ledge, an’ then they let me down on
the ledge with a rope and drill. When I got down
164 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
thar, I looked up an’ sez to the boss, “ Boss, how are
you goin’ to get that 'cussion powder down P’ Yer
see, we used this 'ere powder as ll burn like a pine-knot
‘without explodin,” but if yer happen to drop it, it’ll
blow yer into next week 'fore yer kin wink yer eye.
“Wall, sez the boss, sez he, “hyar's fifty pound, and
yer must ketch it.’ ‘Retch it, sez I. ‘Hain’t ye
gettin’ a little keerless—s’pose I miss it P’ I Sez.
“But ye must n’t miss it, sez he. 'T' seems to me yer
gettin’ mighty keerful of yourself all to wonst.” Sez I,
* Boss, haul me up. I’m a fool, but no idgit. Haul
me up. I’m not so much afeared of the blowin' up ez
of the comin’ down. If I should miss comin’ onto
this ledge, thar’s nobody a thousan’ feet below thar to
ketch me, an’ I might get drowned in the Arkansaw,
for I kain’t swim.”
“So they hauled me up, an’ let three other fellows
down, an’ the boss discharged me, an’. I sot down
sorter behind a rock, an’ tole 'em they’d soon have a
fust-class funeral, and might need me for pall-bearer.
“Wall, them fellows ketched the dynamite all right,
and put 'er in, an’ lit their fuse, but afore they could
haul 'em up she went off. Great guns! Twas wuss’n
forty thousan’ Fourth o' Julys. A million coyotes an’
tin pan an' horns an’ gongs ain’t a sarcumstance. Th’
hull gorge fur ten mile bellered, an’ bellered, and kep'
on bellerin’ wuss’n a corral o' Texas bulls. I foun’
|PROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 165
myself on my back a lookin' up an’ th’ las’ thing I
seed wuz two o' them fellers a’ whirlin’ clean over the
mountain, two thousan’ feet above. One of 'em had
my jack-knife and tobacco; but it’s no use cryin’;-it
was a good jack-knife though ; I don’t keer so much fur
the tobacker. He slung Suthin’ at me as he went over,
but it did n’t come nowhar near, 'n' I dont know yet
what it was. When we all kinder comes to, the boss
looked at his watch, 'n' tole us all to witness that the
fellows was blown up just at noon, an’ was oney entitled
to half a day’s wages, an’ quit 'thout notice. When
we got courage to peep over an’ look down, we found
that the hat-brim was n’t busted off at all; the hull
thing was only a squib. But we noticed that a rock ez
big ez a good sized cabin had loosined, an had rolled
down on top of it. While we sat lookin' at it, boss
he sea, ‘Did you fellers see mor’m two go up P’
‘No, sez we, and pretty soon we heern tºother feller a’
hollerin’, ‘come down 'n' get me out !”
“Gents, you may have what’s left of my old shoe, if
the ledge hadn’t split open a leetle, ’n’ that old chap fell
into the crack, ‘n’ the big rock rolled onto the ledge 'n'
sorter gently held him thar. He warn’t hurt a har. We
wern’t slow about gettin' down. We jist tied a rope
to a pint o’ rock an’ slid. But you may hang me for a
chipmunk ef we could git any whar near him, an’ it
Was skeery business a foolin’ roun’ on that ere verandy.
166 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
It war'n’t much bigger 'n' a hay-rack, an’ a thousan’
foot up. We hed some crowbars, but boss got a leetle
excited, an’ perty soon bent every one on’em tryin’ to
prize off that bowlder that’d weigh a hundred ton like.
Then again we wuz all on it, fer it kivered th’ hull
ledge, ’n’ whar'd we benef he’d prized it off P All the
while the chap kep’ ahollerin’, “ Hurry up ; pass me
some tobacker l’ Oh, it was the pitterfulest cry you ever
hearn, an’ we didn’t know what to do till he yelled,
‘I’m a losin’ time; hain’t you goin’ to get me out'?
Sez boss, ‘I’ve bent all the crowbars an’ we can’t git
you out.’
“‘Got any dynamite powder P’ sez the feller.
“ Yes.”
“‘Well, then, why’n the name of the Denver 'n' Ryo
Grand don’t you blast me out P’ sez he.
“‘We can’t blast you out, sez boss, “fur dynamite
busts down, an’ it’ll blow you down the Canyon.’
“‘Well, then, sez he, ‘one o' ye swing down under
the ledge, an’ put a shot in whar its cracked below.’
“‘You’re wiser’n a woman,’ sez boss, ‘I’d never
thought o’ that.”
“So the boss took a rope, ’n’ we swung him down, 'n'
he put in a shot 'n' was goin’ to light the fuse, when
the feller inside smelt the match.
“‘Heve ye tumbled to my racket?’ sez he.’
“‘You bet we have, feller priz'ner l’ sez the boss.
EROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 167
“‘Touch 'en off sez the feller. .
“‘All right, sez boss.
“‘Hold on 1 ° yells the feller as wuz inside.
“‘What’s the racket now P’ sez the boss.
“‘You hain’t got the sense of a blind mule, sez he.
“Do you s’pose I want to drop down the Canyon when
the shot busts P Pass in a rope through the crak, 'n'
*
I’ll tie it roun’ me, ’n’ then you can touch er' off kind
o’ easy like.’
“Wall, that struck us all as a pious idea. That feller
knowed more'n a dozen blind mules—sed mules were
n’t fer off, neither. Wall, we passed in the rope, ’n’
when we pulled boss up, he gave me t'other end ‘n’ told
me to hole on tighter ’n’ a puppy to a root. I tuck the
rope, wrapped it 'round me ’n’ climt up fifty feet to a
jºint o’ rock right under ’nuther pint ’bout a hundred
feet higher, that kinder hung over the pint whar I wuz.
Boss 'n' 'tother fellers skedaddled up the crevice ’n’ hid.
“Purty soon sumthin’ happened. I can’t describe it,
gents. The hull Canyon wuz full o' blue blazes, flying
rocks 'n' loose volcanoes. Both sides o' the gorge, two
thousan’ feet straight up, seemed to touch tops ‘n’ then
swing open. I wuz sort o’ dazed ‘n’ blinded, ‘n’ felt ez
if the presipasses 'n' the mountains wuz all on a tangle-
foot drunk, staggerin’ like. The rope tightened 'round
my stummick, 'n' I sezed onto it tight, 'n' yelled, “hole
168 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
on, pard, I’ll draw you up ! Cheer up, my hearty,’
sez I, ‘cheer up !” Jes az soon 'z I git my footin’,
I’ll bring ye to terry firmy l’ -
“Ye see, I wuz sort of confused ‘n’ blinded by the
smoke ’n’ dust, 'n' hed a queer feelin', like a spider a
swingin’ an’ a whirlin’ on a har. At last I got so’z I
could see, ’n’ looked down to see if the feller wuz a
swingin' clar of the rocks, but I could nºt see him. The
ledge wuz blown clean off, ‘n’ the Canyon seemed 'bout
three thousan’ feet deep. My stummick began to hurt
me dreadful, 'n' I squirmed 'round ’n’ looked up, 'n',
darn my breeches, gents, ef I wasn’t within ten foot
of the gorge, ’n’ the feller 'ez wuz blasted out wuz a
haulin’ on me up. -
“Sez I when he got me to the top, sez I, ‘which
end of this rope wuz you on, my friend ?’
“‘I dunno, sez he. “Which end wuz you on ?’
“‘I dunno, sez I.
“An' gents to this day we can’t tell ef it was which
or t'other ez wuz blasted out.”
Erom Gunnison to Marshall’s Pass, the highest
station in America, the line runs through a succession
of very beautiful scenes. The summit of the pass is
11,000 feet above sea-level, but as the foot of the main
ascent from the eastward is nearly 6000 feet above the
same level, the grades are by no means serious, the
steepest being 220 feet to the mile. The pass itself is
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 169
a depression in the main range, a little to the eastward
of Mears, from which a branch leads to Villa Grove and
Hot Springs, on the slopes of the Sangré de Christo
Mountains. The way down the pass, on the eastern
side, is a succession of long zig-zag curves, crossing
gullies and cutting through spurs in a somewhat
bewildering manner. As the mountains on this part of
the route are open and smooth and generally well
grassed, the scenery affords a striking contrast to that
which we had passed through from the Rio Grande to
the summit. Our descent was continuous but slow, the
steam being shut off in the engine, and the brakes
applied, so as to ensure an uniform rate of speed, and
the windings of the road enabled us, from time to time,
to obtain views of the great peaks, still covered with
snow, which towered above the surrounding chains.
Near Cotopaxi we entered the Canon of the Arkansas,
which exceeds that of the Gunnison in extent and
wonder, as much as both are said to be exceeded in
these respects by the Grand Canons of the Colorado.
Not having seen the latter, I may say that it appears
impossible to conceive any thing more stupendous than
that part of the Canon which is known as the Royal
Gorge. On entering it from the eastward, the traveller
finds himself suddenly locked in between nearly vertical
precipitous walls of immense and increasing height, and
as the train rushes forward, it seems to be making its
170 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
way into the very bowels of the earth. The walls of
the chasm, on each side, are gashed and riven, giving
passage to lateral streams, whose waters go to swell the
impetuous torrent of the main river.
“But how inexpressible,”—says the writer from
whom I have already quoted, “are the wonders of
Plutonic force it commemorates, how magnificent the
pose and self-sustained majesty of its walls, how
stupendous the height as we look up, the depth if we
were to gaze timidly down, how splendid the massive
shadows at the base of the interlocking headlands,-
the glint of sunlight on the upper rim and the high
polish of the crowning points One must catch it all as
an impression on the retina of the mind’s eye, -must
memorize it instantly and ponder it afterwards. It is
ineffable, but the thought of it remains through years
and years, a legacy of vivid recollection and delight, and
you never cease to be proud that you have seen it.
“There is more Canon after this—miles and miles of
it. In and out of all the bends and elbows, gingerly
round the promontories whose very feet are washed by
the river, rapidly across the small sheltered nooks,
where soil has been drifted and a few adventurous trees
have grown. Noisily through the echoing cuttings the
train rushes westward, letting you down gradually
from the tense excitement of the great chasm to the
cedar-strewn ledges, that fade out into the gravel bars
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 171
and the park-like spaces of the open valley beyond
Cotopaxi.”
Dut these wonderful Canons are not the only, though
certainly they are the most remarkable physical fea-
tures of that part of the Rocky Mountains which lies
within the State of Colorado. Above the debouchure
of the Platte River, of that of the Arkansas, and of
that of the Rio Grande del Norte, this huge mass
opens out into extensive amphitheatres, to which the
name of Parks has been given, and whose existence and
form are evidently due to ancient glacial action. Of
these, North Park, headed by the Rabbit Ears and
Park View Mountains; Middle Park, on the east side
of Long's Peak; Estes Park, on the western side of the
same peak, and made famous by Miss Bird’s delightful
account of her sojourn there; South Park, headed by
the western side of Pikes' Peak and other great moun-
tain summits, and San Luis Park, on the western side
of the Sangré de Christo Mountains, are the most
celebrated. Not less interesting too, are the wonders
and beauties of Manitou and its surroundings, which lie
at the eastern foot of Pikes' Peak and are reached by a
branch line from Colorado springs. The town of
Manitou is picturesquely situated on the slopes of the
valley of the Fontaine qui Bouille, a tributary of the
Arkansas. It contains a large number of clean and
comfortable hotels and boarding houses, many of which
172 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
are situated on the banks of the river and have hand-
some balconies affording fine views of Pike's Peak and
of other great mountain summits around. There are
many beautiful walks in the neighbourhood of the
town, but Dovers’ Lane is the favourite one, leading as
it does to the mineral springs. Of these there are
several all strongly impregnated with carbonic acid, the
temperature of their waters ranging from 45deg. to
56deg. Fahrenheit. “Coming up the valley,” says an
authority, “the first is the Shoshone, bubbling up under
a wooden canopy, close beside the main road of the
village, and often called the ‘Sulphur Spring' from the
yellow deposit left around it. A few yards further on,
and in a ledge of rock overhanging the right bank of
the Fontaine, is the ‘Navajo,' containing carbonates of
soda, lime, and magnesia, and still more strongly
charged with carbonic acid, having a refreshing taste
similar to seltzer water. From this rocky basin pipes
conduct the water to the bath-house, which is situated
on the stream a little below. Crossing by a pretty
rustic bridge we come to the ‘Manitou,” close to an
ornamental summer-house, its taste and properties
nearly resembling the Navajo. Recrossing the stream
and walking a quarter of a mile up the Ute Pass road,
following the right bank of the Fontaine, we find close
to its brink the “Ute Soda.’ This resembles the
Manitou and Navajo, but is chemically less powerful,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 173
though much enjoyed for a refreshing draught. Re-
tracing one’s steps to within two hundred yards of the
Manitou Spring, we cross a bridge leading over a
stream which joins the Fontaine at almost a right angle
from the south west. Following up the right bank of
this mountain brook, which is called Ruxton's Creek,
we enter the most beautiful of the tributary valleys of
Maintou. Traversing the winding road among rocks
and trees for nearly half a mile, we reach a pavilion
close to the right bank of the creek, in which we find
the ‘Iron Ute' the water being highly effervescent, of
the temperature of 44deg. 3min. Fahrenheit, and very
agreeable in spite of its marked chalybeate taste. Con-
tinuing up the left bank of the stream for a few
hundred yards, we reach the last of the springs that
have been analysed—the Little Chief; this is less
agreeable in taste, being less effervescent and more
strongly impregnated with sulphate of soda than any
of the other springs, and containing nearly as much
iron as the Iron Ute.
“These springs have, from time immemorial, enjoyed
a reputation as healing waters among the Indians, who,
when driven from the glen by the inroads of civilization,
left behind them wigwams to which they used to bring
their sick, believing, as they did, that the Good Spirit
breathed into the waters the breath of life; they bathed
and drank of them, thinking thereby to find a cure for
174 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
every ill; yet it has been found that they thought most
highly of their virtues when their bones and joints
were racked with pain, their skin covered with unsightly
blotches, or their warriors weakened by wounds or
mountain sickness. During the seasons that the use of
these waters has been under observation, it has been
noticed that rheumatism, certain skin diseases and cases
of debility have been much benefitted, so far confirming
the experience of the past. The Manitou and Navajo
have also been highly praised for their relief of old
kidney and liver troubles, and the Iron Ute for chronic
alcoholism and uterine derangements. Many of the
phthisical patients who come to this dry bracing air in
increasing numbers, are also said to have drunk of the
water with evident advantage.
Professor Loew (chemist to the Wheeler expedi-
tion), speaking of the Manitou Springs as a group,
says, very justly, they resemble those of Ems and excel
those of Spa,-two of the most celebrated in Europe.
“On looking at the analyses of the Manitou group it
will be seen, that they all contain carbonic acid and
carbonate of soda, yet they vary in some of their other
constituents. We will, therefore, divide them into
three groups of carbonated soda waters: 1, The carbo-
mated soda waters proper, comprising the Navajo,
Manitou and Ute Soda, in which the soda and carbonic
acid have the chief action. 2, The purging carbonated
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 175
soda waters, comprising the Little Chief and Shoshone,
where the action of the soda and carbonic acid is
markedly modified by the sulphates of soda and potash.
3, The ferruginous carbonated soda waters, where the
action of the carbonic acid and soda is modified by the
carbonate of iron, comprising the Iron Ute and the
Little Chief, which latter belongs to this group as well
as to the preceding one.”
Whether for mere pleasure or in search of health,
Manitou is becoming a place of great and increasing
resort, owing chiefly to the facilities for reaching it
afforded by the lines of the “Burlington Route’” from
Chicago, St. Louis, and a host of other cities and towns
in the neighbouring states. Not many years ago South
Park, in common with all the others to which I have
referred, was much frequented by the western hunters,
who found in their wild and solitary glens, and in the
plains watered by the Arkansas, the Platte, and other
rivers, every description of game from the buffalo, the
elk, and the big horn, to the huge and dangerous grisly
bear. Even still, in winter, various kinds of game are
said to be obtainable within easy distance from Manitou,
driven at that season to the lower grounds by the
accumulation of snow on the great mountains. “In
summer time,” to quote from Lord Dunraven, “beauti-
ful but dangerous creatures roam the park. The tracks
of tiny little shoes are more frequent than the less
176 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
interesting but harmless footprints of mountain sheep.
You are more likely to catch a glimpse of the hem of a
white petticoat in the distance, than of the glancing form
of a deer. The marks of carriage wheels are more
plentiful than elk signs, and you are not now so liable
to be scared by the human-like track of a gigantic bear,
as by the appalling impress of a number eleven boot.”
Besides the walks in its immediate vicinity, and in-
dependent of the ascent of Pike's Peak, many beautiful
excursions may be made from Manitou, but the Rain-
bow Falls, the Garden of the Gods and the Cave of the
Winds, especially deserve to be visited. Colorado
Springs lies to the right of the railway line from Pueblo
to Denver. It is well situated, and has already a very
considerable population, chief amongst whom are the
wealthy mime and ranche owners of the neighbouring
districts, who use it as their winter home. It is said,
and from all accounts with truth, that within ten miles
of the town, there are “more interesting, varied and
famous scenic attractions, than in any similar compass
the country over.”
CHAPTER IX.
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND THE PRAIRIES-MYTHS AND LEGENDs of
THE INDIANS—THE TRIBES OF COLORADo, ARKANSAS AND NEBRASKA
—TRAITS OF CHARACTER—THEIR HABITS AND CUSTOMs.
