They were entering into what was to them a region of strange and extraordinary interest. They were upon the waters of the famous and unknown lake, around which the vague and superstitious accounts of the trappers had thrown a delightful obscurity. It was generally supposed that it had no visible outlet; but that somewhere upon its surface was a horrible whirlpool, through which the waters found their way to the ocean by some subterranean communication. On the 6th of September, they ascended an eminence, and, immediately at their feet, "beheld," says Fremont, "the object of our anxious search-the waters of the Inland Sea, stretching in still and solitary grandeur far beyond the limit of our vision. 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 for the first time saw the great western ocean. It was certainly a magnificent object and a noble terminus to this part of our expedition; and to travelers so long shut up among mountain ranges, a sudden view over the expanse of silent waters had in it something sublime." They had brought with them an India-rubber boat, which Fremont determined to use in explorations upon the lake. They launched it in a small stream emptying into it. "When near its mouth, we came," says Fremont," to a small black ridge on the bottom, beyond which the water suddenly became salt, beginning gradually to deepen. It was a remarkable division, separating the fresh waters of the rivers from the briny water of the lake, which was entirely saturated with salt. Pushing our little vessel across the narrow boundary, we sprang on board, and at length were afloat upon the waters of the unknown sea. 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 the set of a current in that direction, and recalling the recollection of the whirlpool stories. The water continued to deepen as we advanced; the lake becoming almost transparently clear, of an extremely beautiful bright green color; and the spray which was thrown into the boat and over our clothes was directly converted into a crust of common salt, which covered also our hands and arms. 'Captain,' said Carson, who for some time had been looking suspiciously at some whitening appearances outside the nearest islands, what are those yonder? Won't you just take a look with the glass? We ceased paddling for a moment, and found them the caps of the waves that were beginning to break under the force of a strong breeze that was coming up the lake. Gradually we worked across the rougher sea of the open channel into the smoother water under the lea of the island for which we were steering; and began to discover that what we took 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 island, and landed on a broad, handsome beach, behind which the hill into which the island gathered rose somewhat abruptly. The cliffs and masses of rock along the shore were whitened by an incrustation of salt, where 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 incrusted with salt for about one-eighth of an inch. This salt was very white and fine, having the usual flavor of the best common salt. In the afternoon they ascended the highest point of the island-a bare, rocky peak, eight hundred feet above the lake. "Standing on the summit," says Fremont, "we enjoyed an extended view of the lake, inclosed in a basin of rugged mountains, which sometimes left marshy flats and extensive bottoms between them and the shore, and, in other places, came down directly into the water with bold and precipitous bluffs. Following with our glasses the irregular shores, we searched for some indications of a communication with other bodies of water, or the entrance of other rivers, but the distance was so great that we could make out nothing with certainty. As we looked over the vast expanse of waters spread out beneath us, and strained our eyes along the silent shores, over which hung so much doubt and uncertainty, and which were so full of interest to us, I could hardly repress the almost irresistible desire to continue our explorations; but the lengthening snow on the mountains was a plain indication of the advancing season, and our frail linen boat appeared so insecure, that I was unwilling to trust our lives to the uncertainties of the lake. We, however, felt pleasure in remembering that we were the first who, in the traditionary annals of the country, had visited the islands, and broken, with the cheerful sounds of human voices, the long solitude of the place." They passed the night on the island, kindling bright fires out of drift-wood, their slumbers being lulled by the roar of the surf that dashed heavily, like ocean waves, upon the shores of this inland sea. In the morning, when they embarked for the main land, the surf was dashing heavily; the lake was dark and agitated; and the wind blowing a strong gale ahead, rendered their return, in their frail boat, one of imminent peril and difficulty. In the region of the Utah Lake, Fremont encountered a poor, miserable race of Indians, known under the name of Diggers, who, among human beings, may be considered the nearest approach to the animal creation. Their sole occupation was to procure food sufficient to support mere animal existence. They lived principally upon roots, which they dug from the ground; hence their name. They carried long forked sticks, to haul out lizards and other small animals from their holes for food. Their heads were large; hair matted and coarse; and their bodies almost entirely naked. The expression of their countenances strongly resembled those of beasts of prey, and all their actions were those of wild animals. Joined to the restless motion of the eye, there was a want of mind, an absence of thought, and an action wholly by impulse, strongly expressed, and which strikingly recalled the similarity. These people