'88 APPENDIX TO REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



engaged in Central Xew Mexico, sonth and southeast of Santa Fe, in 

 the area of athis-sheets 77 D and 84 A and 84 B. Tbroughout the Eio 

 Grande and Fort Stanton sections, good agricultural lands were found, 

 and copper, silver, and gold deposits in the mountains. Ancient pue- 

 blos, among them the "Gran Quivira,-' were visited, and a cave, in the 

 limestone near Fort Stanton, was explored for the distance approxi- 

 mately of one mile. 



The various parties in the Utah section took the field from Ogden, 

 that one under Lieutenant Tillman operating in the area between the 

 meridians of 111° and 112=^20' west longitude, and the parallels of 43^ 10' 

 and 41° 40'. The work was connected with a base measured at Ogden. 

 The whole area was triangulated and numerous secondary points located. 

 About 8,000 square miles were surveyed, and the data collected to com- 

 plete atlas-sheets 32 D and 41 B. In September, Lieutenant Young, 

 Corps of Engineers, took charge of this party, and Lieutenant Tillman 

 proceeded to Fort Ellis, Montana, where he measured a base-line in the 

 vicinity of the main astronomical station at Bozeman, for future use. 

 Lieutenant Birnie, in charge of Utah party No. 2, operated in an area 

 connecting with the geological exploration of the fortieth parallel under 

 Clarence King, with a view to finishing the work on atlas-sheets 41 A 

 and 32 C, containing approximately 6,800 square miles. This area in- 

 cludes the great basin north of Great Salt Lake; the drainage basin of 

 Snake Eiver; several detached mountain groups, which were examined 

 for low passes, these passes being also examined as to their altitude 

 compared with the highest beach-marks of the ancient Lake Bonne- 

 ville; and north of Snake Eiver an unbroken lava desert, remarkable 

 for its rock surface, almost entire absence of water, and fine grazing 

 near the few water-courses. In the mountains some timber was found, 

 and they have been prospected for silver in the Clear Creek and Black 

 Pine regions, from which a few streams run toward Great Salt Lake, to 

 be lost, however, in the neighboring valleys. Cattle-raising is exten- 

 sively carried on upon the grazing-fields in the vicinity of the numerous 

 tributaries of Snake Eiver, running south from the mountains. Snake 

 Eiver was gauged and examined for fords, and the party made several 

 trips outside the area particularly alluded to, one being for the purpose 

 of determining the course of Wood Eiver, and to examine and locate 

 the Great Shoshone Falls. 



The parties of the California sections took the field from Carson, 

 Nev., in June. One under Lieutenant Symons, Corps of Engineers, 

 occupied the area of atlas-sheets 38 B, 38 D, and 47 B, for the prosecu- 

 tion to completion of the work therein. A side party made the detour 

 of Pyramid Lake for the purpose of occupying outlying tiiangulation 

 stations, the main triangulation being extended over the whole area to 

 be surveyed. The main party worked from Honey Lake Valley north 

 to Eagle Lake, Horse Lake, Smoke Creek, the Madelin Plains, and by 

 the Warner Eange to the west of Goose Lake to Drew's Valley, in Ore- 