BUT our interest in the mountains of Colorado, and in
the prairies which stretch from them for hundreds of
miles to the northward and eastward, is not confined to
the grand scenery and mineral resources of the one, or
to the rich pastures and agricultural capacity of the
other. As man’s relations to external nature and to his
fellow men have, in all conditions of society, determined
the range of his knowledge and the extent of his obliga-
tions, it becomes necessary, in order to completé any
comparison which may be attempted between the past
and present condition of things within the area which
comprises these great mountains and plains, that we
should know something of the Myths and Legends
associated with them, and of the character, habits and
customs of the savage people by whom they were
inhabited, prior to the intrusion of the civilized race.
The Rocky Mountains were always looked upon by the
Indians with the utmost veneration. They called them
L
178 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
(says the Abbé Domenech) the “Bridge of the World,”
and believed that the Manitou, -the spirit or master of
life, L-resided in one of the more rugged eminences
of this great range. The more eastern tribes called
them the “Mountains of the Setting Sun,” and there
placed their ideal paradise, their happy hunting grounds,
invisible to mortal eyes. There, too, was the “Land of
Souls” or of “Shades,” wherein were villages inhabited
by the free spirits of the generous and good, who,
during life, sought to please the great Manitou, and
whose reward was the enjoyment of everlasting happi-
ness. The Indians of the more distant tribes related
great prodigies of these mountains. They fancied that
when they breathed their last, their spirits would be
obliged to run over them, to climb the steepest peaks,
passing amid shaking rocks, and snow and furious
torrents, and that in this manner, after months of
fatigue and danger, they would reach the summit, and
from thence discover the Land of Shades, where they
could see the souls of the brave and good, dwelling
under beautiful tents, pitched in fields of luxuriant
verdure, watered by shining rivulets, and filled with
buffaloes, elks and roe-bucks. The spirits of those
who had behaved righteously during their mortal lives
would be allowed to partake of the bliss and riches of
that delightful country, while the souls of those who
had not been faithful to the Great Spirit would be
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 179
obliged to redescend on the western side and roam about
the sterile plains of the Great Desert, suffering continual
hunger and thirst, rendered all the more poignant by
their having seen their former companions happy and
enjoying perpetual felicity. There are many beautiful
and curious legends connected with the Rocky Moun-
tains, and more especially with Canons of the Gunnison
and Arkansas, which are to be found in the works of
Schoolcraft, Catlin and others, but the space at my
disposal does not permit me to repeat them here. There
are also many legends connected with the prairies,
amongst which that of the “Magic Circle,” trans-
lated by Domenech, is especially interesting. In former
days, travellers through these great plains came upon
broad circular paths completely denuded of vegetation,
which were called “Circles of the Prairies.” These
were, no doubt, caused in some peculiar manner by
buffaloes or other wild animals, although their origin
has often been assigned to other and more contestible
causes. The legend has relation to these circles, and is
as follows:—“One day, whilst in the prairie, the
hunter Algon arrived at a circular pathway, but there
was no trace of footsteps on the surrounding ground.
The path itself was even, well beaten and appeared to
to have been recently frequented by numerous human
visitors. Surprised and puzzled by what he saw, he
hid himself in the grass in order to discover the cause
180 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
of this apparent mystery. After waiting a few
minutes he heard melodious music in the air, the
sounds of which reached his ears at regular intervals.
Amazed and charmed he stood motionless, but could at
first see nothing save a vague white speck, too distant
to be distinguished. Gradually it became more visible,
and the music more soft and agreeable, and as it
approached the place where he lay concealed, he dis-
covered that what he had at first taken to be a tiny
cloud, was an osier basket containing twelve young
girls of exquisite beauty, each having a sort of little
drum on which she tapped, whilst they all sang with
superhuman grace. The basket descended into the
middle of the circle, and the moment it touched the
ground the twelve young girls alighted and began to
dance on the little path, at the same time throwing a
ball, which was as brilliant as a diamond, from one to
another.
“Algon had seen many dances, but none were similar
to this one, neither was the music like any he had yet
heard; and the beauty of the dancers surpassed all that
his imagination had ever conceived. He admired them
all, but being particularly fascinated by the graceful
manner of the youngest, he determined to do all in his
power to capture her. To effect this he approached the
mysterious circle slowly and cautiously, so as not to
be perceived, and was just on the point of seizing the
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 181
object of his choice, when suddenly the twelve girls
sprang into the basket, and ascending rapidly into the
air soon disappeared. Algon was in despair at his
failure. He cursed his fate exclaiming : “They are
gone for ever, and I shall behold them no more.’ He
returned to his cabin, sad and dejected, but on the
following day he again went out to the prairie, in the
hope that his treasure would again be there. He hid
himself as on the preceding day, and lo, scarcely had
he taken up his position when he heard the same
music, and saw the basket redescend with the same
young maidens, who, as soon as it touched the earth,
began to dance as on the previous eve. Then, for the
second time, he advanced towards them, but the
moment they perceived him, they jumped into the
basket, and were going to recommence their ačriel
journey, when the eldest said to her sisters: “Stay, let
us see, perhaps he wishes to teach us how mortals
9
dance and play on earth P’ “Oh no,” replied the
youngest, ‘let us quickly ascend, I am frightened,—
whereupon they all began to sing, and started for the
ethereal regions. Algon went home more distracted
and crest fallen than before, but on the morrow he
again returned to the prairie. While meditating as to
how he could succeed on his third attempt, be found an
old trunk of a tree, which harboured countless mice;
he thought that the sight of so small a creature would
182 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
cause no suspicion to arise among the young girls; and,
thanks to the magie power of an amulet which he wore,
he was enabled to assume the form of a mouse, having
first taken the precaution to move the trunk of the tree
as close as possible to the circle. The twelve sisters
again descended and commenced there accustomed
diversions. All of a sudden the youngest said to the
others, “Do you see that trunk of a tree ? it was not here
yesterday !’ And she ran towards the basket; but her
sisters began to laugh, and, surrounding the object of
her fears, threw it down by way of amusement. All
the mice immediately took to flight ; but they were
pursued and killed, with the exception of Algon, who,
retaking his natural form of hunter at the very moment
the youngest sister had lifted a stick to strike him,
sprang upon his prey, whilst her affrigted companions
got into the basket, which carried them up speedily.
“The happy hunter wiped away the tears that flowed
from the eyes of his conquest; he called her his bride,
and sought by every means his heart could suggest to
prove his affection for her; he gave her the most
tender caresses, and as he was conducting her to his
cabin he was careful to put aside the briars and
branches, lest they should knock against, or injure the
frail and elegant form of his beloved. When he
reached his home he considered himself the most
fortunate being on earth. Their marriage was at once
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 183,
celebrated amid every imaginable festivity, and in due
time the joy of the hunter was further increased by the
birth of a son. But his young wife, being the daughter
of a star, found the earth but little suited to her celes- .
tial nature; her health declined, and she longed to
return to her father once more ; yet she carefully con-
cealed her desires from Algon so as not to afflict his
heart, for she loved him dearly.
“One day, remembering the incantations enabling her
and her former companions to return to the skies, and
choosing the occasion of a hunt in which her husband
was engaged, she made a little basket of osier twigs,
then gathered all sorts of flowers, caught birds, and
collected every curiosity that she thought would please
her father, took her son with her, and went to the magic .
circle; here she got into her basket with all her
treasures, and commenced the song she had chanted
with her sisters in by-gone days. Immediately the
basket rose gently in the air, whilst the breath of the
prairies wafted the sweet notes of her song to the ears of
her husband. That voice and that chant were well
known to him. Foreboding some misfortune, he
hastened at once to the magic circle; but arrived
too late. He saw nothing but a white speck disap-
pearing in the clouds, and heard a feeble and melodious
note dying in space, like the last whisper of the breeze,
or the last sigh of a babe.”
184 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
His affliction and despair were very great, but it
may be some consolation to my readers to know that,
two years afterwards, he was enabled, by the enchant-
ments of his wife, to join her in her starry home, where
they are both enjoying everlasting bliss.
It will have been gathered from the preceding chap-
ters that the principal tribes which occupied the area
comprising the present States of Utah, Colorado, Kan-
sas and Nebraska in 1848, were the Shoshones (of whom
the Diggers are an offshoot), the Cheyennes, the Ara-
pahoes (also connected with the Shoshones), the Sioux
and the Pawnees. The Shoshone tribe had for centuries
held exclusive possession of the country from the
Missouri to that part of the Rocky Mountains which
extends from the Bear River Valley to the sources of
the Green River. From this tribe many migrations
drifted to the southward, and there formed themselves
into separate nations, of which the Snakes and Comanches
are two of the most important. The Shoshones had
previously also inhabited the country watered by the
Tjpper Missouri, from which, however, they were driven
by the Blackfeet, after a long and bloody war, the
ultimate success of the latter having been chiefly due to
the possession of fire arms, which they obtained from
Spanish traders settled in Lower California. The
Digger branch of this tribe occupied the Great Basin
close up to the western slopes of the Wahsatch and
PROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 185
|Uintah Mountains, and were (as already mentioned)
always looked upon as the lowest type of the North
American Indian, a fact due, no doubt, to the peculiar
physical conditions of the country they inhabited, and
the scanty means of living which it afforded. They
were, nevertheless, clever in their mode of adapting
themselves to those conditions, and in the simple arts
required for procuring, and preserving their food, which
consisted chiefly of fish, of the bulbous roots of various
plants, of acorns, lizards, grasshoppers, and the larvae
of insects. Their mode of catching grasshoppers was
not a little ingenious. A number of holes were dug, deep
enough to prevent the insects which fell into them from
jumping out again. The Indians then formed a circle
enclosing a considerable area infested by the insects,
and old and young, armed with bushes of artemisia,
drove the grasshoppers before them towards the holes,
into which they fell as the circle closed upon them.
When trapped they were usually suffocated with the
smoke of damp grass, and then placed for keeping in
bags made from rushes. These unfortunate people,
however, generally suffered much from hunger and cold
during the winter months.
In a preceding chapter I have given an account of
Fremont’s meeting with some of them and with a
party of the higher Shoshone, during his journey down
186 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
the valley of the Bear River, from which some idea
may have been formed of their then condition.
The Cheyennes possessed that part of the country now
traversed by the Union Pacific Railway, which lies
between the Black Hills and the Rocky Mountains.
They were considered one of the finest races of North
America, though somewhat inferior in size to the Osages.
Their chief wealth consisted of horses, of which they
had immense herds, depastured on the prairies watered
by the Platte and its tributaries, and they formerly
carried on a considerable trade in these animals with
the settlers in Kansas and Missouri. They were the
boldest horsemen and bravest warriors of the whole
region, and their continual wars with the Pawnees and
Blackfeet, rendered them surprisingly active and fear-
less. It was singular that the Government of the
TJnited States should, on the annexation of Colorado
and Wyoming, have either omitted or forgotten to
include this tribe in its bounty to the Indians of the
west. The Cheyennes accordingly complained to some
American officers, saying:—“We have neither robbed
you nor harmed you in any way ; yet you show no
attention to us, and you load with presents the Pawnees,
who plunder and kill the men of your nation.” The
Cheyennes, too, had a reputation for greater liberality
in their dealings with the white men and of being less
given to thieving than the people of other tribes. One
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 187
of their chiefs, named O-cum-who-wust, some time ago
prevailed upon his countrymen to build permanent
dwellings, cultivate the land and rear flocks like
the whites, and their condition has consequently
much improved. Their traditions resemble those of
nearly all the wandering tribes. They say they are
descended from a great nation, called the Showays, who
lived on a branch of the North Red River, which
empties itself into Lake Winnipeg. After obstinate
conflicts with the Sioux they were compelled to
migrate beyond the Missouri and never found security
against their more powerful foes until they took refuge
behind the Black Hills.
The Sioux occupied the North Eastern parts of
Colorado. They possessed innumerable legends on a
variety of subjects, which were transmitted orally from
generation to generation, but these appear to have but
little value in connection with their early history. They
were exceedingly clever in the art of pictography, and
were a brave and intelligent people.
During a long period they were constantly at war
with the Chippeways, and the following account is
given of its origin :—Long before the white men had
found their way into the west, the Sioux occupied a
town at the mouth of a river much frequented by
sturgeon. This town was governed by a powerful
chief, who had the control of the river for some dis-
188 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
tance above it. Higher up were settlements belonging
to the Chippeways, under a chief who was also
renowned for his bravery and justice. This chief had
married the sister of the chief of the Sioux, by
whom he had a son. The tribes had always lived on
friendly terms, until one day the Sioux caused the
river to be barred with Osier gratings, in order to
prevent the sturgeons from making their way up the
stream. This act occasioned a serious famine among
the Chippeways; and their chief, having learned what
his brother-in-law had done, sent his son to pray that
the bar might be removed, so that the fish might come
up the river as formerly. The Sioux chief, instead of
acceding to this request,--which his nephew conveyed
to him in respectful terms, laid hold of the young
man’s head, and passed under the scalp the bone of a
deer’s leg, cut to a point, saying, “That is all I can do
for you.”
The poor lad, without making any reply, returned to
his tribe, taking care to cover his head. When he had
assembled the principal warriors, he showed them the
bone which traversed his scalp, his head being much
inflamed by the wound. Then he said, “See how I
have been treated ; we must take up the hatchet and
depart to-morrow morning to avenge the insult which
has been offered to a warrior of your tribe.” He
himself naturally became the leader of the expedition,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 189
and commanded his warriors to massacre all who re-
sisted, but to take his uncle alive, which they succeeded
in doing. The nephew then took a small sturgeon and
forced it into the throat of his uncle, saying, “Since
you are so fond of this fish, you shall be allowed to
enjoy one until your death.” The bar was removed
from the river and the Chippeways were relieved from
famine, but the Sioux formed alliances with the neigh-
bouring tribes and waged a war with their ancient
friends, which nearly proved fatal to all.
There are in the history of the “Blackbird,” a re-
nowned chief of the Sioux, traits of great cruelty, which
show all the craft of which the red-skins were capable
in order to gain their ends, and how willingly they
made use of the most horrible means in order to succeed
in their plans. He belonged to a section of the tribe
which was almost the first that traded with the white
itinerant traders from the east of the Mississippi, and it
was thus he proceeded:—When a trader arrived in the vil-
lage he had him conducted to his hut, and there making
him unpack his goods, he chose the best of everything,
whether coverings, tobacco, beads or vermillion, which
he took for himself. He then sent heralds to bid the
people to come forward and exchange their furs for the
white man’s goods, but forbade them to dispute the
trader's prices, who thus more than made up for the
sacrifice imposed on him by the wily chief, who by
190 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
these means soon became possessed of considerable
wealth, and, moreover, became very popular amongst
the white men who traded with his people. Not so
with the people of his tribe, however, who looked upon
the matter in quite another light, and who soon began
to murmur at a spoliation so injurious to their interests.
But while this dissatisfaction was most rife a trader
taught the Blackbird the fatal effects of arsenic, and
sold him a quantity of that poison, which would render
him a terror to his discontented tribe. And so it did,
for from that day the chief appeared to his ignorant
followers as a supernatural being, for when any one
seemed inclined to doubt his authority or to dispute his
orders, he predicted his death at a time given; and, as
at the hour foretold the unfortunate wretch expired
amidst unknown tortures, the terrible prophet became,
in a short time, a despot whose power was only equalled
by the awe he inspired in those who had witnessed the
effects of his anger and vengeance. It is fair, however,
to say, that his personal valour was great, and that he
added much by his exploits, to the prestige of his tribe.
The Pawnees, who occupied a large part of the eastern
side of the Rocky Mountains and the plains stretching
towards the Mississippi, were, before 1832, a very power-
ful nation, but in that year more than half the tribe
perished by small-pox. The remainder were scattered
through Kansas and Nebraska. They were a brave
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 191
people, but addicted to plunder and reckless in their
cruelty to their enemies. The women cultivated a little
Indian corn, but the warriors rarely used anything but
animal food obtained by the chase.
In the next chapter will be found a description of a
“cerne” or “surround ’’ of buffaloes, that took place
during Fremont's first expedition to the Rocky
Mountains, which would at first sight appear to indicate
a reckless waste of animal life; but it is remarkable
that savage man, notwithstanding occasional exhibitions
of apparent wantonness and recklessness, rarely inter-
feres with the progress of natural operations to any
injurious extent; and, looking to the immense herds of
buffalo which existed, even so late as 1842, notwith-
standing the great and increasing demand for “robes,”
we may assume that slaughters of the kind described
by Fremont, had but little effect in decreasing their
numbers. The following anecdote will serve to show
that, even amongst men so savage as the Pawnees, the
finer human sentiments were not altogether obliterated
from their character. Some years ago a young chief of
that nation, son of a noted leader named Old Knife, who,
even at the early age of one and twenty, had by his
exploits gained the surname of “brave among the
brave,” put an end, by the following remarkable act
of audacious courage, to the barbarous custom of burn-
ing prisoners to death which had long been indulged
in by his people.
192 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
A young woman of the Cadouca nation had been
destined to suffer the horrible fate of a prisoner. At the
hour fixed for the sacrifice, the victim was tied to the
stake in the presence of the whole tribe assembled to wit-
ness the ceremony. Just as the fire was about to be put
to the faggots, the young warrior (who had prepared un-
observed two strong and swift horses, with provisions
for a long journey) sprang forward from his place, and
delivered the unfortunate woman from the stake. He
took her in his arms, and, breaking through the amazed
crowd, placed her on one horse and himself mounted the
other. Both then dashed off at full speed, leaving the
spectators thunderstruck at such a bold and unparalleled
proceeding. He conducted the captive through the
desert towards her own country, and when near it
made her a present of the horse she was on, and gave
her provisions, so that she might regain her village
without suffering from fatigue or hunger. Such was
his popularity amongst his own tribe, that no one
attempted to call him to account for this action, his act
being considered as an inspiration of the Great Spirit;
and the Pawnees from that time ceased entirely to offer
up human sacrifices. This story became known at
Washington, and made a deep impression on the
teachers and pupils of a boarding school for boys and
girls, who resolved to raise a subscription amongst the
members of the establishment, and with the sum thus
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 193
collected to send a commemorative gift to the son of the
Old Knife, in token of their admiration for his noble
conduct. They consequently had a silver medal struck,
with an appropriate inscription, which was sent to the
brave Pawnee, with the following letter:—
“Brother, Accept this mark of our esteem. Wear
it always in remembrance of us; and if thou shouldst
have the power to save a poor woman from torture and
death, in the name of this souvenir fly to her rescue,
and restore her to life and liberty.”