inhabit the Great Basin, where they thus eke out a scanty subsistence from seeds, roots, and lizards. Four years after this visit of Fremont, the Mormons, driven from their first settlement in Missouri, and afterward from the City of Nauvoo, sought in this then isolated region a haven of rest. It will not be inappropriate to give here a brief history of this peculiar people; their origin and progress; their creed; their prophet, and some account of the great City of Nauvoo, in which they dwelt after having been ignominiously driven from Missouri, until expelled by the people of Illinois, they again started forth, diminished in numbers, broken by persecution, to seek a new home afar from their enemies; their wanderings in the wilderness; their settlement in Utah; their present condition, and the probability of their eventual suppression. JOSEPH SMITH, the founder of Mormonism, was born of humble parentage, in Sharon, Vermont, in 1805. Some ten years after, his family removed to Western New York. Joseph, when a young man, was occasionally employed in Palmyra as a laborer, and was reputed to be lazy and ignorant. According to the testimony of respectable individuals in that place, Smith and his father were addicted to disreputable habits, and moreover, extremely superstitious and believers in witchcraft. They, at one time, procured a mineral rod, and dug in various places for certain treasure, the existence of which they claimed had been supernaturally revealed to them. Young Smith stated that when digging, he had seen the chest in which it was contained, but never could get it into his hands, as when he approached it, it would sink deeper into the earth. He also placed a singular looking stone in his hat, which he pretended afforded him light by which he made many wonderful discoveries of buried gold and silver. About this period, by some means unknown, Joseph got possession of the manuscript of the book of Mormons. This work was based upon one written by Solomon Spalding, who was born in Connecticut, in 1761, graduated at Dartmouth, and having failed in mercantile business, in 1809, removed to Conneaut, the northeastern corner town of Ohio, where he engaged in the iron business. While there, he wrote a book, which he called the "Manuscript Found," purporting to be a history of the first settlers of America, endeavoring to show that the Indians were the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. Mr. Spalding, like most novices in the art of authorship, had an idea that the book would make his fortune and enable him to pay his debts; and was very fond of reading it to his friends. Having again failed in business, he removed to Pittsburgh in 1812, and died in that region four years after. While in Pittsburgh, he placed his manuscript in the hands of some printers for examination, and there all traces of it were lost to his friends, until the publication of the Mormon Bible, when his old Conneat partner, Mr. Henry Lake, his brother, John Spalding, and several other persons, recognized it as being essentially the same as the "Manuscript Found." The original author of the Mormon conspiracy is supposed to have been Sidney Rigdon, a clergyman of the "Disciples" order of Baptists. He took up his residence at Pittsburgh about the year 1824, and there became intimate with the printer, Mr. Lambdin, with whom the manuscript of Spalding had been left. He remained there about three years, during which time, he abandoned preaching, as he said, to devote his time to studying the Bible; but, as it is supposed, to re-write Spalding' manuscript. He then left, and took up his residence in Mentor, in northeastern Ohio, and commenced preaching some new points of doctrine, which were afterward found inculcated in the Mormon Bible. About the time he left Pittsburgh, Lambdin, the printer, died. During the earlier part of his residence in Lake County, Rigdon was frequently absent. About this period, Joseph Smith claimed to have knowledge of a book that unfolded the history of the first inhabitants of America. The necromantic fame of Smith had, ere this, extended a considerable distance, and it is inferred that Rigdon hearing of it, had a communication with him for the purpose of making him the medium through which to bring his work before the world. It was in the autumn of 1827, that Smith first pretended that he had found golden plates containing the Mormon Bible, which were engraved in hieroglyphic characters, inclosed in a stone box, and buried in a hill in the vicinity of Palmyra. The existence of these plates he claimed, and their place of concealment, were made known to him by an angel sent from God. Smith now commenced his career as the founder of the new sect, appointing a number of meetings at Palmyra, for the purpose of declaring the Divine revelations, which he stated were made to him. He was, however, unable to produce any excitement in the village, as but few had sufficient curiosity to listen to him. Not having the means to print his revelations, he applied to Mr. Crane, of the Society of Friends, stating that he was moved by the Spirit to call upon him for assistance. To this request Mr. Crane answered, that he had better go to work or he would end his career in the State Penitentiary. He had better success with Martin Harris, who owned a fine farm in Palmyra. This Harris was one of those unstable, weak minded characters who are ever ready to adopt every novelty in religion that arises, he having been by turns, a Quaker, a Universalist, a Restrictionist, a Baptist, a Presbyterian, and finally a Mormon. By his assistance, about five thousand copies of the Mormon Bible were printed in 1830, at an expense of three thousand dollars. Harris after this, was, in accordance to the testimony of his wife in her last illness, guilty |