160

| DEN’s Grave,” on the other, her name,
“Lucinda Duncan.”

 

Passing on, we cross narrow patches of
meadow land, and wind around the base
of low hills until we reach a broad valley.
Across the river to the northward can be

    
   
   
    
 
 
  
   
   
   
  
   
   
 

stretch away until they are lost in that cold
blue line—the Idaho Mountains—which
ina. og the northern sky. Behind that
y old peak, which is barely discernible,
the head waters of the North Fork of the
Humboldt break away when starting on
their journey for the main river. Farther
to the left, and nearer, from among that
| darker clump of hills Maggie’s Creek
finds its source.
Be-o-wa-we—is reached at a narrow
a Copper Canyon, 8.7 miles
(rom uro.

The Cortez mines and milis are situated
about 35 miles south of this station, with
which they are connected by a good road.
At this point the Red Range throws a spur
| nearly across the valley, cutting it in two.
It looks as though the spur extended clear
across, at one time, damming up the waters
of the river, as at the Palisades. The
water-wash far up the hillside is in evi-
dence of the theory that such was once the
case, and that the waters cut this narrow
gorge, through which they speed along
unmindful of the mighty work done in for-

“forced a highway to the sea,” and drained

CROFUTT’S NEW OVERLAND TOURIST

Upon one side is inscribed “THz Mar |

| seen the long, unbroken slopes which |

mer years, when the resistless current |

 

 

 

a mighty lake
neces. :

Sn

leaving in its place green |

Here, on this red ridge, is the dividing ©

line between the Shoshones and the Piutes,
two tribes of Indians who seemed to be
created for the express purpose of worry-

ing emigrants, stealing stock, eating grass- |
hoppers, and preying on themselves and |
everybody else. The Shoshones are very |
degraded Indians, and until-recently, were |

like the Ishmaelites or Pariahs of old—
their hand was against every man, and
every man’s hand was compelled, in self-

defense, to be against them until they be |

came almost unable to commit depreda-

tions, and could make more by begging
-O-

than they could by stealing. The term

| wa-we signifies gate, and it is literal in its
| significance.

After leaving Be-o-wa-we, we pass
through the gate, and wind along by the

| hillside, over the low meadows, which here |
are very narrow. The “bottom” is broad, »

but is covered with willows, with the ex-

ception of the narrow meadows spoken of. |
Amid these willows the stream winds and |
twists about through innumerable sloughs |
and creeks, as though undecided whether |

to leave this shady retreat for the barren
plains below. Perhaps the traveler will
see a flock of pelicans disporting in the
waters on their return from their daily
fishing excursion to Humboldt Lake.
These birds, atcertain seasons of the year, are
to be found here and there along the river
for about 20 miles below, in great numbers.
They build their nests in these willow
islands and rear their young undisturbed,
for even an Indian cannot penetrate this
swampy, treacherous fastness. Every
morning the old birds can be seen taking
their flight to Humboldt Lake, where, in
its shallow waters, they load themselves
with fish, returning towards night to feed
their young and ramble about the bottom.

Soon after leaving the station, Hot
Spring Valley comes in on the left—south
—and by looking away to the south eight
miles, can be seen columns of steam, from
one of the many “hot springs” which
abound in the “ Great Basin.”

If you do not behold the steam—for the
springs are not always in active operation
—you will behold a long, yellowish, red
line, stretching for a full half-mile around
a barren hill-side. From this line boiling,
muddy water and sulphuric wash descen
the hill-side, desolating everything in its