To this letter the warrior made an answer, which,
literally translated, ran thus:–“ Brothers and sisters,
—Your medal will give me more pleasure than I ever
had, and I will listen to white people more than I have
hitherto done. I am glad that my brothers and sisters
have considered that my deed was good. I acted in
ignorance, not knowing that it was a good action ; but
the medal teaches me that I have done, well.”
The habits and customs of the several above-men-
tioned tribes varied to a certain extent, but there were
many which were common to all. For example, when-
ever any intercourse became necessary between two
tribes, the delegates for the one always approached in a
solemn dance, at the same time presenting the calumet
or “Pipe of Peace,” whilst the “Sachems,” or just and
wise chiefs of the other, received it with the same
ceremony. When war was denounced against an enemy,
M
194 FIROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
it was invariably heralded by a dance expressive of anger
and of meditated vengeance. If the Great Spirit was
to be invoked, or his beneficence celebrated, if there were
rejoicings at a birth of a child, or lamentations for the
death of a warrior, there was always a dance appropriate
to the occasion, and suited to the sentiments with which
they were animated. Indeed, there was scarcely any
event of importance, either to the tribe or in the life of
any individual belonging to it, which was not celebrated
in this manner. Their religion, though of peculiar
interest, has always been a difficult subject to under-
stand. It was generally interwoven with gross super-
stitions and with practices so entirely at variance with
the conception of a beneficent Deity, as to preclude any
possibility of comparison with the professed religion of
any civilized European country: for, although they
believed that the Manitou or Great Spirit rewarded the
souls of those who had lived good lives, in their accepta-
tion of the term, by admitting them to share in the de-
lights of the happy hunting grounds, they also believed
that, during life, he neverinterposed to prevent their being
thwarted or injured by evil spirits, of which numbers were
as they thought, on the alert to do mischief, and whom
it was therefore their duty and interest to propitiate with
prayers and sacrifices. Mr. Galbraith, who, for many
years acted as Indian agent amongst the Sioux, described
them as bigoted, barbarous and exceedingly superstitious.
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN. 195
They regarded as virtuous most of the acts which we
consider vicious. Murder, arson and robbery were
treated as the means of acquiring distinction, and the
young Indian was taught, from his very childhood, to
look upon killing as the highest virtue. In their dances
and at their feasts, the warriors recited their deeds of
pillage and slaughter as precious souvenirs, and the
greatest ambition of the young “brave” was to secure
“the feather”—as the scalp-lock was euphemistically
termed—of his enemy. This was, however, but a
record of his having murdered or participated in the
murder of some human being, whether man, woman or
child was immaterial, and his appetite for slaughter,
whetted by a first success, urged him to increase the
number of feathers on his bonnet, for an Indian brave
was estimated according to the extent of such trophies.
It may, indeed, be said that, amongst the Indians, no
individual action was considered a crime, except in the
case where the victim happened to be a member of the
same tribe, every man acting upon his own judgment,
unless controlled by a superior power, which, by popular
choice, justified the exercise of authority over him.
They believed that when the Great Spirit gave them
life, he also endowed them with the right to the free
and unconstrained use of all their faculties. But, whilst
they were cruel and reckless of the rights of others, they
were generally brave, generous and hospitable; and the
196 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
Shoshones and Arapahoes were specially distinguished
by a remarkable degree of cleanliness in their persons
and domestic habits; a circumstance which stood them in
good stead when the small pox, shortly after the date
of Fremont’s explorations, nearly swept from the face
of the earth the Crows, Flat-heads, Unbiquas and
Blackfeet.
CHAPTER X.
FIRST ExPLORATIONs of KANSAS AND NEBRASKA—ALARMs—THE “CERNE ''
OF THE BUFFALos—ForT LARAMIE–IMMIGRANT PARTIEs—DANGERS
FROM HosTILE INDIANs—PRESENT CONDITION OF Country.
BUT however much our interest may be excited by a study
of the myths and legends, and of the habits and customs
of the Indians, it is much more strongly evoked by a
contemplation of the extraordinary change which took
place in the aspect of the country between the Mississippi
and the Pacific, as the result of its occupation by a civi-
lised race. Prior to the gold discoveries in California
the physical features of this immense area were but
little known. It was held solely by Indian tribes,
engaged in constant warfare, and whose only in-
tercourse with the white man had relation to the
exchange of the skins of the buffalo, the beaver and
other animals of the chase, for guns, ammunition,
whiskey, blankets and beads. The principal centre
of this trade was the town of St. Louis, situated at a
short distance below the junction of the Mississippi and
Missouri Rivers, and which, at that time, had a popula-
tion not exceeding 17,000 souls. Chicago had been
founded in 1831, but up to 1848 its population did not
198 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
exceed 5,000, and its chief business, even for some time
after the latter date, was likewise with the Indians, but
more particularly with those who occupied the country
comprised within the present States of Wisconsin, Iowa
and Minnesota. º
I have already mentioned that, until 1848-9, the
country which now constitutes the States of California,
Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Utah
and Colorado, was under the direct dominion of
Mexico, whose nominal power extended over nearly
the whole area between the Pacific Ocean and the Mis-
sissippi. Before the independence of Mexico, Spain had
been in nominal possession of the same territory, but had
not been able to found, or if to found, had been unable
to maintain any settlements to the northward of Santa
Fé, owing to the persistent hostility of the powerful
Indian tribes by which it was inhabited. The conse-
quence was that, although prior to 1848 the nominal
sovereignty of Mexico over the country now comprised
within the States of Ransas and Nebraska was not
disputed, that area, so far as civilized control was
concerned, was practically treated as derelict by the
subjects of the United States on the eastern side of the
Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and was gradually being
occupied by them and brought under the protection
of the Union. The cession of California, however, settled
all disputes as to the future nationality of the whole
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 199
country to the westward, and the only difficulty which
the United States immigrants had from thenceforth
to contend against was the hostility of the Indian
tribes. • ,
The geographical position of St. Louis made it, for
long after its foundation, the most important town, and,
as it were, the key to the vast country to the west and
north-west. It was there that the trappers and hunters,
white and Indian alike, annually assembled to lay in
supplies of ammunition and provisions, before returning
to their hunting grounds; it was there that they disposed
of the furs which they had accumulated during the pre-
vious year’s labour; it was there that they spent, in a
few days, and sometimes in a few hours, in gambling and
gross debauchery, the earnings obtained during their
long and arduous expeditions, often undertaken at the
risk of their lives; and it was from thence that the
steam-boats employed by the great fur companies were
despatched, to transport into the Indian countries along
the lines of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, the
merchandise which they gave in exchange for skins of
all sorts. And it was from this point also that all the
explorations made under the authority of the United
States Government, of the country to the west and north-
west, had been despatched. - -
. The history of these expeditions is most interesting
and instructive, not only on account of their adventurous
200 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
character, but also because they serve to bring before us,
in the strongest possible light, the enormous changes
which have taken place within the country in question,
as one of the not remote consequences of the discovery
° in the race at Sutter's
of “some glittering particles'
Mill.
The first organised expedition towards that part of
Rocky mountains which lies immediately to the west-
ward of St. Louis, was undertaken by Fremont in
1842. He started from St. Louis early in the month of
June of that year, with a party of twenty-five men fully
equipped, of whom Leonard Maxwell went as hunter,
and Kit Carson as guide. They started on the 12th
June, and on the 14th reached the ford of the Kansas.
During the journey it was their custom to encamp an
hour or two before sunset, when the carts in which their
equipment of tents, &c., were carried, were so disposed
as to form a barricade some eighty yards in diameter.
At nightfall, the horses and mules were driven in and
picketed, guard was regularly mounted, and every pre-
caution taken against any surprise attack by the Indians
who swarmed over the district in which they were
travelling. On the 23rd they had a specimen of the
alarms to which travellers in those wild regions were
then subject. Proceeding up the valley of the Kansas
objects were seen on some distant hills, which dis-
appeared before a glass could be brought to bear upon
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 201
them. A man who was at a short distance in the rear,
came galloping in, shouting “Indians ! Indians !”
He reported that he had been near enough to count
them, and that he had made out twenty-seven. The
party was at once halted, arms were examined and other
preparations made for resisting attack; and Kit Carson,
springing on one of the hunting horses, crossed the
river and galloped off to obtain intelligence of their
movements. The supposed Indians turned out to be
half-a-dozen elk, which had stood to gaze upon the
advancing party, and, looking upon them with suspicion,
had made off. On the 28th of June they had another
alarm. They had halted at noon at an open reach of
the river, which occupied rather more than a fourth of
the valley, there only about four miles broad. The
camp had been disposed with the usual precautions, the
horses grazing at a little distance attended by the guard,
and they were all sitting quietly at their dinner on the
grass, when suddenly they heard the startling cry, “Du
monde /* In an instant every man’s weapon was in his
hand, the horses were driven in, hobbled and picketed,
and horsemen were galloping at full speed in the direc-
tion of the new comers, screaming and yelling with the
wildest excitement. “Get ready my lads!” said the
leader of the approaching party to his men, when Fre-
mont's wild-looking horsemen were discovered bearing
down upon them. “ Nous allous attrapper des coups de
202 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
baguette.” They proved to be a small party of fourteen,
under the charge of a man named John Lee, and, with
their baggage and provisions strapped to their backs,
were making their way on foot to the frontier. A brief
account of their fortunes will give some idea of naviga-
tion in Nebraska forty-five years ago. Sixty days
previously they had left the mouth of Laramie's Fork,
some 300 miles above the point at which Fremont was
encamped on the Platte, in barges laden with the furs
of the American Fur Company. They started with the
annual flood, and as their barges drew only nine inches
of water, hoped to make a speedy and prosperous voyage
to St. Louis, but, after a lapse of forty days, they found
themselves only 180 miles from their point of departure.
They came down rapidly as far as Scott's Bluffs, where
their difficulties began. Sometimes they came upon
places where the water was spread over a great extent;
and there they toiled from morning until night, en-
deavouring to drag their boats through the sands,
making only two or three miles in as many days. Some-
times they would enter an arm of the river, where there
appeared a fine channel, and after descending pros-
perously for eight or ten miles, would come suddenly
upon dry sands, and be compelled to return, dragging
their boats for days against the rapid current ; and at
others, they came upon places where the water lay in
holes, and, getting out to float off their boat, would fall
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 203
into the water up to their necks, and the next moment
tumble over against a sand bar. Discouraged, at length,
and finding the Platte growing every day more shallow,
they discharged the principal part of their cargoes
at a point about 130 miles below Fort Laramie,
and, leaving a few men to guard them, attempted
to continue their voyage laden with some light
furs and their personal baggage. After fifteen or
twenty days more struggling in the sands, during which
they made but 140 miles, they sunk their barges, made
a cache of their remaining furs and property in the trees
on the bank, and, fastening on their backs what each
man could carry, had, on the previous day, commenced
their journey on foot to St. Louis.
Their forlorn and vagabond appearance excited the
laughter of Fremont and his men, but they, in their
turn, a month or two afterwards, furnished the same
occasion for merriment to others. Even their stock of
tobacco, that sine quá non of a voyageur, without which
the night fire is gloomy, was exhausted. However,
Fremont shortened their homeward journey by giving
them a small supply from his own provisions. They
gave him, in return, the welcome intelligence that the
buffalo were abundant some two days’ march in advance,
and made him a present of some choice pieces, which
were a very acceptable change from the salt pork he and
his men had been using. In the interchange of views, and
204 EROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
the renewal of old acquaintanceship, sufficient was found
to fill a busy hour; then one party mounted their horses,
the other shouldered their packs, and, having shaken
hands, they parted. Among them Fremont had found
an old companion on the northern prairie, a hardened and
hardly-served veteran of the mountains, who had been as
much hacked and scarred as a “vieua moustache” of
Napoleon’s “Old Guard.” He flourished under the
soubriquet of La Tulipe, but his real name Fremont
never knew. Finding that he was going to the States
only because his company was bound in that direction,
and that he was rather more willing to return to the
mountains, Fremont took him again into his service.
On the 8th July they had a much more serious alarm,
of which the following is a compressed account :—
Journeying along, they came suddenly to a place
where the ground was covered with horses’ tracks, which
had been made since rain had fallen, and indicated the
presence of Indians in the immediate neighborhood. The
buffalo, too, which the day before had been so numerous,
were nowhere in sight, another sure indication that there
were people near. Riding on, they discovered the car-
case of a buffalo recently killed, perhaps the day before.
They scanned the horizon carefully with the glass, but
no living object was to be seen. For the next mile or
two the ground was dotted with buffalo carcases, which
showed that the Indians had made a surround, and were
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 205
in considerable force. They went on quietly and
cautiously, keeping the river bottom, and carefully
avoiding the hills, but they met with no interruption
and began to grow careless again. They had already
lost one of their horses and Basil Lajeinesse's mule
showed symptoms of giving out, and finally refused to
advance, being what the Canadians call reste. He
therefore dismounted, and drove her along before him,
but this was a very slow way of travelling. The chief
party had inadvertently got about half a mile in advance,
but some Cheyennes who were with Fremont were gene-
rally a mile or two in the rear. Among the hills, about
two miles to the left, and which there were low and
undulating, some dark looking objects had for some
time been seen, and were supposed to be buffalo coming
to water; but, happening to look behind, Maxwell saw
the Cheyennes whipping up furiously, and another
glance at the dark objects showed them at once to be
Indians, coming at full speed.
Had Fremont and his party been well mounted, and
disencumbered of instruments, they might have set them
at defiance, but as it was they were fairly caught. They
endeavoured to gain a clump of timber about half-a-mile
ahead; but the instruments and the tired state of the
horses, did not allow them to go faster than a steady
canter, and the Indians were gaining on them fast. At
first they did not appear to be more than 1b or 20 in
206 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
number, but group after group darted into view at the
top of the hills, until all the little eminences seemed in
motion, and, in a few minutes from the time they were
first discovered, 200 to 300, naked to the breech cloth,
were sweeping across the prairie. In a few hundred
yards Fremont discovered that the timber he was en-
deavouring to make, was on the opposite side of the
river, and before they could reach the bank, down came
the Indians upon them.
In a few seconds more the leading man, and perhaps
some of his companions, would have rolled in the dust,
for Fremont’s men had jerked the covers from their
guns, and their fingers were on the triggers. Men, in
such cases, generally act from instinct, and a charge
from 300 naked savages is a circumstance not well
calculated to promote a cool exercise of judgment. Just
as they were about to fire, Maxwell recognised the
leading Indian and shouted to him in his own
language, “You’re a fool, damn you ! I)on’t you know
me P” The sound of his own language seemed to shock
the savage, and swerving his horse a little, he passed like
an arrow. He wheeled as Fremont rode out towards
him, and gave him his hand, striking his breast and ex-
!” They proved to be a village of
claiming “Arapaho
that nation among whom Maxwell had resided as a
trader a year or two previously, and recognised him ac-
cordingly. Fremont's other men were soon in the midst
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 207
of the band, answering as well as they could a multitude
of questions, of which the very first was, of what tribe
were the Indians who were coming in the rear P They
seemed disappointed to know that they were Cheyennes,
for they had fully anticipated a grand dance round a
Pawnee scalp that night.
The chief showed Fremont his village at a grove on
the river six miles ahead, and pointed out a band of
buffalo on the other side of the Platte, immediately
opposite, which, he said, they were going to surround.
They had seen the band early in the morning from their
village, and had been making a large circuit to avoid
giving them the wind, when they discovered Fremont’s .
party. In a few minutes the women came galloping up,
astride on their horses, and naked from their knees
down and their hips up. They followed the men, to
assist in cutting up and carrying off the meat.
The wind was blowing directly across the river, and
the chief requested Fremont to halt where he was for a
while, in order to avoid raising the herd. They there-
fore unsaddled the horses, and sat down on the bank
of the river to view the scene; and their new acquain-
tances rode a few hundred yards lower down, and began
crossing the river. Scores of wild-looking dogs followed,
looking like troops of wolves, and having, in fact, but
little of the dog in their composition. Some of them
remained with Fremont, and he checked one of the men,
208 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
whom he found aiming at one, which he was about to
kill for a wolf. The day had become very hot. The
air was clear, with a very slight breeze; and now at 12
o'clock, while the barometer stood at 25deg. 20min., the
attached thermometer was 108deg. The Cheyennes had
learned that at the village there were about 20 lodges
of their own people, including their own families.
They, therefore, immediately commenced making
their toilet. After bathing in the river, they inves-
ted themselves in some handsome calico shirts
which they had stolen from Fremont’s men, and spent
Some time in arranging their hair, and painting them-
selves with vermilion. While they were engaged in this
satisfactory manner, one of their half-wild horses, to
which the crowd of prancing animals which had just
passed, had recalled the freedom of her existence among
the wild droves on the prairie, suddenly dashed into the
hills at the top of her speed. She was their pack horse,
and had on her back all the worldly wealth of the
poor Cheyennes, all their accoutrements, and all the little
articles which they had picked up amongst their com-
panions, with some few presents Fremont had given
them. The loss which they seemed to regret most,
however, were their spears and shields, and some tobacco.
