Continued down the valley, which is very wide at this point. Toward
night we entered into another bend of the river, running across by north
and south. The general surface of the soil here is nearly bare, wild
sage, greasewood and a few stunted weeds being the only vegetation. The
soil is light in color and weight, and walking through it is like
walking through ashes or slacked lime. Most of the day we were several
miles from the river and came to it but twice during the day, I never
saw such dense clouds of dust as I saw here, and it is more disagreeable
on account of being impregnated with alkali, which abounds in this
valley. The sky is cloudless and the sun extremely warm. We have
traveled so long among the mountains, and all bearing the same general
appearance, that we seem to be stationary instead of changing our
position every day. In looking around me I seem to be in a deep blue
ocean of air, with the distant mountains around as the shore. Distance,
twenty-three miles.