F. GEOGRAPHY. 277 



kansas Valley, crossed the Tennessee Pass, and examined the 

 country that lies between the Eagle and Blue Rivers, of 

 which very little was known. This territory is bounded on 

 the south by the imposing mountain masses of the Mount 

 Lincoln group, and on the east by the cliff walls of the 

 Blue River Range, and on the northeast by Gore's Range, ' 

 with its needle-shaped peaks extending for twenty miles 

 like sharp pinnacles. 



In completing the survey of this district, Mr. Bechler 

 joined, by his topographical work and triangulation, three 

 separate surveys of previous years. 



Crossing Gore's Range and the Blue River, Mr. Bechler 

 passed through the Middle Park and over the Boulder Pass 

 to the sources of the Big Thompson Creek, an important 

 stream rising on the east side of the Long's Peak group. 

 Much excellent work was done in the ridges or hog-backs 

 at the east base of the mountains, thus bringing the season's 

 labors to a most successful termination. One hundred and 

 six stations were made, barometrical elevations were four 

 hundred and fifty, and the number of elevations taken with 

 the gradienter were about six thousand. 



The party under Mr. Gardner had made but four stations 

 when it was prevented from further prosecution of that duty 

 by Indians. One of the stations occupied was very impor- 

 tant, viz., the Sierra La Sal Mountain, which enabled Mr. 

 Gardner to secure an excellent set of observations, thus ex- 

 tending: the triangulation far into Utah, and connecting our 

 eastern work with the great Colorado River of the West. 



During the latter part of the season of 1874 Mr. "YV. H. 

 Jackson, the photographer of the United States Geological 

 Survey, in connection with Mr. Ernst Ingersoll, visited the 

 southwestern portion of Colorado for the purpose of photo- 

 graphing the ruins which rumor has placed in the canons of 

 the Mesa Verde and about El Late. The season was far ad- 

 vanced, and there was but little time for investigation, yet 

 the eight days that were actually devoted to the subject 

 brought to light a group of ancient habitations, so novel in 

 their construction and position that they have excited a 

 very general interest. The results of the trip, as published 

 in the correspondence of that time, and in Bulletin No. 1 of 

 the Survey, have already been widely distributed. The il- 