Dut they bore it all with the philosophy of the Indian,
and laughingly continued their toilet, although they
appeared a little mortified at the thought of returning to
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 209
the village in such a sorry plight. “Our people will
laugh at us,” said one of them, “returning to the village
on foot, instead of driving back a drove of Pawnee horses.”
He asked Fremont if he loved his sorrel hunter very
much, to which he replied that he was the object of his
most intense affection. Far from being able to give,
Fremont was himself in want of horses, and any sug-
gestion of parting with the few he had was met with
a peremptory refusal. In the meantime, the slaughter
of the buffaloes was about to commence on the other side.
So soon as they reached it, the Indians separated into
two bodies. One party proceeded directly across the
prairie towards the hills, in an extended line, while the
other went up the river; and instantly, as they had
given the wind to the herd, the chase commenced. The
buffalo started for the hills, but were intercepted and
driven back toward the river, broken and running in
every direction. Clouds of dust soon covered the whole
scene, preventing any but an occasional view. It had a
very singular appearance at a distance, especially when
looking with a glass. Fremont was too far to hear the
report of the guns, or any sound; but at every instant,
through the clouds of dust which the sun made luminous,
he could see for a moment two or three buffalo dashing
along, and close behind them an Indian with his long
spear or other weapon, and instantly again they dis-
appeared. The apparent silence, and the dimly seen
N
210 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
figures flitting by with such rapidity, gave it a kind of
dreamy effect, and seemed more like a picture than a
scene of real life. It had been a large herd when the
cerne commenced, probably 300 or 400 in number; but
though Fremont watched them closely, he did not see
one emerge from the fatal cloud, where the work of
destruction was going on. After remaining there about
an hour they resumed their journey in the direction of
the village.
Gradually as they rode on, Indian after Indian came
dropping along, laden with meat; and by the time they.
had neared the lodges, the backward road was covered
with the returning horsemen. It was a pleasant contrast
with the desert road they had been travelling. Several
had joined company with them, and one of the chiefs
invited them to his lodge. The village consisted of
about 125 lodges, of which twenty were Cheyennes, the
latter pitched a little apart from the Arapahoes. They
were disposed in a scattering manner on both sides of an
irregular street, about 150 feet wide, and running along
the river. As Fremont and his party rode along, they
remarked near some of the lodges, a kind of tripod frame,
formed of three slender poles of birch, scraped very
clean, to which were affixed the shield and spear with
some other weapons of a chief. All were scrupulously
clean : the spear head was burnished bright, and the
shield white and stainless. It reminded him of the days
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 211
of feudal chivalry; and when, as he rode by, he yielded
to the passing impulse and touched one of the spotless
shields with the muzzle of his gun, he almost expected a
grim warrior to start from the lodge and resent his
challenge.
The master of the lodge spread out a robe for him to
sit upon, and the squaws set before him a large wooden
dish of buffalo meat. The chief had lighted his pipe in
the meanwhile, and when it had been passed round,
dinner was commenced, while he continued to smoke.
Gradually, five or six other chiefs came in, and took
their seats in silence. When dinner was finished, the
host asked Fremont a number of questions relative to
the object of his journey, of which Fremont made no
concealment ; telling him, simply, that they were making
a visit to see the country preparatory to the estab-
lishment of military posts on the way to the mountains.
Although this information was of the highest interest to
them, and by no means calculated to please them, it
excited no expression of surprise, and in no way altered
the grave courtesy of their demeanour. The others lis-
tened and smoked. He remarked that, in taking the
pipe for the first time, each had turned the stem upward
with a rapid glance, apparently as an offering to the
Great Spirit, before he put it into his mouth. A storm
had been gathering for the past hour, and some patter-
ing drops on the lodge warned Fremont that he had
212 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN.
Some miles to go to camp. Some Indians had given
Maxwell a bundle of dried meat, which was very accept-
able, as they had nothing; and springing upon their
horses, they rode off at dusk in the face of a cold shower
and driving wind. They found their companions under
some densely foliaged old trees, about three miles up the
river. Under one of them lay the trunk of a large
cotton-wood, to leeward of which the men had kindled
a large fire, and there they sat and roasted the meat in
tolerable shelter. Nearly opposite was the mouth of
one of the most considerable affluents of the south fork,
la Fourche auw Castors (Beaver Fork), heading off in the
ridge to the south-east. From a careful study of
Fremont’s itinerary, I am satisfied that the last of the
above occurrences took place not far from the site of
the present City of Denver.
On the 13th July he reached Fort Laramie, where he
and his party were most cordially received. They
pitched their camp on the bank of the river, whose
waters were clean and cool, and most refreshing, when
contrasted with the muddy waters of the Platte, which
they had so long been using. After describing the fort,
and the character and difficulties of the trade carried on
with the Indians, he informed us that for several years
the Cheyennes and Sioux had gradually become more
and more hostile to the whites, and in the latter part of
August, 1841, had had a rather severe engagemeut with
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 213
a party of sixty men, under the command of Mr. Frapp,
of St. Louis. The Indians lost eight or ten warriors,
and the whites had their leader and four men killed.
This fight took place on the waters of Snake River,
and it was this party, on their return under Mr. Bridger,
which had spread so much alarm among his people. In
the course of the spring two other small parties had
been cut off by the Sioux, one on their return from the
Crow nation, and the other among the Black Hills.
Some emigrants to Oregon and a party under Mr. Bridger
met at Laramie a few days before IFremont’s arrival.
Divisions and misunderstandings had grown up among
them ; they had become somewhat disheartened by the
fatigue of their long and wearisome journey, and the
feet of their cattle were so much worn as to incapacitate
them for travelling. In this situation, they were
further discouraged by the hostile attitude of the
Indians, and the new and unexpected difficulties
which sprang up before them. They were told that the
country was entirely swept of grass, and that few or no
buffalo were to be found on their line of route ; and that,
with their weakened animals, it would be impossible to
transport their heavy waggons over the mountains. Under
these circumstances they disposed of their waggons and
cattle at the forts, selling them at the prices they had paid
for them in the States, and taking in exchange coffee and
sugar at one dollar a pound, and miserable worn-out.
214 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
horses which died before they reached the mountains.
Mr. Boudeau informed Fremont that he had purchased
thirty, and the lower fort eighty head of fine cattle,
some of them of the Durham breed, at ridiculously low
prices. Mr. Fitzpatrick, whose name and high reputa-
tion were well known, had reached Laramie with Mr.
Bridger, and the emigrants were fortunate enough to
obtain his services to guide them to the British post of
Fort Hall, about 250 miles beyond the South pass of
the mountains. They had started for this post on the
4th of July, and immediately after their departure a war
party of 350 braves set out upon their trail. As their
principal chief or partisan had lost some relations in the
recent fight, and had sworn to kill the first whites on his
path, it was supposed that their intention was to
attack the party should a favourable opportunity offer;
or, if they were foiled in this by the vigilance of Mr.
Fitzpatrick, they would content themselves with stealing
horses and cutting off stragglers. They had been gone
but a few days before Fremont’s arrival at Laramie.
The effect of the engagement with Mr. Frapp had
greatly irritated the hostile spirit of the savages; and
immediately after the fight, the Gros Ventres had united
with the Oglallahs and Cheyennes, and taken the field
in great force, so far as Fremont could ascertain, to the
amount of 800 lodges. Their object was to make an
attack on a camp of Snake and Crow Indians and a body
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 215
of about 100 whites, who had made a rendezvous some-
where in the Green River valley, or on the Sweet
Water. After spending some time in buffalo hunting
in the neighbourhood of the Medicine Bow Mountain,
they were to cross over to the Green River waters, and
return to Laramie by way of the South Pass and the
Sweet Water valley. According to calculation, they
expected to find the tribes nd white people some-
where near the head of the Sweet River. Fremont
subsequently learned that the party led by Mr. Fitz-
patrick were over-taken by their pursuers near Rock
Independence, in the valley of the Sweet Water, but
were saved from surprise through Mr. Fitzpatrick's
vigilance and skill, and, small as his force was, the
Gros Ventres and their allies did not venture to
attack him openly. Mr. Fitzpatrick lost one of his party
by an accident, and continuing up the valley, came
suddenly upon a large Indian village, from which they
met a doubtful reception. Long residence and familiar
acquaintance with the tribes generally, had, however,
given Mr. Fitzpatrick great personal influence among
them, and a portion of the people of the village were
disposed to let him pass quietly, but by far the greater
number were inclined to hostile measures, and the
Chiefs spent the whole of one night in council—
during which time they kept the little party in the midst
of them,-debating the question of attacking them the
216 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN.
next day. But the influence of “the Broken hand,”
as they called Mr. Fitzpatrick, (one of his hands having
been shattered by the bursting of a gun), at length
prevailed, and obtained for them an unmolested passage;
but they sternly assured him that the path was no
longer open, and that any party of whites that should
thereafter be found upon it, would meet with certain
destruction. From all that Fremont had been able to
learn, he had no doubt that the emigrants owed their
lives to Mr. Fitzpatrick.
Thus, it would appear, that the country was swarm-
ing with scattered war parties, and it is little to be
wondered at that so much alarm prevailed among his
own men. Carson, one of the best and most experienced
of the mountaineers, fully supported the opinion given
by Bridger, of the dangerous state of the country, and
openly expressed his conviction, that Fremont and his
people would not escape without some sharp encounters
with the Indians. In addition to this Carson made
his will, a circumstance which very much increased the
alarm of the others. In fact, many of them had become
so much intimidated, that they had to be at once
discharged. A few days after this he reached Fort Platte,
situated at the junction of the Laramie River with
the Nebraska. Here he heard a confirmation of the
statements given above. The party of warriors, which
had started a few days previously on the trail of the
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 217
emigrants, was expected back in fourteen days, to join
the village with which their families and the old men had
remained; and some Indians had just come in who had
left them on the Laramie Fork, about twenty miles
above Fort Platte. Mr. Bissonette, one of the traders
belonging to Fort Platte, urged the propriety of Fre-
mont’s taking on with him an interpreter and two or
three old men of the village, in which case he thought
there would be little or no hazard in encountering any
of the war parties. The principal danger was in a
hidden and unexpected attack, before they knew who
Fremont was ; but, as the Indians generally dreaded to
bring upon themselves the military force of the United
States, the actual danger would be much diminished by
the services of an intrepreter as far as the Red Buttes,
Fremont being quite satisfied that he could sufficiently
guard against surprises. Mr. Bissonette was desirous of
joining the war party on its return, for purposes of
trade, and it therefore suited his views, as well as Fre-
mont’s, to go with the latter to the Buttes, beyond
which point it would be impossible to have prevailed on
the Sioux to venture, on account of their fear of the
Crows. From Fort Laramie to the Red Buttes, by the
ordinary route then followed, was 135 miles, and,
though that point lay only on the threshold of danger,
it seemed well to Fremont to secure the services of an
intrepreter even thus far.
218 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
I have compiled the foregoing accounts from Fremont's
reports and other sources, in order that some idea may
be formed of the condition of the present States of
Ransas and Nebraska, and indeed of the whole of the
vast country to the westward of the Mississippi, prior
to the year 1848, a condition which was rapidly changed,
however, after the discoveries of gold in California,
mainly by the operation of causes which will be dealt
with in the next chaper.
And how different was that condition from the
present It is true, that the scenery of the Rocky
Mountains is unsurpassable in beauty and grandeur;
it is true, that within and around them, are vast tracts
of country in the highest degree suitable for agricul-
tural and pastoral pursuits; and it is clear that the
construction of the lines of railway which connect the
two great oceans must, sooner or later, have led to their
occupation for those purposes; but it is equally clear
that neither scenic attractions nor agricultural
advantages would of themselves have sufficed to bring
about such changes as have actually taken place.
Now, instead of the trail of the Indian and the
trapper, the great plains of Kansas and Nebraska, right
up to the foot of the Rocky Mountains, are covered
with a net-work of railways, which connect every part
of them with the through lines of communication to
the Pacific, on the one hand, and the Atlantic and the
Gulf of Mexico, on the other. Instead of a long and
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 219
painful journey, such as that undertaken by the
Mormons, when driven out of Nanvoo, or by the
Western migrants who followed the Columbia trail, and
requiring upwards of a year of continuous travel, during
which they were exposed to constant danger and hard-
ship, the journey may now be accomplished in a few
days, with all the conveniences, and only the risks
incident to ordinary railway travelling. Instead of the
villages and wigwams of the Indians, and the solitary
forts of the traders, fortified to resist aggression, there
are now within the same area, large cities and towns
occupied by thousands of people in the enjoyment of
all the arts and comforts of civilized life. Instead of
8, desultory commerce with savage tribes, who visited the
trading posts only to barter the spoils of the chase for
arms and ammunition, intended to be used chiefly in
ministering to their love of treachery and thirst for blood,
all the occupations and industries of an advanced
community are now being carried on, by an already
immense and rapidly increasing population. And instead
of the Indian savages leading wandering and unsettled
lives, drawing nothing direct from the soil, engaged in
constant warfare, and carrying on their limited pursuits
with their lives in their hands, there are now thousands
of cultivators and miners who live in peace, and whose
labours are producing, abundantly, the means of subsis-
tence for themselves and their families, and extracting
from the mountain slopes almost fabulous mineral wealth.
CHAPTER XI.
DENVER— THE MINES AT SILVERTON AND LEADVILLE-STRANGE INCI-
DENTS – THE “SMELTERs”—RAPID PROGRESS AND BEAUTY OF
THE CITY.
I REACHED Denver late on the night of the 17th June,
the train in which I travelled having been delayed from
a variety of causes. I found excellent accommodation
at the Windsor Hotel, which was much superior to any
of the hotels in Salt Lake City. The weather continued
fine, but very hot, and but for the abundance of deli-
cious iced drinks obtainable all over the city, and
indeed, all over America, the fatigue of wandering about
the streets, interesting as they were in point of novelty,
would have been very severe.
If, when Miss Bird visited Denver, it was no longer
the Denver of Hepworth Dixon, it certainly was no
longer the Denver of Miss Bird, when I saw it. Not
only had the lines of railway, projected at the time of
her visit, been completed, but many others had been con-
structed which had not then been thought of, and instead
of the waggon ride tothe mountains, with tent, provisions,
bedding and stove, which the traveller then had to put
up with, he may now reach every part of the Rocky
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 221
Mountain Range in a few hours by rail, with the advan-
tage of a luxurious refreshment car attached to the train.
Denver has well been called “the marvellous city of
the plains.” It stands at an elevation of upwards of
5000 feet above sea level, which insures for it a pure
and invigorating air, even during the hottest season of
the year. The water supply is excellent. It is partly
derived, by pumping, from the Platte River, the water
being forced all over the city with such strength, that no
other engine is required to deliver a strong stream
through the hose, in case of fire; and partly brought in
an open flume, from a distance of about twelve miles,
and then distributed in side channels along the whole of
the streets. The force-pump supply is so abundant, too,
as to enable the gardens attached to all the private
residences in and immediately around the city, to be
thoroughly irrigated, which gives them, as well as the
streets in which they are situated, an exceeding and
delicious aspect of freshness. By its aid, moreover, the
streets themselves are kept free from dust, which would
otherwise render traffic intolerable and cause enormous
damage to all the finer classes of goods. The present
population exceeds 75,000, and there is clear evidence
that it is rapidly increasing. In fact, there seems to be
no reason why Denver should not, ere long, (as indeed its
citizens expect it to do,) become the largest city between
Chicago and San Francisco.
222 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
Much of its prosperity is undoubtedly due to the con-
struction of the various lines of railway known as the
Burlington route, which, with the Kansas division of the
TJnion Pacific, and the Atchison and Topeka lines, forms
a perfect network extending over Kansas and Nebraska,
the proprietors of which, by a wise and liberal policy,
have contributed much to the development of every
part of the country through which it passes. Denver
had a population of 7000 only in 1870, but during the
previous year the foundation of the mineral industries of
the Rocky Mountains had been well laid. Its progress
from that time became certain. In the following year
the population increased to 15,000, and the tax valuation
of the city rose from three to ten millions of dollars.
Owing to some over speculation in 1873, this sudden
flush received a check which lasted for two or three
years. But the business people of Denver successfully
weathered the storm, and 1877, -a year of unexampled
prosperity for the miners, the farmers, and the stock-
owners of Colorado, yielded no less than $15,000,000
net profit, to the wealth of those who were engaged
in those industries. The result was to give a further
great impulse to the trade and business of the city,
which have not since received a check.
It is well built, on the ordinary plan of American
cities generally. Many blocks in succession, in various
parts of the town, are occupied by handsome houses, in
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LARE MICHIGAN. 223
endless variety of architecture, each surrounded by its
lawn and garden abounding in beautiful flowers. They
are all nice looking, whilst many of the larger ones
present an attractive appearance. A large number of
the houses have flat roofs, from which, where sufficiently
lofty, magnificent views of the great mountain peaks are
obtained. The public buildings, and especially the
Capitol, are remarkably fine, the latter standing upon
an elevation, which commands excellent views over the
whole city. It has also a branch of the United States
Mint, but the work there is at present confined to assays
only. A handsome building is in course of erection,
with all the necessary appliances for carrying on this
class of work on a large scale. Whether coinage will
be added has not yet been finally determined. Inde-
pendently of the great “Smelters,” to which I will
hereafter allude more at length, Denver contains many
extensive manufactories, including iron works of various
kinds, machine shops, woollen mills, glass works, boot
and shoe factories, carriage and harness factories, flour
mills, breweries, where, owing to the facility for obtaining
supplies of ice from the neighbouring mountains, large
quantities of excellent lager beer are made, and a variety
of other works in which all the industries necessary for
Satisfying the requirements of a civilized people are
carried on. It is a remarkable fact, too, that so great
are the profits which accrue to the owners of these
224 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
various works, and, indeed, even to the great mass of
the retail traders in the city, from the exercise of their
several undertakings and pursuits, that nearly every
resident in it has a direct financial interest in one or
more of the mines, farms, and cattle and sheep stations,
which obtain from it their current supplies of goods.
