Page 245 - AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
P. 245

Around the World in 80 Days


               ‘And this,’ added Elder William Hitch, ‘this is why the
             jealousy of Congress has been aroused against us! Why
             have the soldiers of the Union invaded the soil of Utah?
             Why has Brigham Young, our chief, been imprisoned, in

             contempt of all justice? Shall we yield to force? Never!
             Driven from Vermont, driven from Illinois, driven from
             Ohio, driven from Missouri, driven from Utah, we shall
             yet find some independent territory on which to plant our
             tents. And you, my brother,’ continued the Elder, fixing
             his angry eyes upon his single auditor, ‘will you not plant
             yours there, too, under the shadow of our flag?’
               ‘No!’ replied Passepartout courageously, in his turn
             retiring from the car, and leaving the Elder to preach to
             vacancy.
               During the lecture the train had been making good
             progress, and towards half-past twelve it reached the
             northwest border of the Great Salt Lake. Thence the
             passengers could observe the vast extent of this interior
             sea, which is also called the Dead Sea, and into which
             flows an American Jordan. It is a picturesque expanse,
             framed in lofty crags in large strata, encrusted with white
             salt— a superb sheet of water, which was formerly of
             larger extent than now, its shores having encroached with





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