Capt.  Doty’s mess crossed between the lakes on the strip of dry mud while others went on where it was still soft and left marks of their foot-steps.  Both parties turned up a small canon on the west side and began the ascent of a black and barren range, containing no water, but in the bed of the ravine near the summit they found some damp sand and tried to dig with their hands to find some of the precious fluid.  But no water came, and in the morning one of their number Mr. Fish died and was left unburied on the barren rocks.  No doubt his bones could be found there to-day.

Turning west again, they had a down grade over a most barren and rocky road for many miles.  The prospect from this point was any thing but cheering.  To the left a large lake could be seen, and from their previous experience they concluded it to be salt, and the valley they were coming to was very sandy, and the hardest sort of footing for men and animals as weak as those of the party were.  It must be crossed before there was any possibility of water, and when across it was quite uncertain whether they could obtain any.  One of their number had already died of thirst and fatigue and all were suffering terribly.

The valley seemed about eight miles across, and before they were half way over Mr. Ischam, one of their party sat down, perfectly exhausted, and said he could not take another step.  No one was able to assist him or give him a drink of water, and they could not tarry to see if rest would refresh him.  They could only look sadly at him and pass on in silence, for he seemed fast wasting away.  The thought came to everyone that perhaps it would be his turn next to sit down and see the others pass on.  In fact the probability of any more of them living another day was very poor, for they all grew weaker and weaker with every hour, and no one knew how many hours must pass before they could hope for water.  There was not moisture enough in their poor bodies to make tears, and no one dare open his mouth, lest all the moisture suddenly evaporate and respiration cease.

Those who had no cattle took different courses to reach the hills and mountains on the west side of this valley, hoping there to find water and signal to the others if they were successful.  All except the two men managed to get across, and finding no water the packs were taken from the oxen and they were driven to the lake which appeared on the left.  Reaching the lake they found the water red in color and so strong of alkali that no man or beast could take a single swallow.  They drove the cattle back again with sad hearts, and almost despondent, for in the rough, dry rocks of the mountains there seemed no signs of water.  But they were saved again.  Those who bore farthest to the right in their course to the mountains, steering toward a pile of tremendous rocks, found a little stream of good water which flowed only a short distance and then sank into the sand.  This good news spread rapidly,