But it is clear that the rapid progress of Denver, and,
indeed, of Colorado generally, is mainly due to the dis-
covery and utilization of the enormous mineral resources
of the Rocky Mountains, of which Silverton, Silver
Cliff, Leadville, Lake City, Ouray and Crested Butte,
are the chief centres. My space, however, will only
permit me to allude to two of the more remarkable of
these districts.
The mines at Silver Cliff are said to be very singular
in character. They were discovered in July 1877, by
Mr. R. Edwards, of the firm of Edwards Brothers,
then carrying on sawmills in Texas and Grape Creeks.
On his way one evening from one of the mills to
Rosita, Mr. Edwards stopped in the shade of a low bluff
of jet-stained reddish rock, which stood out from the
slope of the hill on the western side of the valley,
seven miles north of his destination. S, ruck with the
peculiar appearance of the rock he took some specimens,
which on assay proved to be silver ore, yielding twenty-
four ounces to the ton. His discovery having become
known, a large number of persons from Rosita migrated
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 225
to the rock, which they agreed to call Silver Cliff.
TJnder the impression, however, that gold would be
found, they began to dig for it in the ordinary way, but
as their efforts came to nothing, the place was soon
abandoned. In the spring of 1878 some fresh pros-
pectors tried the ground for silver, and located the
’ mine and various others, which have
“Racine Boy’
since proved to be very productive. The Hardscrabble
mining district, in which Silver Cliff and Rosita are
situated, lies on the west side of the foot hills of the
Mojada Mountains, the streams from which flow into
the Arkansas, through a Canon some few miles to
the east of Canon City. The geological formation
of this rich mineral belt is very peculiar and interesting,
and is thus described in a work on the geology of
this part of the Rocky Mountains:— -
“Resting upon and against the granite of the Wet
Mountain Range and its higher foothills, and extending
down into the valley beyond the southern line of the
belt, lies an enormous deposit of porphyry or trachyte,
a volcanic rock poured out and consolidated during the
tertiary period. Its width is at least five miles, and its
length is probably fifteen or twenty. Extending into
the trachyte formation from the southwest, and following
its general direction, is a tongue-shaped mass of granite
about three-fourths of a mile wide and at least seven or
eight miles long. When the trachyte was poured out,
O
226 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
this granite apparently formed a ridge which rose
above the level of the fluid mass of the surrounding
volcanic rock, and therefore was not covered by it.
That it does not now stand higher than the surrounding
country does not disprove this theory, because there are
everywhere to be found, evidences of terrible convul-
sions since the trachyte was deposited, which have
completely changed the face of this entire region. The
mines here are found both in the granite and
the trachyte. Winding through the porphyry in a
serpentine course, there is also a stream of obsidian, as
it is called here, or volcanic glass mixed with trachyte
and quartz boulders. This stream, where it has been
examined, varies from a few feet to many rods in
width, and in crevices of the boulders, which form the
mass of it, were found, on the Hecla claim, some very
rich specimens of horn silver.
“At Silver Cliff, and north of these especially, the
trachyte rock has been shaken up and fractured in all
directions, and in many places the crevices have been
filled with iron and manganese which has become
oxidized, and with chloride of silver. This is the free
milling ore which is found in all the mines that lie
directly north of this town and adjoining it. The
trachyte is of itself yellowish white ; when it is stained
with the black oxide of manganese and the red oxide of
iron that variegates the ores, it is sure to carry silver,
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 227
though this (in the form of a chloride) can rarely be
seen. Sometimes, however, the silver can be seen upon
the surface of a fracture in the form of a green scale, or
appears in little globules of horn silver. While the
rich ore is discovered in large masses, surrounded by
leaner or less valuable rock, there is nowhere in the
chloride belt anything that looks like a vein. The rock
just covers the entire face of the country over an area
of two miles long and half a mile wide, and the whole
mass of it contains at least a small quantity of silver.
“The theory of the geologists accepted by the miners
is, that the trachyte, after it become solidified, was
shaken and broken up by some great convulsion, and
that, simultaneously or afterward, silver, iron, man-
gamese, and the other metals, of which traces are found
in the rock, were disseminated through crevices, either
in water solutions or volatilized in the form of gases.
These solutions or gases are supposed to have come up
through cracks in the earth’s crust. Such a deposit is
called in the old world ‘stockwork,” and Professor
J. S. Newberry, in writing recently of ‘The Origin and
Classification of Ore Deposits,” mentions this as one of
the two most important examples of this kind of deposit
that have come under his observation. The other is
the gold deposit in Bingham Canon, Utah. None of
the oldest miners ever saw before any ore that looked
like this at Silver Cliff; and this explains their failure
228 |FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LARE MICHIG AN.
to discover its value until recently. The same is true
of the quartzite gold ore in Bingham Canon. The
miners worked for years there getting out silver-lead
ores, but threw aside the gold ore as waste, not
dreaming of its value.”
The history of the discovery of silver ores at Lead-
ville is even more remarkable than that at Silver Cliff.
The story is well told in an article, headed the “Camp
of the Carbonates,” by Ingersoll, printed in Scribner’s
Monthly for October 1879, which contains many anec-
dotes of great interest, of the hardships and adventures
endured by the early mining population :-
“After the rush to Pike's Peak, in 1859, which was
dissappointing enough to the majority of prospectors,
a number of men pushed westward. One party made
their way by the Ute Pass into the grand meadows of
South Park, and from thence into the Arkansas valley,
up which they proceeded, searching unsuccessfully for
gold, until they reached a wide plateau, on the right
bank, where a beautiful little stream came down.
Following this nearly to its source, along what they
called California Gulch, they were delighted to find
placers" of gold. This was in the midsummer of 1860,
and before the close of the hot weather, ten thousand
* Placer was the name given by the Spaniards to what in
Australia are known as alluvial diggings.
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 229
people had emigrated to the Arkansas, and $2,500,000
worth of gold had been washed out, one of the original
explorers taking twenty-nine pounds of gold away with
him in the fall, besides selling, for $500, a ‘worked out”
claim, from which $15,000 was taken within the next
three months. This same “exhausted' gravel has since
been washed a third and fourth time with profit. It
was not long, however, before the placers began to be
exhausted, and the settlement, formed whilst they were
in full swing, was gradually abandoned, the last act
being to pull down the old log gambling hall, and to
pan two thousand dollars out of the dirt, accumulated
near the spot where the gamblers had dropped their
coveted gains.
“One feature of this old placer-bar had impressed
itself unpleasantly upon all the gold seekers. In the
bottoms of their pans and rockers, at each washing,
there accumulated a black sand, so heavy that it
interfered with the proper settling of the gold, and was so
abundant that it clogged the riffles. Who first
determined this obnoxious black sand to be carbonate
of lead is uncertain. It is said it was assayed in 1866,
but not found valuable enough to pay transportation to
Denver, then the nearest point at which it could be
smelted. One of the most productive mines now
operated is said to have been discovered in '67, and in
this way; Mr. Long, at that time the most poverty-
230 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
stricken of prospectors, went out to shoot his breakfast,
and brought down a deer. In its dying struggles the
animal kicked up the earth, which appeared so promising
that Long and his partner Derry located a claim on the
spot. The Camp Bird, Rock Lode, La Plata and others
were opened simultaneously outside the placers, but all
these were worked for gold, and though even then it
seemed to have been understood, in a vague way, that
the lead ores were impregnated with silver, nobody
profited by the information. Thus years passed, and
many an old campaigner hunted and even mined
at what now is Leadville, and never suspected the
wealth he trampled upon.
“Among the few men who happened to be in the
region in 1877, was. Mr. A. B. Wood, a shrewd
practical man, who, finding a large quantity of the
heavy black sand, tested it anew and extracted a large
proportion of silver. He confided in Mr. William H.
Stevens, and they together began searching for the
source of this sand drift, and decided it must be between
the limestone outcropping down the gulch and the
porphyry which composed the summit of the mountain.
Sinking trial shafts, they sought the silver mean. It
took time and money, and the few placer-washers
there laughed at them for a pair of fools; but the men
said nothing, and in the course of a few weeks they
‘struck it.’ Then came a period of excitement and
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 231
particularly lively times for the originators of the
enterprise. Mr. Stevens was a citizen of Detroit, and,
finding a chance for abundant results from labour, but
no laborers wherewith to “make the riffle,’ he went back
to Detroit and persuaded several scores of adventurous
men to come out here and amuse themselves with
carbonates. They came with high anticipations of
sudden wealth and the fulfilling of wide ambitions,—
came to find the snow deep upon the ground, and
winter bravely entrenched among the gray cliffs of
Mosquito and the Saguache. No one could work; every-
one was tantalized and miserable : discontent reigned.
It was the old story of Baker and the San Juan silver
fields. They took Wood and Stevens, imprisoned
them in a cabin, and even went so far toward the
suggestion of hanging as to noose the rope around
their necks. At this critical moment reprieve came in
the shape of a capitalist, who appeased the hungry
crowd with cash, and stayed their purpose until the
weather moderated and digging could be begun.
“As spring advanced and the mountains became
passable, there came a rush into the camp, for the
report of this wonderful regeneration of the old district
had spread far and wide. The Denver newspapers
took up the laudation of the region. The railways
approaching nearest, advertised the camp all over the
east for the sake of patronage; and many an energetic
232 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
prospector, and greedy saloon-keeper, and many a
business man who wanted to profit by the excitement,
started for Leadville. To be first there was the aim
and 'ambition of hundreds of excited men; and, to
accomplish this, human life was endangered, and mule
flesh recklessly sacrificed. Companies were organized,
who put on six-horse stages from Denver, Canon City
and Colorado Springs, and ran three or four coaches
together, yet private conveyances took even more than
the stages, and hundreds walked, braving the midwinter
horrors of Mosquito pass.
“Meanwhile, an almost continual procession of mule
and ox-trains, were striving to haul across that frightful
hundred miles of mountains, the food, machinery, and
furniture which the new settlement so sorely needed,
and which it seemed so impossible to supply. Ten
cents and more a pound was charged for freight, and
prices ranged correspondingly high, with an exorbitant
profit added. Hay, for example, reached $200 per ton.
“But in the beginning of 1879 this steady current,
which had begun to flag in the last months of 1878,
burst into a perfect freshet of travel and discovery.
Every day chronicled more large additions to the body
of explorers, more new accessions of wealth, more
additional tappings of the silver deposits which were
firmly belived to underlie every square foot of the
region. It seemed all a matter of luck, and skilled
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 233
prospecting found itself at fault. The spots old miners
had passed by as worthless, “tenderfeet” from Ohio dug
down upon, and showed to be rich in ‘mineral.’ In-
numerable incidents might indeed be related, of the
patience and expense and hardships which resulted in
failure; of the equal pluck and endurance that brought
success; of happy chance or perfect accident divulging
a fortune at the most unexpected point. The miners
have a proverb, ‘Nobody can see into the ground,’ and
the gamblers an adage, ‘The only thing sure about
luck is that it’s bound to change;’ but although in the
ordinary affairs of life ‘hope deferred is said to “make
the heart sick,’ the miner, rarely daunted, even by the
most persistent ill-fortune, exclaims “ never say die, old
man, better luck next time.’”
As may be assumed, the process of winning the Ores
was necessarily dependent on the geological conditions
under which they occurred. These are described, in the
article already alluded to, and are particularly interest-
ing, but I can do little more than refer to them here.
It appears that the ores are chiefly found in horizontal
beds, and that when these have been tapped by shafts
from the surface, horizontal drifts or passage ways are
made into the rock, from the bottom of the shaft.
When got by this means the ore is raised from the
mine by some one of the many appliances ordinarily
used for that purpose. On reaching the surface it is
234 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
examined and sorted by an experienced person, the best
pieces being thrown in a heap by themselves, while the
ordinary ore is cast upon the “dump º' or pile, which
accumulates at the mouth of the mine. From the
dump this less valuable ore is hauled away to be sold,
while the picked lots are put in hundred-pound sacks,
about as large as quarter-barrel flour bags, before being
disposed of. Very rich ore is bought by regular pur-
chasers, who usually forward it to smelting-works either
at Pueblo, Denver or St. Louis, or at some of the
eastern cities. The inferior grades are sold by the ton,
generally to some one of the dozen smelters in Lead-
ville, the price being governed by the market quotations
of silver in New York on the day of the sale, less
several deductions, amounting in all to about twenty
five per cent., as the reducer's margin for profit, and
plus three to five cents per pound for all the lead above
twenty-one per cent. which the ore carries. Silver and
gold are estimated in ounces, lead and copper in
percentages, but allowance is not made for both of the
latter metals in the same ore. The ore is hauled to the
smelting works by four or six-mule teams for the most
part, the driver not sitting on the wagon, but riding
the nigh wheeler, guiding his team by a single very
strong rein which goes to the bits of the leaders, and
handling the brake by another strap. He is in the
position of a steersman in the middle of his craft, and
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 235
his “bridge” is the saddle. Every load, as it is brought
in, is set upon the scales and weighed, recorded and
shovelled into its proper bin, from which it is only
removed to be crushed and treated.
I have selected the cases of Silver Cliff and Leadville
as illustrations of the mineral wealth of the mountains
of Colorado, not because they throw other districts into
the shade, but on account of the many interesting and
remarkable features which their history and development
present. It would be difficult, indeed, to form any
estimate of the extent of that wealth, seeing that every
crevice in the rocky frame of these great mountains
teems with valuable minerals. I have already mentioned
the “smelters” of Denver, and the traveller will find a
visit to them extremely interesting, not only as tending
to illustrate the character and value of the mining
resources above referred to, but also from a scientific
point of view. Through the courtesy of Messrs. Grant
Brothers I was permitted to go over their works. These
are very large, covering many acres of ground, and some
idea of the extent of the operations carried on may he
formed, when I state that the value of the gold, silver
and lead treated in 1887, amounted to nearly $6,500,000.
The nature of the operations is at once understood
on seeing the enormous mass of slag which has been cast
aside from the reducing furnaces, and fills up an
extensive hollow on the southern side of the buildings.
236 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
The ores are pulverized before roasting, but no attempt
is made to save the sulphur and other volatile sub-
stances driven off by this process. There are twenty-
nine roasting ovens and the requisite proportion of
smelting furnaces. I was informed by the manager
that careful assays of the slag thrown aside showed
that not more than a dollar’s worth of metal to the ton
remained in it, a quantity which would not pay to
extract. All the ores are bought outright, according to
a settled scale of prices, reckoned by dry assay, $20 per
cent. being taken off the price as the fee for treating.
The assays are carried on by assayers and chemists, who
have but little leisure. Each lot, as sent in, is subjected
to a distinct assay, the sample to be assayed being
obtained by an exhaustive process of dilution, until it is
considered to represent exactly the quality of the whole
parcel. This particularity is required not only because
the price to be paid per ton depends upon the result of the
assay, but also because the assay itself is independently
required, in order to ascertain the nature and proportions
of the fluxes which are to be added, to make a compound
which will fuse thoroughly—even to the dissolution of
the refractory zinc and antimony, and so that, as nearly
as possible, every particle of gold and silver may be
extracted. The metals are run into ingots, which are
sent away for refining, but I understood that it is in
contemplation by the Messrs. Grant soon to start refining
works of their own.
|FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 237
Large refining works have lately been established at one
of the great smelters at South Pueblo, which have a
capacity of two thousand five hundred tons a month, and
machinery has also been erected for manufacturing sheet
lead and lead piping, of which very large quantities are
consumed in San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, and the
other cities and towns within reasonable distance from
the works. In order further to illustrate the extent of
the mineral wealth produced in the districts referred to,
I quote the following statistical amounts of the yield for
the twenty years extending back from 1888:—As
regards gold and silver this had steadily increased from
$200,000, in 1869, to upwards of $35,000,000, in 1887,
the average of the twenty years from 1869 to 1888,
being estimated at $7,700,000 per annum. About half
of this was gold, for it is only since 1870 that silver has
been extensively mined. But besides gold and silver,
the mines have produced considerable quantities of
tellurium, copper, lead, iron and coal, which have
added very largely to the total value of the mineral
productions of this wonderful district.
The agricultural and pastoral products of Colorado
have already become very large. The number of cattle
in the state, in 1888, is computed to exceed 1,500,000
head ; and the annual export to other parts of the states,
reaches 100,000, at an average price of $20 a head.
The returns from liides and tallow have also been large,
238 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
and their value, added to that of the local consumption,
is computed to reach annually some $600,000, giving an
aggregate annual return from this branch of industry
alone of $3,500,000. The capital value of the cattle,
the larger proportion of which belong to residents in
Denver, is estimated to exceed $14,000,000. The
number of sheep, too, is large. In 1887 they amounted
to about 1,500,000, and fresh capital is constantly being
invested in this class of stock, the pastures of the Rocky
Mountains being found admirably suited to them. The
total value of the sheep runs in 1888 was estimated at
$5,000,000, and the annual income at $1,300,000,
which is very much greater in proportion to capital
value than that which is obtained from the same
industry in any part of Australasia. The general
agricultural products of the state, also reach a very
considerable amount. In 1883, the date of the last
available statistical returns, the quantities of the prin-
cipal crops were given as follows:–Hay, 266,000 tons;
wheat, 1,750,840 bushels; oats, 1,186,534 bushels;
maize, 598,975 bushels; barley, 265,180 bushels; rye,
7,830 bushels; and potatoes, 851,000 bushels: the
value of which, added to fruit and ordinary garden
produce taken to market, amounted to upwards of
$9,000,000. Much of this agricultural prosperity is
owing to extensive and scientific irrigation, and I was
much interested, during my journey through Utah, Colo-
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 239
rado and Kansas especially, in observing the systematic
use made by the farming population, of appliances for
raising and distributing water for this purpose, from
every river and water-course which came into sight from
the train; and I could not help observing, when, some-
what later, I travelled through the settled districts
between Melbourne and Sydney, the utter neglect, on
the part of the farmers and stockowners there, of this
mode of fertilizing the soil.
