Copied from Journal of a Trapper, by Osborne Russell. Some slight editing for legibility.
1841
Feby 24th. I left the Camp with a determination to go to the Eutaw Village at the SE extremity of the Lake to trade furs. I travelled along the foot of the Mountain about 10 Mls when I stopped and deposited in the ground such articles as I did not wish to take with me.
The next day I travelled along the foot of the Mountain South about 30 Mls and encamped on a small spring branch which runs in a distance of 4 Mls from the mountain to the lake. This is a beautiful and fertile Valley intersected by large numbers of fine springs which flow from the mountain to the Lake and could with little labour and expense [be] made to irrigate the whole Valley.
The following day I travelled about 15 Mls along the lake when a valley opened to my view stretching to the SE about 40 Mls and upwards of 15 Mls wide At the farther extremity of this valley lies Trimpannah or Eutaw lake composed of fresh water about 60 Mls in circumference The outlet of it is a stream about 30 Yds wide which, after cutting this valley thro the middle empties into the Salt Lake. I left the Lake and travelled up this Valley over smooth ground which the snow had long since deserted and the green grass and herbage were fast supplying its plac.
After crossing several small streams which intersected this vale I arrived at the Village, rode up to a lodge, and asked of a young Indian who met me where Want a Sheep’s [Wanship’s] lodge was. But before he could reply a tall Indian, very dark complected with a thin visage and a keen piercing eye having his Buffaloe robe thrown carelessly over his left shoulder gathered in folds around his waist and loosely held by his left hand, stepped forth and answered in the Snake tongue “I am Want a Sheep, follow me” at the same time turning round and directing his course to a large white lodge.
I rode to the door dismounted and followed him in. He immediately ordered my horses to be unsaddled and turned loose to feed whilst their loads were carefully arranged in the lodge.
After the big pipe had gone round several times in silence he then began the conversation – I was asked the news, where travelling for what whom and how. I replied to these several inquiries in the Snake tongue which was understood by all in the lodge.
He then gave me an extract of all he had seen heard and done for 10 years past. He had two Sons and one daughter grown to man and womanhood and the same number of less size. His oldest son was married to a Snake Squaw and his daughter to a man of the Same nation. The others yet remained single.
After supper was over the females retired from the lodge and the principal men assembled to smoke and hear the news which occupied the time till near midnight, when the assembly broke up, the men retiring to their respective lodges and the women returned. I passed the time as pleasantly at this place as ever I did among Indians.
In the daytime I rode about the Valley hunting water fowl who rend the air at this season of the year with their cries, and at night the Old Chief would amuse me with traditionary tales mixed with the grossest superstition some of which were not unlike the manners of Ancient Israelites. There seems to be a happiness in ignorance which knowledge and Science destroys. Here is a nation of people contented and happy, they have fine horses and lodges and are very partial to the rifles of the white man. If a Eutaw has 8 or 10 good horses a rifle and ammunition he is contented. If he fetches a deer at night from the hunt joy beams in the faces of his wife and children and if he returns empty a frown is not seen in the countenances of his companions.
The Buffaloe have long since left the shores of these Lakes and the hostile blackfeet have not left a footprint here for many years. During my stay with these Indians I tried to gain some information respecting the southern limits of the Salt Lake but all that I could learn was that it was a sterile barren mountainous Country inhabited by a race of depraved and hostile savages who poisoned their arrows and hindered the exploring of the country.
The Chiefs son informed me he had come from the largest Island in the lake a few days previous, having passed the winter upon it with his family which he had conveyed backwards and forth on a raft of bulrushes about 12 ft square. He said there was large numbers of antelope on the Island and as there was no wood he had used wild Sage for fuel. The Old Chief told me he could recollect the time when the Buffaloe passed from the main land to the island without swimming and that the depth of the waters was yearly increasing.
After obtaining all the furs I could from the Eutaws I started towards Fort Hall on the 27th of March and travelled along the borders of the Lake about 25 Mls.