GEOGRAPHY. 335 



scarce that in some places it is sold by the gallon. Agri- 

 culture is out of the question, and there is no timber. Graz- 

 ing is practicable to a limited extent. The only important 

 industry, present or prospective, is mining, and only the rich- 

 est of the numerous gold and silver deposits can now be 

 worked with profit, owing to the remoteness of all sources 

 of supplies. 



Mr. Wheeler worked with plane - table and orograph in 

 the western half of the region comprised by atlas-sheet No. 

 106, and estimates his total area at 5000 square miles. 

 Through the centre of his district there runs, from north to 

 south, a natural barrier called the Echo Cliff. The escarp- 

 ment faces westward, and the plateau at the west of it is 

 1000 feet lower than that to the eastward. The eastern pla- 

 teau is a broad desert of sand, scantily watered, and useful 

 only for grazing purposes. The western plateau is equally 

 barren and worthless, but presents more variety of surface. 

 A portion consists of naked "bad lands," soft strata carved 

 by the elements into hills of picturesque beauty, and tinted 

 with a variety of brilliant colors, which warrant the title of 

 Painted Desert bestowed by Lieutenant Ives. Another por- 

 tion is extremely rocky, and divided by a net-work of impas- 

 sable caiions. Through this region runs the Little Colorado 

 River, a stream of considerable magnitude, but, on account 

 of the character of its banks, of no service to agriculture. 

 Echo Cliff is interrupted at one point by a cross-line of 

 drainage, and there are a few springs available for farming. 

 No other spot invites settlement. Maps, on a scale of four 

 miles to one inch, showing the geography of the entire region 

 embraced in the survey, are being constructed ; and, under 

 the direction of Major Powell, a map is also under construc- 

 tion intended to represent the distribution of the various 

 tribes of Indians when first discovered by Europeans. 



GREENLAND. 



It has been supposed that an extent of country existed in 

 the interior of Greenland comparatively free from the per- 

 petual ice and snow which covers the coast, and many at- 

 tempts have been made to explore the interior; but until 

 last summer all such attempts have been in vain. Lieuten- 

 ant Jensen of the Royal Danish Navy, with two companions, 