I have compiled the foregoing accounts, as examples
of the mining, agricultural and pastoral resources of
Colorado; and it is scarcely to be wondered at that,
although less than forty years ago, its whole area was
held in exclusive possession by a number of Savage tribes,
living by the chase and by plunder, waging fierce wars
amongst themselves, and dangerous to the imigrant
parties which passed through it, it should, under the
impulse of American enterprize, have now become
occupied by fine cities and towns, and by the camps,
farms and ranches of a great and increasing mining,
agricultural and pastoral population.
CHAPTER XII.
CHICAGo—THE MISSISSIPPI-REMARKABLE SCENERY--THE BURIAL OF
DU BouquE—ST. ANTHONY's FALLS—INDIAN LEGEND–PROGRESS
OF MINNESOTA—THE CITY OF CHICAGo—ITS RAPID RISE AND
PROGREss—THE GREAT FIRE-CONCLUSION.
I LEFT Denver on the 19th June by the Union Pacific
line to Atchison, and from thence on by the Burling-
ton route to Chicago, where I arrived at nine in the
morning of the 21st. The convention, in connection
with the late Presidential election, was being held there,
and this event had brought nearly 100,000 visitors to
the city, which made it extremely difficult to obtain
accommodation, even the drawing rooms of the hotels
having been converted into sleeping apartments. After
much trouble I obtained a room at the Revere House,
a very unpleasant place, due, no doubt, in some degree
to the large influx of visitors. As the weather still
continued to be intensely hot, the discomfort thus
occasioned was so much the greater. I have already
mentioned that Chicago was founded in 1831, and
that up to 1848 its population did not exceed 5000.
Its present population exceeds 1,000,000, and the
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 241
increasing development of the enormous resources of
the States of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and
Minnesota, and especially of the latter, leads to the
conclusion that its population will, within a few years,
rise to, if not exceed that of New York.
The marvellous progress of the country to the west
of the Mississippi, after the year 1848, is one of the
most interesting events in modern history, and, as I
have already observed, can only be well appreciated, by
comparing its present condition with that which
obtained prior to that year. As I have already men-
tioned, St. Louis was then the principal city of the
West, its position near the confluence of the Missouri with
the Mississippi, and with relation to the great western
Praries, concurring to make it the most convenient centre
for the only trade then carried on, namely that with the
Indian population. A similar trade was opened out
with the Indian tribes of Iowa, Wisconsin and
Minnesota by the early mercantile settlers of Chicago,
but the rapid development of the agricultural and
pastoral resources of those States and of those of Indiana
and Illinois, soon changed the direction of enterprize,
and has produced commercial results of extraordinary
magnitude. In order that this wonderful change may
be understood the better, I propose to recall the con-
dition of Minnesota, as the most important of the
above States, prior to the year 1848.
P
242 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
This state contains 83,500 square miles or 53,400,000
acres of territory, consisting chiefly of beautiful prairies,
interspersed with valuable and extensive forests. The
Mississippi river takes its rise in Leech and other lakes,
situated about 150 miles from the northern boundary of
the State, and after passing St. Croix, becomes its eastern
boundary, dividing it from Wisconsin. Minneapolis, its
largest city though not the capital, is situated at the
confluence of the Minnesota, (from which the State now
takes its name) with the Mississippi. It was founded
in 1849, and at present contains a population of 70,000.
The Minnesota was discovered in 1863 by a Frenchman
named Le Sueur, who named it the St. Pierre, after a
celebrated captain who then commanded at a French
military and trading post on the borders of Lake
Pepin, an expansion of the Mississppi, and it retained
this name until 1852, when the ancient Indian one
was restored to it by act of the State Legislature.
The Mississippi is navigable as far as St. Paul’s, the
capital of the state, where the navigation is interrupted
by St. Anthony’s falls. The Mississippi and the
Minnesota, which is its chief tributary within the state,
were then the only lines of communication with its
interior. The sources of the main river may still be
reached by steamer from St. Louis to St. Paul’s, and
from thence by boat to the lakes; but where time is an
object, they may be more conveniently reached by rail
EROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 243
from St. Louis or Chicago to Brainerd, and from
thence by boat or otherwise.
The scenery on the upper parts of the Mississippi is
described as being singularly attractive. The river is
hemmed in, on both sides, by an almost uninterrupted
succession of steep hills of ever changing and curious
form, intersected by glens full of luxuriant forest.
Indeed, the magnificence of this scenery is said to be
such that a traveller even ordinarily indifferent to
scenic attractions feels himself chained to the deck of
the steamer, whatever may be the season of the year or
the state of the weather. Fach moment unfolds new
scenes, strange pictures, undreamt-of panoramas not
easily described, and differing from anything known in
any other country. It was on one of the remarkable
hills which form so conspicuous a feature in these
landscapes, that Monsieur Du Bonque, whose name has
been given to one of the towns on the banks of the
Mississippi, in commemoration of his work as a pioneer
of western discovery, -directed his body to lie after
his death. In compliance with his wish this was done,
the body, wrapped merely in a winding sheet, being
placed on a flat rock on the summit of the hill which he
had selected, and which commands one of the finest
views in the world. It is said, that a few years ago,
his skeleton was still to be seen in its singular resting
place.
244 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
St. Anthony's Falls are described as being very beau-
tiful. The first white man who ever visited them was
Father Hennepin, a friar of the order of the Ricollets,
who is reported to have discovered them on his return
from an excursion to Mille Lacs in 1680. It appears
that he also visited the Falls of Niagara, of which he
made the first known drawing, which is of very great
interest as giving some idea of the condition of the Falls
two hundred years ago. He named the Mississippi
Falls after St. Anthony of Padua. Jonathan Carver
visited them in 1766, and made a drawing which was
engraved and published in London.
Hennepin gays that, when he was crossing the river
below the falls (near an island which still bears his
name) in company with a party of Dacota buffalo
hunters, he saw one of these savages standing on an
oak at the opposite side of the grand cascade and
weeping bitterly. He wore a very handsome beaver-
skin robe lined with white and covered with embroidery,
wrought in porcupine quills. The Indian threw his
beautiful robe into the river, hoping by such a sacrifice
to render the spirit of the waters propitious to his tribe.
“O Thou,” said he, “who art a spirit, grant me the
favour that those of my nation may always cross this
cataract without incurring any accident ; that our
hunters may kill buffalos in abundance, may vanquish
our enemies, and bring prisoners to Thee, whom we will
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 245
sacrifice in thy presence. The Foxes have slain our
kinsmen; graciously enable us to revenge ourselves
upon them.” This sort of sacrifice is said to have been
of frequent occurrence, as the savages used often to
cross the Mississippi at this height.
The Abbé Domenech tells us, that the little island
above alluded to was called the “Isle of the Spirit,” on
account of a legend which relates that, sometimes in
the morning, the ghost of an Indian woman may be
seen above the great fall, in a skiff made of bark,
carrying an infant in her arms, whom she presses to
her breast. Meanwhile she sings and steers the skiff,
which is soon swallowed up in the foaming waters.
The following is a translation by the Abbé, of the
principal passages of this singular legend :—
“Aupetusa-Paouinu opened her eyes to the dawn of
life long before the canoes of the white men were rowed
over the waters of the Mississippi, long before their
gaze had beheld the flowers that adorn those vast and
beautiful plains. She passed into girlhood, and from
the morning’s light until the shades of even, she partook
of the fatigues and dangers of the other virgins of her
tribe. She would swim without fear among rapid
currents, and learned to guide her frail canoe, in which
she glided lightly over the waves of the torrents, or
over the rippling lakes. She acquired the knowledge
of tanning the deer skin, and also dyed the bison's hide
246 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
in various colours, and would then cover it with fantastic
designs. She always prepared the tent for the repast,
and was accustomed to cut her food with an ivory
knife. She cleaved wood with a stone axe, and was in
every respect inured to the rudest savage life.
“In a vessel made from the bark of the birch tree,
she boiled her food with hot stones. She caught fish
with bone hooks. With the quills of the porcupine she
embroidered gifts for the beings she loved. In the
blooming meadows she bounded about with her young
companions, and often did she carry off the prize in the
race. She was taught to fear the Ojibbeway, and
would dance joyfully round his scalp; frequently, either
by agility or cunning, she escaped from the lance or
arrow of that terrible enemy.
“In this manner, with a heart sometimes gay, some-
times sad, she went through the trials of her young
existence. At length the day arrived when, uniting
herself to the warrior of her choice, the nuptial joys and
those of maternity caused her heart to swell with
delight. But, alas! great happiness is the prelude to
great suffering; the greater the joy, the more deep and
intense the grief, and deceived love can change into
hatred. He whose smiles she cherished more than life
itself, he for whom her heart overflowed with affection,
forgot her for an impure love which he found away
from her.
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 247
“Aupetusa-Paouinu saw thatungrateful, that falseone,
forsake and despise her. What were then her thoughts?
No one knew. No Indian ever saw tears in her eyes,
her lips never betrayed her feelings, her bosom never
revealed a sigh; long did she conceal her anguish and
her sorrow. One day, her tribe pitched its tents on
those green and lovely banks close to the spot where
the foaming Mississippi precipitates itself with a
crashing noise. Aupetusa-Paouinu was there, painting
her face in bright colours; she had her babe in her arms,
“Why does she plait her flowing locks, as in the day
of her nuptials P Why does she thus put plumes on
the head of her child, as for a day of festivity ? See
See she enters her canoe, and, placing her infant at the
prow, she leaves the shore in profound silence. Her
hand is steady as she plies the flexible oar; no tear
glistens in her eye; the skiff darts through the waters
as if flying towards the falls, as flying towards the
abyss. Aupetusa-Paouinu's friends call to her in vain;
calmly she pursues her terrible route, without even
turning her head to take a last glance. All tremble
with horror; she alone betrays neither fear or emotion.
She re-animates the courage of her timid infant with
the most endearing and tender words, with her sweetest
voice. The spouse, the father, is there; despair in his
heart on beholding his child, so full of life, and yet so
near death.
248 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN.
“Still the bark glides on faster and faster, drifted
by the waves and urged forward by the oars; it would
not go so swiftly were death behind it and life before.
But they approach the gulf ; henceforth no human
power can save the two victims. She begins her death
chant ; her clear vibrating notes are heard above the
roaring torrents; her fine sonorous voice is wafted by
the breeze.
“Hearken no longer, young warriors; the chants
that caused you to weep have died away in the rolling
waters. The mother and child are no more ; they now
lie in an obscure cavern, unknown to all, sleeping the
sleep of death. -
“Fragments of the skiff alone were found; but
when the sombre night wraps its thick veil round the
trees of the island, when the wind howls and blows
fiercely over the mighty river, a sad yet sweet voice is
heard in the air, murmuring a song. It is said to be
Aupetusa-Paouinu repeating her death chant.”
This legend is said so be very ancient, and the
Dacotas seldom fail to relate it to travellers who in
their company visit St. Anthony Falls. I might fill a
volume with descriptions of the scenery of Minnesota,
and with the legends of the Dacota, the Sioux and the
Chippewa, which were the principal Indian tribes that
roamed over its prairies and forests, before they fell
into the possession of the white man; but, however
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 249
interesting these might prove, such a course would not
fulfil the object of this work. -
As already mentioned, the area of the state is 83,531
square miles, the greater portion of which consists of
undulating plains diversified with forest. The general
elevation above sea level is about 1000 feet, and,
although the winters are severe—the thermometer
frequently falling to 10deg. and 200eg. below zero, L
this great cold is not injurious, owing to the absence
of winds at that season of the year. In summer the heat
is considerable, the thermometer ranging from 800eg.
to 906eg.; but this heat is not found to be oppressive in
consequence of the dryness of the climate, the average
annual rainfall not exceeding 25.5 inches. The climate
is described as being extremely healthy, and the death-
rate in the cities as being considerably below that of
the great majority of the cities of the eastern states.
The superficial soil of nearly the entire state is a rich
brown or black calcareous loam, varying from three to
five feet in depth, overlying boulders, clays and gravels
of glacial origin, and is rich, not only in organic matter,
but also in the various salts which stimulate the growth
of plants. It is very durable and yields a long suc-
cession of crops, without the application of artificial
means of fertilization. In the twenty years from 1850
to 1870 the area of land under cultivation rose from
1900 acres to 1,863,316, and since that date the area
250 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
has more than doubled. The principal agricultural
products are wheat, maize, oats, barley and rye; whilst
honey, wax, maple-sugar, fruit and a great variety of
other articles are also produced. There are immense
numbers of cattle and pigs, but sheep do not appear to
do well, owing doubtless to the severity of the winters.
The forests contained enormous quantities of pine and
hardwood, the former of which, however, is rapidly
disappearing under the attack of the lumberer. In
1880 an estimate was made of their then condition, and
the quantity of pine still standing was computed at
6, 100,000,000 of feet, whilst there were 3,850,000 acres
of hardwood forest, capable of yielding 57,000,000 cords
of wood. The consumption of the pine forest was,
however, proceeding at an enormous rate, the fall in
1880 amounting to 541,000,000 of feet. The vast
amount of water power afforded by the fine rivers
with which the state abounds, is utilized for a variety of
manufactures, independently of its application to saw-
milling purposes. The country is intersected in various
directions by railways, which bring every part of it into
communication with Chicago and Milwaukee, whilst
thousands of miles of ordinary road have also been con-
stuoted. In 1880 the agricultural population alone was
upwards of 850,000, and has, no doubt, increased con-
siderably since that date, whilst that of the various
towns is also very large. Now, when we contrast this
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LARE MICHIGAN. 251
condition of things with that which existed in Minnesota
prior to 1848, and reflect that a similar change has taken
place in the area comprised within the four other states
to which I have alluded, though in lesser degree, we
cannot be surprised at the rapid increase of Chicago in
extent, population and commerce. As already stated,
it was founded in 1831, and between that date
and 1850 its progress was slow, its population having
risen to 6077 only. From that time it rose rapidly,
being 173,000 in 1860, 440,000 in 1870, 781,000 in
1880, and certainly little under, if it be not over
1,000,000 at the present time. When originally built,
the city level was only 7 feet above that of Lake
Michigan, but in 1855, the level was fixed at 14 feet
above the lake, and the whole of the buildings were
raised to the new level by means of screw jacks, the
streets being filled in during the progress of the work.
Still owing to its low position relatively to the lake level,
and the height of the buildings, the heat is very great, and
a sensation of intense relief is felt on emerging from the
crowded traffie of the principal streets, into the beautiful
open space of Michigan Avenue, probably one of the
handsomest streets in the world.
Some idea of the progress of the country in direct
communication with Chicago, will be obtained from a
glance at the trade and commerce of the city itself. Its
chief trade is in grain and flour, live stock, produce of
252 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO TAKE MICHIGAN.
cattle and pigs, dairy produce, wool and hides, high
wines and alcohol, seeds and timber, and the value of
these, in 1885, was not less than $873,000,000. It has
a direct shipping trade with Europe, as well as with
Canada, and with every part of the states adjacent to
the great lakes. The number of vessels entered in 1885
was 16,380 of 5,217,000 tons; and cleared, 16,572 of
5,307,000 tons. It is connected with 21 trunk lines of
railway, comprising more than one third of the whole
mileage of North America, and upwards of 1000 trains
a day enter and leave it. Its exports, which in 1869
only amounted to 7213 tons, had increased to 219,377
tons in 1875, and the latter figure was more than doubled
in 1885. Some idea of the traffic within the city, arising
from the extent of the import and export trade, may be
formed when I state that the volume of produce and
goods of all kinds pouring through the city in 1885,
was little under 11,000,000 of tons, or at the rate of
nearly 22 tons for every minute in the year, and amoun-
ting to 1,100,000 ordinary railway car loads.
We are justly struck with astonishment, when we
consider the rapidity with which such a condition of
things as I have described has been brought about ; but
it becomes even more marvellous when we reflect that
little more than seventeen years ago, one of the most
appalling and disastrous events occurred in Chicago
which has ever befallen a great city. On the 8th and
EROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 253
9th of October in that year, a fire, unparalleled in the
history of the world, broke out at ten o’clock in the
evening in a cow-shed at the back of No. 127 De Koben
Street. A strong southwest gale was blowing at the
time, and the efforts of the policeman, by whom it was
discovered, to extinguish it proved unavailing. Valu-
able time was lost, therefore, before notice of the fire
was given and the fire apparatus of the city could be
brought into use, and by the time it reached the scene
the flames had extended to such a degree as to defy all
efforts to check the work of destruction. The extension
of the fire was so rapid in effect, that all human means
appeared to be powerless to prevent its progress; the
flames spread from house to house with inconceivable
rapidity, masses of it actually leaping the river, and
involving in the common destruction, buildings which
appeared to be entirely out of their reach. The awful
gale which blew at the time filled the air with live
coals, and hurled to great distances blazing boards and
other masses of ignited matter. All the leading banks
of the city, many handsome stone built churches, the
railroad depots of several of the railway lines, the court
house, the chamber of commerce, the post office, tele-
graph office, a number of large hotels, including the
Pacific—one of the most extensive in the United
States,—all the newspaper establishments, the opera
house and several theatres, an immense number of
254 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
splendid warehouses, many huge elevators—in which
were stored millions of bushels of grain,_Scores of magni-
ficent private residences in Wabash and Michigan
Avenues, and in fact property of all kinds, were swept
away. The dreadful scenes which occurred during this
fearful disaster have never been equalled ; and the
consternation was intensified by the explosion of several
enormous gas holders, which burst with the violence of
a volcanic explosion, involving everything around in
destruction. In the western division of the city the
number of acres burned over was 216, occupied by
houses of an inferior class. In the south division it
extended over 460 acres: the number of buildings
destroyed, including many of the finest in the city, was
3700, previously occupied by 22,000 people. In the
north division the flames swept over nearly 1500 acres,
destroying 13,300 buildings, occupied by 75,000 people.
