58 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



Members of the staff, research associates, and other persons col- 

 laborated under the auspices of the Department during the year, 

 in the field, in the laboratories of the Department, and in various 

 institutions. Field-work has been carried out in the West Indies 

 and in southern California and Arizona for the purpose of studying 

 the distribution of the cacti and of making various observations 

 relative to the problems of the Salton Sea and other geographical 

 researches. 



THE SALTON SEA. 



The Salton Sea: A Study of the Geography, Geology, Floristics, and Ecology 

 of a Desert Basin. 



The comprehensive observations which were begun on the Salton 

 Sea at the time of its maximum level in 1907 have now been brought 

 to a stage where the results seem worthy of compilation and presen- 

 tation, and a manuscript with the above title has been presented to 

 the Institution and is scheduled to appear as Publication No. 193. 

 Summaries of the newer or more important results are given under 

 the headings below. As may be seen, while definitely organized 

 work on the subject was begun but seven years ago, the original expe- 

 dition to the basin was made by Professor Blake in 1853, and Dr. 

 MacDougal spent some time in the basin in 1903, 1905, and 1906. 



The Cahuilla Basin and the Desert of the Colorado, by W. P. Blake (deceased). 



Concerning the discovery of the true nature of the Cahuilla Basin 

 and of the passage into it from the westward. Professor Blake wrote : 



To one of the expeditions of 1853 was assigned the duty of following 

 the Sierra Nevada of California southward, to seek for any suitaljle pass 

 through which a railway might be built. This survey was placed in charge 

 of Lieut. R. S. Williamson, of the U. S. Topographical Engineers, with 

 Lieut. J. G. Parke second in command, and the WTiter as geologist. Walker 

 Pass, much vaunted at the time as the best and only practicable pass in 

 the Sierra Nevada, was the first objective point. It was most favored bj^ 

 Senator Gwin of California (known also as "Duke Gwin") w^ho had per- 

 sonally taken the field and journeyed as far south as the Tejon, and could 

 see from its summit a favorable route across the Great Basin eastward. 

 Surveys were made by the Williamson expedition of Walker's Pass, the 

 Taheechapah (the orthography of which has been corrupted to Tehachipi), 

 Tejon, Canada de las Uvas, the passes north of Los Angeles, and the Cajon 

 from the Mojave to San Bernardino, Avithout finding any pass that offered 

 an especially favorable and easy route or inviting grades. 



Imagine, then, the enthusiasm, with which the unknown great break in the 

 mountain range between San Bernardino and San Jacinto was approached 

 by the members of the party as we made our way eastward from the region, 

 then practically unoccupied, but now^ known as Colton and Redlands, and 

 found an easy grade and open country for our train of wagons to the summit, 

 only 2,580 feet above the sea. Here, at last, was discovered the greatest 

 break through the western cordillera leading from the slopes of Los Angeles 

 and the Pacific into the interior wilderness. It had no place upon the maps, 



