sionally make their appearance in the town. The Mexicans of
Abiquiu, from their continued intercourse with bands of the Utah
Indians, are more or less linked in with them; and, in time of war,
the Americans can place but little confidence in the inhabitants of
Abiquiu on this account. The grazing and farming facilities of the
country adjacent to this town are quite progressive, and were it not
for the Indians, its resources would be much more rapidly developed
than they now are.

Utah was originally part of the territory of Upper California. The
United States came into possession of it by treaty with Mexico in
1848. The population is chiefly Mormon. The new territory, as set
off by the United States in 1850, includes an area of one hundred and
eighty-seven thousand, nine hundred and twenty-three square miles, or
one hundred and twenty millions, two hundred and seventy thousand and
seven hundred and twenty acres. Near the eastern base of the Sierra
Nevada range there are several lakes which receive the waters of the
eastern slope of these leviathan mountains. One of these lakes bears
the name of Kit Carson, having been named Carson Lake by Colonel
Fremont.

In one respect this country has characteristics seldom met with in
any part of the globe. Large numbers of the lakes and rivers have no
outlets. Such is the fact in regard to Carson Lake. The only means by
which their waters are reduced is by evaporation. The Great Salt Lake
of Utah, to the traveler is of great interest. It may well be called
the Dead Sea of Utah.

As has been seen, Col. Cook and party were now halted at a Mexican
village on the Rio Chama, a tributary of the Rio Grande or del Norte.

The party that had been sent back with the wounded man, while on their
journey met and captured an Indian. Supposing him to be an Apache,
they deprived him of his horse and arms and otherwise treated him as
a prisoner. While they were en route, the Indian made his escape and
joined his tribe. This captive they afterwards learned was a Utah,
whose tribe had the external appearance of being friendly towards the
whites, although there were existing good reasons for doubting their
sincerity. Col. Cook, fearing that such treatment might offer the
Utahs a plausible excuse for openly declaring war, determined to clear
himself of censure by making such reparation as was in his power.
Accordingly, he dispatched Kit Carson to the head-quarters of his
Agency, in order to settle