The total area burned over was 2124 acres or about
three and a third square miles, containing seventy-three
miles of streets, and 1,450 buildings, the homes of
upward of 100,000 persons. All this took place within
thirty hours, and involved a loss of not less than
$200,000,000, or nearly £45,000,000 sterling.
Whilst the utmost heroism and fortitude were
exhibited by thousands, and active charity and affection
were lavishly displayed in mitigating the effects of
this fearful disaster, yet gangs of armed ruffians were
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 255
seen everywhere, hunting for plunder, and inflicting, in
many instances, deadly injury upon those who sought
to protect the miserable remnants left to them. Heated
with drink, they caused a reign of terror, which
continued for some time unchecked, and added
materially to the horror of the terrible event. Such,
hówever, was the rapidity with which this dreadful
disaster was repaired, that within ten years after its
occurrence but little trace of it was to be seen.
Now, when we reflect upon the fact that the occupation
by the white man of the vast territory between the
Mississippi and the Pacific, was only commenced in
1849 by the settlement of the Mormons on the borders
of the Great Desert, and that, owing to the hostility of
the Indian tribes, its further occupation was postponed
for many years after that event, we cannot but feel
that its colonization has been the most wonderful
movement which has occurred within historic times.
The rapidity of the changes that have taken place,
is, indeed, almost inconceivable to those who did not
witness it themselves. Between 1842 and 1848,
Fremont found the native tribes who roamed over this
great territory engaged in almost constant warfare.
Everything was strange, wild and savage. Only forty
years have elapsed since then, and already large cities
have arisen, the clearing, the farm and the industrious
settlement replacing the ephemeral villages of the
256 FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
Indians. In lieu of oral traditions, passed from father
to son by an untutored people, we have everywhere the
broad sheets of the press engaged in diffusing informa-
tion and in discussing the aims and the politics, the hopes
and the wants of a civilized people. From year to year,
’ is extending its already wide range
the “iron horse ’
of work, and bringing within the grasp of the culti-
vator immense tracts of country previously too distant
for profitable use. The progress of a single year out-
speeds the work of past centuries. If, then, by the
intrusion of the vigorous white race, busy marts and
smiling farms are taking the place of the hut of the
savage, and the millions of a populous country, with
the arts and letters, the matured policy, and the
ennobling influences of a free people, are replacing the
few thousands of scattered savages heretofore living in
an unprogressive state, even the most sensitive
philanthropist may learn to look with resignation, if
not with complacency, on the practical extinction of a
people which had so imperfectly accomplished the
higher objects of man's being. If the remnant of the
Indians can, so far as wise policy and generous states-
manship may accomplish it, be admitted to share in
the advantages of a progressive civilization, then we may
look with satisfaction at the close of the long night-
time, during which the immense country I have so
imperfectly described gave birth to no science, no
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LAKE MICHIGAN. 257
philosophy, no moral teaching,-and hail the dawn of
centuries during which it is to bear a part in the
accelerated progress of the human race.
APPENDIX.
THE career of Kit Carson, whose name has occurred so frequently
in the foregoing pages, was so peculiarly illustrative of the
conditions of life in the country I have described, during the
years from 1830 to 1848, that I have thought it desirable here
to insert an account of it, compiled from authentic sources,
which will, no doubt, interest my readers.
He was born in Madison County, Kentucky, on Christmas
Eve, 1809. When a year old, his father moved west to Boone's
Lick, in Missouri; and when he was eighteen, he walked off on
his own account to Santa Fé, and thenceforth wandered about
among the Rockies and their east and west slopes, Southward
to New Mexico and northward to the Canadian border, till every
peak and pass and stream and plain were known to him.
His early boyhood was spent amid the same surroundings as
that of Daniel Boone, the only difference being in the superior
mechanism of the firearms that even the women and children
were taught to use. There was the same log cabin, half hut
half fortress, loopholed and roughly fortified and girt with a
glacis, from which every bush and tree and point of cover within
the rifle range had been cleared, And, as he grew up, fibe
Settlement increased until it became a cluster of roughly built,
Q
258 APPENDIX.
farm houses, with a stronger blockhouse in the centre, to which,
at each Indian alarm, the settlers could flee for mutual safety.
Round this fort was a loopholed palisade, made of trimmed trees
six or eight inches in diameter, and rising ten feet from the
ground, so that the place was of ample strength against any
ordinary attack. f
At fifteen, Kit was apprenticed to the village saddler. He
was then a famous shot and an adept in all matters of wood
craft. Slightly built and small in stature, he had gained a
reputation for decision and quiet daring, inferior to none; and,
unlike most of his class, he was no boisterous scapegrace or
sower of wild oats. He was, however, a very unpromising
saddler; and the awl and the leather had little charm for a king
of the wilderness, longing for freedom of the woods, and looking,
beyond the bench, to the hunting of the buffalo, the trapping of
the beaver, and the guiding of the frail canoe down the
dangerous rapids of the West.
When he was eighteen, a party of traders passed through the
village on their road to Santa Fé, the capital of New Mexico,
which then belonged to Spain. The journey, one of a thousand
miles, promised to be adventurous, and young Carson begged to
be released from his apprenticeship, in order to share its perils.
The permission was obtained, and Kit set forth.
His first experience was a surgical operation. One of the
men had an accident with his gun, and blew the bone of his arm
to splinters. The arm became inflamed, and to save the man’s
life it was necessary to amputate the limb. Kit was requested to
act as surgeon, and the others promised to assist; the instru-
ments were a razor, a handsaw and a bar of iron. The lad of
eighteen bound a ligature round the arm so as to check the flow
of blood, and then, with the patient held firmly down by his
friends, proceeded to slash through the flesh with the razor.
Then with the hand-saw he cut through the bone. And then
with the iron bar, heated almost to white heat, he seared and
cauterised the wound. The rough operation proved successful,
and by the time Santa Fé was reached the patient had recovered.
APPENDIX. 259
Kit did not return with his Mexican traders, but went away
eighty miles northeastwards, and took up his quarters for the
winter with the celebrated Kin Cade. Cade was a master
trapper and humble explorer, who knew the prairies and moun-
tains like a book, and was glad to come across so promising a
pupil. With his ramrod he would draw on the hut floor rough
maps of the country, showing the position of the rivers, the lakes
and the hunting-grounds, and telling long yarns of his varied
adventures and successes. A thorough Spanish scholar, he set
to work to teach Kit the language which, in that border country,
was almost indispensable for those who wished to trade. All
the mysteries of hunting and trapping that had come within his
ken did he reveal to him, and in many ways we may regard Kin
Cade's hut as Kit's academy.
In the spring, Kit started on his return journey to Missouri,
but at the ford on the Arkansas, which served as the half way
mark, he met another party bound west, with whom he returned
to Santa Fé as interpreter, the offer coming to him, thanks to
his recently acquired knowledge of Spanish. From Santa Fé
he went with another party a hundred and fifty miles south to
Chihuahua and then returning, went off a hundred and fifty
miles north to Taos, where years afterwards he was to settle.
Here he entered the service of Colonel Young, and became a
trapper. In that capacity he spent the winter of 1827. His
life when thus engaged is thus eloquently described by one of
his biographers, Mr. Abbott :—“Young Carson, alone with his
horse and mule, would journey from fifty to a hundred miles,
examining every creek and stream, keeping a sharp look-out for
signs of beaver. Having selected his location,-generally in
some valley eight or ten miles in extent, with a winding stream
circling through the centre, which he had reason to believe was
well stocked with beaver, he would choose a position for his
camp. This would be more or less elaborate in its construction,
according to the time he intended to spend there. But he would
always find some sunny nook, with a southern exposure and a
pleasing prospect, near the brook or some spring of Sweet Water,
260 APPENDIX
and, if possible, with forest or rock sheltering from the north
winds.
“In a few hours young Carson would construct his half-
faced cabin, as the hunting camp was called. A large log
generally furnished the foundation of the back part of the hut.
Four stout stakes were then placed in the ground, so as to
enclose a space about eight feet Square. These stakes were
crotched at the ends, so as to support others for the roof.
The front was about five feet high, and the back not more than
four. The whole slope of the roof was from the front to the
back. The covering was made of bark or slabs, and sometimes
of skins. The sides were covered in a similar way. The whole
of the front was open. The smooth ground floor was strewed
with fragrant hemlock branches, over which were spread
blankets or buffalo robes. In front of the opening the camp
fire could be built, or on the one side or the other, in accordance
with the wind.
“Thus in a few hours young Carson would erect himself a
home so cosy and cheerful in its aspect, as to be attractive to
every eye. Reclining upon mattresses really luxurious in their
softness, he could bask in the beams of the sun, circling low in
its winter revolutions, or gaze at night upon the brilliant stars,
and not unfrequently have, spread out before him, an extended
prospect of as rich natural scenery as ever cheered the eye.
He had no anxiety about food ; his hook or his rifle supplied
him abundantly with what he deemed the richest viands. He
knew where were tender cuts. He knew how to cook them
deliciously. And he had an appetite to relish them.
“Having thus provided himself with a habitation, he took
his traps, and, either on foot or on horseback, as the character
of the region or the distance to be traversed might render best,
followed along the the windings of the stream till he came to a
beaver-dam. He would examine the water carefully to find
some shallow which the beavers must pass in crossing from
shoal to deep water. Here he would plant his trap, always
under water, and carefully adjust his bait. He would then
APPENDIX. 261
follow on to another dam, and thus proceed till six traps were
set, which was the usual number taken on such an expedition.
“Early every morning he would mount his horse or mule
and take the round of his traps, which generally required a
journey of several miles. The captured animals were skinned
on the spot, and the skins only, with the tails, which the hunters
deemed a great luxury as an article of food, were taken to the
camp. There the skin was stretched over a framework to dry.
When dry it was folded into a square sheet, the fur turned
inward and a bundle made containing from ten to twenty skins
tightly pressed and corded, which was then ready for trans-
portation.”
In the spring a party of eighteen trappers fell into an Indian
ambush, and the survivors retreated to Taos with the news of
the disaster. To punish the Redskins, Colonel Young called to-
gether his trappers, and, forty strong, marched off to battle.
With him went Carson as his right hand man.
The Indians were ready and waiting and delighted at the
prospect of another trial of strength. But the Colonel caught
sight of them, and posted his men before they were aware he
was so near. Twenty-five of the trappers he hid in ambush,
and with the remaining fifteen he advanced a little ; and then,
seeming to see the Indians for the first time, he halted as if
irresolute. The Redskins mustered in hundreds ; the trees and
bushes were alive with them, as, seizing each point of cover,
they came swiftly on. They glided into the ambush as the
wily trappers retreated, and then five-and-twenty Indians
bit the dust. From the front, from all sides, the Redskins
found themselves fired upon, and, waiting only for another
volley from the united white men, they were seized with a
panic and fled.
After the fight the trappers returned to business, and the
whole band made their way down an affluent of the Colorado,
trapping as they went, until they reached the head quarters of
the San Francisco. The Colonel then led off eighteen of his
men to the valley of the Sacramento. As the road was to lie,
for several hundred miles, through a waterless desert, a few
262 APPENDIX.
days before the start was devoted to hunting, and the skins of
three of the deer that were killed were converted into water
tanks, to be carried by the mules. For four days Young, Carson
and their men passed through a sandy waste, with neither
streams nor springs, and the water had to be doled out as if they
were on a camel journey through the Sahara. On the fifth
day a stream was reached ; and then came another four days'
desert tramp down into the rich valley of the Colorado.
Resting here for a while, they started again for the west, and
finally reached San Joaquim, where they met with another
trapping party under Peter Ogden, in the employ of the
Hudson Bay Company. Joining their forces, the parties
worked together down the river to the Sacramento, where
Ogden's men left for the Columbia. -
Close to their camp was the mission of San Rafael. In the
employment of the missionaries were many Indian converts.
One night some of these broke into mutiny, and after com-
mitting the usual atrocities, made off to their tribe to take to
their old ways. The Missionaries sent out a party to demand
that the fugitives should be handed over for trial, but the tribe
took up their cause and drove back the messengers with serious
loss. In fear lest the Indians should bring them on to San Rafael,
the missionaries appealed to the trappers for help, and eleven
volunteers, under Kit Carson, started off to compel the surrender
of the criminals. The village was captured, a third of the
warriors were slain, and the men who had committed the out-
rage were handed over and marched back to the mission.
Soon afterwards the Indians stole the trappers’ horses during
the night, and fled with them to the mountains. Carson went
off in pursuit, following the track through the snow. For
more than a hundred miles he followed them, and then he
caught them encamped. They had killed and eaten six of the
horses, and were resting after their meal, when the rifles of
Kit and his companions each brought down its victim. The
Indians fled and the horses were recovered.
On his way back to Santa Fé, Colonel Young halted on the
bank of the Colorado, and here another adventure befell the
APPENDIX. 263
young trapper. He had been left in charge of the camp with
half a dozen men, and had fortified it in the usual way, the
bundles of furs being built up around it, while the horses and
mules were turned out to grass. Suddenly a band of five
hundred Indians were descried. They halted a short distance
from the camp and sent off a strong body of warriors, who made
friendly signs and were admitted within the ring. They were
followed by others, and Kit discovered that each man had a
weapon concealed about him. In the quietest and most
ordinary tone he suddenly told the six trappers, each to mark
his man, and, raising his own rifle, aimed straight at the head
of the leader of the party, who was hardly six feet away from
him. Very coolly and decidedly he told him that unless he
left the camp immediately he and his men would be shot. The
Redskins grasped the situation at a glance, and leapt off for their
lives. They might easily have overpowered the trappers, but
Indians will seldom attack when they feel certain that some of
their prominent leaders will be killed.
In 1830, Kit was out trapping under Fitzpatrick up the
streams and valleys of the Rockies. In the following January
the horses were stolen by the Crow Indians, and there was
another pursuit for forty miles or so, ending in the usual battle
with the usual success. On this occasion the trail had been
almost wiped out, owing to a herd of several buffaloes having
crossed it in the night. Soon afterwards, when out with four of
his companions, Kit came suddenly on four Indians, evidently on
the warpath, to whom they gave chase. The Indians led them
into an ambush, and they had to cut their way through and ride
then for lives. Often the yelling crowd was within a few
feet of their horses, but the arrows and bullets whistled harm-
lessly past owing to the speed of the chase. Towards the end,
as the camp was reached, two of the men were wounded, but
not seriously.
In October 1832, Kit joined Captain Lee as a fur trader,
and with him went over the old Spanish trail, the single-file
patli between Now Moxico and California. On the Windy
River they were overtaken by the winter, and took up their
264 - APPENDIX.
quarters in the camp of a Mr. Robidoux, in whose employ was
a gigantic Indian of much strength and dexterity. One night
this Indian, in whom much confidence was placed, walked off
with six of the best horses and five loads of furs. Kit was
asked to go in pursuit, and with an Indian companion he
started.
For a hundred miles and more they raced together down the .
valley of the Green River, until the Indian's horse gave out,
and then Kit went on alone. Thirty miles further he went,
frequently leaping off his horse to rest him and running by his
side. There was no time to stop, as the runaway, with his
choice of mounts, could keep on without a pause. Suddenly,
as he rounded a small hill in the prairie, Kit caught sight of
the thief, riding along leisurely not two hundred yards off him.
The Indian saw him at the same moment, and, jumping to the
ground, rushed for the shelter of a few trees that grew close
by. Carson was riding at full speed, and saw that if his foe
could but reach the cover he would get the first shot. Instantly
the rifle went up, and the Redskin fell with the bullet through
his heart, while he was in the very act of lifting his cocked
rifle at his pursuer.
Rit collected the six horses and quietly returned to camp,
where his reception may be imagined.
Not long afterwards Kit was out trapping on the Taramie.
He and his two companions had been toiling for hours through
a dreary ravine; and when the camp was pitched, just before
sunset, he went off into the woods in search of something for
supper. About a mile from the camp he came upon fresh
tracks of elk, and, following the trail soon discovered a herd
grazing on the hill side. Setting down for a stalk, he managed
to get round the trees behind them, and, creeping into range,
picked out the fattest and dropped him at his first shot. Kit
was congratulating himself on his good fortune, and was
rising from his place of concealment, when a terrific roar made
him turn sharply round, and but a few yards away there
were a couple of huge grizzly bears coming down upon him at
full speed. -
APPENDIX. 265
There was no time for him to load, and a grizzly is so tough
a customer that a single shot is seldom enough. There was
nothing left for it but to run, and the speed of a grizzly is
terrific for short distances. Dropping his rifle he made a
desperate rush for a tree close by, and, springing to the lowest
branch, just caught it and dragged himself up into safety as
the bears, growling and gnashing their teeth below, struck at
him with their claws.
