50 REPORTS ON INVESTIGATIONS AND PROJECTS. 



that the Salton Sink lay in a basin below sea-level by Prof. William P. Blake 

 as a member of the Williamson Expedition in 1852. The depression, which 

 was designated Cahuila Basin by Professor Blake, was traversed by him at 

 various times between 1853 and 1910, the year of his death. He took an 

 active part in the observations upon the lake begun in 1906 and prepared a 

 sketch upon "The Cahuila Basin and the Desert of the Colorado" in 1909, 

 which will be incorporated in the volume in preparation. The sphere of 

 activity of the other participants is indicated below. 



Geography of the Colorado Delta, Pattie and Cahuila Basins, by G. Sykes. 



Since 1890 Mr. Sykes has made various voyages down the Colorado River 

 and up through minor channels of the delta, and several overland journeys 

 across the two main basins contiguous to the delta. Some of his results have 

 been compiled as maps published by the American Geographical Society. 

 The alterations in the delta and the changes due to flooding of the basins are 

 of such striking character, by reason of the rapidity with which the delta is 

 built up and extended, that it has become important that historical records 

 of the earlier aspects of the region should be consulted. To this end Mr. 

 Sykes spent the greater part of the summer and autumn of 191 1 at the 

 British Museum, and in 1912 consulted the manuscripts and records in the 

 New York Public Library, the Los Angeles Public Library, and the Bancroft 

 collection of the University of California. The information obtained from 

 these sources throws much light on the history of the delta and offers an 

 explanation of the origination of the myth of the island character of the 

 peninsula of California which prevailed in the eighteenth century. Topo- 

 graphical notes made during the past few years on many traverses of the 

 region will be used in preparing a map showing the general features of the 

 region and present status of the lake and its islands. 



Composition of Salton Water, June 191 2, by A. E. Vinson. 



The annual sample of Salton water was taken as usual from near the 

 surface of the lake at a point southeast of Mecca, where the greatest depth 

 is found. The determinations of principal interest are as follows : 



Parts per 

 100,000. 



Total solids dried at 110° C. plus water of occlusion and 



hydration 846 . 55 



Sodium 270 . 71 



Potassium 3.81 



Calcium 17.28 



Magnesium 13 . 62 



Aluminum .10 



Iron .04 



Chlorine 395 . 44 



Sulphuric, SO4 106.83 



Bicarbonic, HCO3 (volumetrically 12.15 CO2) 16.85 



Carbonic, total CO2 (gravimetrically 12.09 CO2) 12.09 



Silicic, SIO4 1 . 79 



