xvi 
BOTANY. 
West Hum])olJt Mountains, 100 miles east of tlie California state-line, the 
East Humboldt Mountains, 75 miles from the Utah line, and the ^J\)yal)es, 
nearly intermediate between the two. Star Peak is the highest point ot tlie 
tinst range, with an altitude of nearly 10,000 feet, but with little deposit of 
snow and the vegetation of the summit scarcely subalpine. Several constant 
streams here flow from the principal eastern canons and reach the middle of 
the valley, where they supply irrigation for as many small ranches. The Toyabe 
range, especially in its southern portion, is higher, several of its peaks having 
an altitude of from 10,000 to 12,000 feet, with more snow and fuller streams. 
The waters of the eastern slope are spent in Smoky Valley. On the western 
side lies Reese River, flowing northward toward the Humboldt of which it 
is a reputed tributary. In the upper portion of its course of 150 miles it is 
reenforced to some extent by the drainage of the Shoshone Mountains, a 
rather high range west of the Toyabes, but as it nears Humboldt Valley it 
diverges into side-channels and seldom has volume sufficient to reach the 
main river itself. 
The East Humboldt Mountains are by far the most stern and alpine of 
all these ranges, the main peaks between 11,000 and 12,000 feet in height, 
precipitous and ragged, the deeper cailons evidently scooped out by glaciers, 
gemmed with snow-fed lakes beneath the peaks and carrying full streams into 
the valleys. The southern portion, however, below Fremont's Pass, is less 
rugged and of diflferent geological structure, mainly of nearly horizontal strata 
of limestone. The canons here, often mere gorges with close precipitous walls, 
are perfectly dry on the eastern slope, the melting snows sinking almost im- 
mediately, l)ut reappearing at the base in bold ice-cold springs. The water 
from these s[>rings and streams unites to form Ruby and Franklin Lakes, 
l)()dies of nearly fresh water, very shallow and largely occupied by a dense 
growth of " Tule," {Scirpus valklus.) As usual in these ranges the western 
slope is much the more gentle, with a l)roader line of foothills. The streams 
upon this side form the South Fork of the Hund)oldt. The ''Clover Mount- 
ains" of the Catalogue form the northern extremity of this range, isolated by a 
depression known as Secret A^alley, but of equal height and similar character. 
Such is a general description of the country as far east as the foot of 
the Wahsatch in Utali. IIk^sc mountains, upon a broad base of nearly fifty 
niiles in width, ami with an irregular crest-line 10-12,000 feet high, have a 
system of lonir de<^p well-w!it(M-<"d cnnons, often exceedingly rocky and some- 