A grizzly is as good a climber as a man, and after a moment's
hesitation one of them began to swarm up the trunk. But in
the meanwhile Kit had hacked off a stout cudgel with his knife,
and as the bear came within range, showing his white teeth in
anger and certainty of his prey, down came such a whack on his
nose as drove him nearly mad with pain : for a bear’s nose is
his tenderest part, and, indeed, the only part in which a blow
can hurt him. Drawing back for a moment to consider, he
again made for Carson, who again and again struck him down
with the cudgel, until he dropped howling to the ground.
The other grizzly, doubtless feeling some contempt for his
friend at his failure, then scrambled up the tree and artfully
endeavoured to dodge the blows with which he was assailed.
His efforts were in vain ; the thuds rained down so fiercely on
his snout that in drawing back he slipped, and with a
tremendous bang he was knocked flying off the bough.
Howling with pain and roaring with rage, the bears filled the
forest with their noise for hours. Now and then they would
bury their snouts in the ground to ease their pain, and then
they would return to the tree start to climb it, and give up the
attempt in despair as they caught sight of the cudgel above.
At last they came under the branch, and, gnashing their teeth
at Kit, gave him a good-bye roar, and retired slowly and sadly
into the woods.
The trapper waited for some time in the tree to make sure
they had gone, and at dawn he descended, recovered his rifle,
and, finding that the deer he had killed had been eaten by the
wolves, went back to camp where he had to content himself
with a breakfast of beaver meat.
266 APPENDIX.
In a fortnight Carson and his companions joined company
with Fitzpatrick's men, and with them journeyed off to the
Trapper's Fair, which in that year took place on the Green
River. Here the furs were disposed of, and stores and ammuni-
tion laid in for the coming season. A strange scene was one
of these fairs in the wilderness Traders and trappers of all
nationalities here met, and for a month or more joined in a
barbarous round of business and amusement. The site was a
green meadow on the banks of a mountain stream, which was
soon covered with the huge camp of two or three hundred men
with their five or six hundred horses and mules, and as each
party came in to the rendezvous they were cheered by the
earlier arrivals.
On one of the gorgeous days of the Indian summer the
encampment presented a spectacle of beauty, which even to
these rude men was enchanting. There was the distant
encircling outline of the Rocky Mountains, many of the
snow-capped peaks piercing the clouds. Scattered through the
groves, which were free from underbush, and whose surface
was carpeted with the tufted grass, were seen the huts of the
mountaineers in every variety of the picturesque and even of
the grotesque. Some were formed of the well-tanned robes of
the buffalo; some of boughs, twigs and bark; some of massive
logs. Before all these huts fires were burning at all times of
the day, and food was being cooked and devoured by these ever
hungry men. Haunches of venison, prairie chickens, and trout
from the stream, were emitting their savoury odours as they
were turned on their spits before the glowing embers. The
cattle, not even tethered, were grazing over the fertile plains.
When the fair broke up Carson and fifty others went off to
the upper branches of the Missouri, and, after a two hundred-
mile tramp, encamped on the banks of the Big Snake, where
they were attacked by the Blackfeet.
“With me, Carson and truth mean the same thing. He is
always the same—gallant and disinterested. He is kind-hearted,
and averse to all troublesome and turbulent scenes, and has
never engaged in any mere personal broils or encounters, except
APPENDIX. 267
on one single occasion, which he sometimes modestly describes
to his friends.”
So wrote General Fremont, referring to a hand-to-hand
encounter which Kit had with a certain bully named Shunan.
It took place on horseback, and Kit luckily shattered his
enemy’s fore-arm with a pistol shot, as the rifle trigger pulled,
and thus, instead of meeting his death, escaped with his face
burnt with the powder and the top of his head grazed with the
bullet, for the shot was fired not a yard away from him.
Previous to this, however, Kit had been through his battle
with the Blackfeet. One night, when on the Black Snake,
eighteen of the horses were stolen ; and with eleven of his com-
panions he went off in pursuit through the snow. He came
upon the Indians after a fifty-mile ride; a parley ensued, and
Fit and his men walked into the camp and sat round the fire
and smoked the pipe of peace with the chiefs, who thus agreed
to use no treachery. Carson demanded the horses, and promised,
if they were given up, that he would return quietly and do no
damage. Only five of the horses were offered, and these were
the poorest of the lot, and the negotiations were broken off.
The trappers retired from the camp, the Redskins rushed to their
guns, and after a few minutes' interval the fight in the forest
began.
At first the Indians were driven back ; but Carson, catching
sight of one of their men taking deliberate aim at Markhead,
risked his own safety to save his friend. He shot the Indian
dead, but was himself shot in the shoulder by another savage,
who had been watching for him for some time. With Kit's
fall the chance of the trappers went down to zero; and though
they kept the foe at bay till nightfall, they had to clear off in
the dark and carry their wounded with them. Soon, however,
they returned, reinforced, and found that the Blackfeet had
disappeared. Carson’s wound did not take a long time to heal,
and then, after the fight with Shunan, already alluded to, he
joined in a trapping expedition to Fort Hall. Great were the
perils of the journey; so profsed at times were foe party for
food that they only saved themselves from starving by bleeding
268 APPENDIX.
their mules and drinking the warm blood, it being impossible
for them to kill them with any hope of escaping from the
wilderness.
They reached Fort Hall, and a few months afterwards the
Blackfeet began their old tricks, and, in a night foray, rode off
with all the horses without the loss of a single man, killed or
wounded. After a season on the Yellowstone, Carson returned
to the upper waters of the Missouri to lead the expedition which
the trappers had organised against the thieves. The Blackfeet
were then a great nation, numbering some thirty thousand in
all; so that the undertaking was not a light one. At the head
of a hundred picked backwoodsmen Kit marched off to their chief
village. After reconnoitring the position with five companions,
he divided his party, taking forty-three to do the fighting, and
leaving the rest behind as a camp guard and reserve, under
Fontenelle. &
The arms of the Blackfeet were mainly bows and arrows,
and there were very few who had guns, so that the odds were
not so great as might at first appear. The battle raged fiercely
for hours in the woods, and the trappers had nearly exhausted
their ammunition, when the Indians, fancying their chance had
come, waited till most of the rifles had spoken, and, with one
united charged, rushed on their enemies. The trappers were
too quick for them, and the deadly rifles cracked out, each
elaiming its victim ; but the Blackfeet, unchecked, came on to
conquer, hand-to-hand. Suddenly, to their consternation, the
revolvers, until then unknown to them, gave forth their fatal
message, and, broken and disheartened, the Indians staggered
back.
And then Fontenelle brought up the reserve, and in a long
line the hundred dismounted trappers came cheering through
the woods, Indian fashion—from tree to tree, from rock to rock,
from cover to cover ; every moment closing up with their
desperate foes. Never was there a more determined battle in
the bush. Often a trapper would be on one side of a rock and
... an Indian on the other, each watching for the other's life,
neither leaving the shelter but to die. For an hour or more the
APPENDIX. 269
long series of a man-to-man fights went on ; as one Indian was
disposed of another would spring into his place; and from tree
to rock and rock to tree, with the path bespattered with blood,
the victorious backwoodsmen slowly fought their way. At last
there came a piece of open ground, and with a cheer the white
men charged straight on to the remnant that was left, and with
a wild yell of defiance the Blackfeet scattered and fled. Three
of the trappers were killed and many were wounded ; but, of the
Indians, the corpses were lying about in scores, so tough had
been the struggle and so sudden the final collapse.
Even after this desperate affair the Blackfeet could bring five
thousand warriors into the field, and other battles had to be
fought before their strength was broken. All, however, were
of the same class, all with the same incidents and the same
ending. The bows and arrows stood no chance against the
deadly rifle and revolver, in the hands of men who never threw
away a shot or went a hair's breadth from their mark. Terrible
as Carson made himself to the Blackfeet, he was the staunch
friend of the Crows and Flatheads, and, indeed, with most of
the Indian nations, all of whose languages he knew.
With the Blackfeet war his career as a trapper closed. Silk
hats came into fashion, beaverskin went out; and the six
hundred men then employed in beaver capture among the
streams of the Rockies found their occupation almost gone.
Rit was shrewd enough to see that trapping was a thing of the
past, and, on the huntership of Fort Bent being offered to him,
he gladly accepted it.
Here he stayed from 1834 to 1842, his duties being to provide
meat for fifty men by the spoils of his gun. Day by day,
during those eight years was he out in the woods, and it is said
that he never failed in the supply or had a cross word with
those that employed him. A delightful duty it would seem to
be Eight long years of constant necessary sport amongst elk
and buffalo, deer and antelope, and smaller game, roaming over
mountain and prairie, from sunrise to sunset, welcome every-
where alike in the hut of the white man and the wigwam of the
Arapahoe, the Uheyenne, the Kioway and the Comanche
270 APPENDIX.
During this period it was that he became so well-known and
respected throughout the west, for having brought about the
peace between the Sioux and the Comanches, and it was then
that he won the heart of his Indian wife.
And now, after sixteen years in the wild woods, Kit Carson
resolved to visit his home and take with his little daughter to
place her at School at St. Louis. The scenes of his boyhood,
had, however, undergone a considerable change. The old log
cabin where his father and mother had dwelt, was deserted, and
its delightful walls were crumbling with decay. His people
were all scattered over the face of the earth, and he was a
stranger in a strange land. Ten days at St. Louis proved
enough for him ; and he was on his way to his hut in the west
when, on the steamboat on the Missouri, he met Fremont, then
starting to explore the Rockies.
Finding that he was in want of a guide, Kit volunteered for
the post, and was accepted. The expedition left the mouth of
the Kansas on June 10th, 1842. Its history and adventures
are sufficiently noticed in the foregoing pages. It was success-
ful in its main object, and in September, returned in safety to
Fort Laramie. In February, 1843, Carson married a Mexican
lady, and two months afterwards he went off as a hunter
with a waggon train from Fort Bent. On the Santa Fé trail
he met with a band of Mexicans, who, fearing an attack
from the Texan rangers, offered him three hundred dollars to
carry a letter to Santa Fé asking the Governor to send them
an escort. To do this meant a weary journey of four hundred
miles, through a wilderness swarming with hostile Indians.
I(it accepted the commission, and, returning to Fort Bent,
departed thence alone. With much care and circumspection he
managed to get through the Indians unperceived, and reached
Taos, whence the despatches were sent on, and then the Governor
in return requested him to take back despatches to the Mexican
caravan. With a boy as companion he began the journey.
Soon they found four Indians across the road ready to intercept
them. One of the Indians came forward as a herald and shook
hands in sign of friendship, but the instant the hands were
APPENDIX. 27]
unclasped he snatched at Kit's rifle and tried to wrench it away
from him, so as to shoot him down. There was a short, sharp,
struggle, and then Carson with his clenched fist gave his
treacherous enemy such a blow between the eyes, as knocked
him on to the grass with the blood streaming from his nose.
The Indian was up and away in a moment, and his friends
came on to the attack. Warning them off, Kit told them in
their own tongue that two would certainly be shot with the
rifles, and that his revolver would answer for the other two; and
after hesitating for a moment the Redskins thought discretion
the better part of valour, and sulkily retreated. A few days
before Kit again reached Fort Bent, Fremont had been passed on
his second expedition. Anxious to see his old comrades, Kit
started in pursuit, caught them up at the seventeenth mile, and
was prevailed upon to again give his services as guide.
After much hard work the expedition gradually reduced, and,
consisting entirely of volunteers, reached Fort Dallas, and
passing through Oregon went over the mountains to California.
An account of this is given in the fifth chapter of the foregoing
work, but the following incident was not mentioned: – “We
were forced off the ridges,” says Fremont, “ on the 23rd
February, by the quantity of snow among the timber, and
obliged to take to the mountain sides, where occasionally rocks
and a southern exposure afforded us a chance to scramble along.
But these were steep, and slippery with snow and ice, and the
tough evergreens of the mountains impeded our way, tore our
skins, and exhausted our patience. Some of us had the mis-
fortune to wear moccasins with soles of buffalo hide, so slippery
that we could not keep our feet, and generally we crawled
along the snow beds. Axes and mauls were necessary to make
a road through the snow. Going ahead with Carson to
reconnoitre the road, we reached this afternoon the river which
made the outlet of the lake. Carson sprang over clear across a
place where the stream was compressed among the rocks.
But the sole of my moccasin glanced from the icy rock and
precipitated me into the river. It was some seconds before I
could recover myself in the current, and Carson, thinking me
272. APPENDIX.
hurt, jumped in after me, and we both had an icy bath. We
tried to search awhile for my gun, which had been lost in the
fall, but the cold drove us out. Making a large fire on the
bank, after we had partially dried ourselves, we went back to
meet the camp. We afterwards found that the gun had been
slung along the ice which formed the shores of the creek.”
On the return of the expedition to St. Louis, Fremont went
on to Washington, Kit went home to Taos, and there he stayed
until he received a despatch asking him to join the explorer
on his third expedition. He was soon at his post again, and
led the way through the desert. With three men he was sent
on in front to mark out the trail. For sixty miles they went
without finding a drop of water or a blade of grass, and then
they reached the oasis, where they lit the fire which was the
agreed upon signal for Fremont to advance. Fremont saw
the smoke across the plain, and brought up the main body of
the expedition, which then kept on until at last it arrived at
Monterey on the Pacific coast.
Here they were ordered by the Mexicans to leave the country.
They formed a camp to defy them ; but, finding they could not
force their way through Castro's followers, they turned north-
wards to the mouth of the Columbia, and on the road met and
defeated a band of hostile Indians a thousand strong. The war
with Mexico then broke out, and Fremont’s exploring expedi-
tion became Fremont’s army corps, with Carson as lieutenant.
Sonoma was taken, and cannon and small arias were secured
for armament, and then the march was resumed on Monterey,
which fell to Sloat before Fremont arrived. Thence Fremont
and his men took ship for San Diego, and thence they marched
to Los Angeles, whence Kit and fifteen men started on a four
thousand mile ride with despatches. After many adventures,
Fit fell in with General Kearney on his road to California.
Joining him, he shared in the battle near San Diego, and with
him was surrounded. It became necessary to communicate
with the garrison of that town, and Carson volunteered to creep
through the Mexican lines and carry the message. Beale, then
a naval lieutenant, offered to accompany him.
APPENDIX. 273
When night fell they started together on their hands and feet,
feeling for the tall grass, the hollows in the ground, the shady
thickets, and everything that could hide them from the triple
row of sentinels that begirt the Americans. Foot by foot they
crept along in silence, and to make their progress more noiseless,
they slipped off their shoes and stuck them in their belts. They
passed the first line, then the second, and were just thinking
they were clear, when a sentinal rode up to within a yard of
where they were lying hid in the long grass. With flint and
steel he began to strike a light, and Kit could hear his comrade's
heart beat as the sparks flew out. The Mexican dismounted.
The suspense of the Americans was terrible. Click, click |
went the flint and steel ; and then came the light, but the
Sentinel’s eyes, intent on his pipe, were too much occupied to
see them. At last the tobacco caught, and with a grunt of
relief, the Mexican mounted and rode off smoking. For two
miles did the messengers creep through the brushwood, and
then by a roundabout route, Carson led the way over rocks and
hills. They had lost their shoes, and all next day they
struggled on with bare feet over the slippery shale and through
the prickly pear bushes. Another night closed in, and it was
not till early morning that they reached San Diego, and brought
Stockton news of Kearney’s peril. Instantly the troops were
called out, and marched to the rescue, and the Mexicans
retreated, baffled of their prey.
In March, 1847, Kit was sent off with despatches to Washing-
ton. He took three months on the road, triumphantly out-
witting the ever hostile Indians. And several times he went
backwards and forwards across the continent with despatches
for the seat of war. When the war was over he settled down
at Taos, where he had selected and stocked a ranche.
Once, when travelling with a caravan from St. Louis to his
farm, he found himself surrounded by Cheyennes. Throwing
up an entrechment, he sent out an interpreter inviting the
Indians to a palaver. They agreed, and he entered their camp
and talked to them, through his inferprefer, of his desire fo ha
friendly. The Cheyennes began to chat amongst themselves,
274 APPENDIX.
Kit understanding every word. He heard the whole of the plot
to massacre him and his men, and plunder his own and his
neighbour's horses. Suddenly springing to his feet, he told the
Indians of their treachery, revealed his name, till then unknown
to them,-and ordered them to disperse ; and so great was the
terror he inspired, that the astonished Cheyennes beat a hurried
retreat.
He was never molested again, and so feared and respected
had he made himself by the Indians, that in 1853 he was
appointed United States Indian Agent for New Mexico. In
this responsible post he did his utmost to help and direct aright
the Sons of the wilderness, with whom he had lived so long.
Only once did he meet them on the war-path and the result was,
as it ever had been, the Navajos were effectually overpowered.
When the War of Secession broke out, Rit became lieutenant
colonel of volunteers, and did welcome service; and at the close
of the struggle he obtained the rank of brigadier-general. It
is, however, solely with him as a backwoodsman that we have
here to deal, and we need not dwell on his marchings and
counter-marchings as a soldier.
He died at Fort Lyon, in Colorado, on the 23rd of May, 1868,
leaving behind him a spotless fame. He was one of nature's
gentlemen, a true man in all that constitutes manhood ; pure,
honorable, truthful, sincere and ever ready to defend the weak
against the strong, regardless of reward other than the approval
of his own conscience.
I may add that during my journey in the train from Denver
to Chicago, I had the pleasure of making acquaintance with
General Fremont, with whom I had an interesting conversation
on the subject of his explorations. I was not then aware, that
the late Mr. Carl Weber had been one of his trusted friends
and companions, or I should have mentioned his sad fate to the
General. -
Printed by Edwards & Co., Brandon Street, Wellington, New Zealand.
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