THE MUSEUM. 



85 



forth that they must give way. It 

 was impossible to herd domestic stock 

 in a countr}' where they were con- 

 stantly liable to be stampeded by the 

 moving herds of wild animals. The 

 same territory which a quarter of a 

 century ago was supporting those vast 

 herds of wild game is now sustaining 

 millions of domestic animals which af- 

 ford the food supply to hundreds of 

 millions of people in civilized coun- 

 tries. — North American Rei'icTC. 



CRATER LAKE. 



One of the Worlds Greatest Nat- 

 ural Wonders. 



A trip to Crater Lake, to the lover 

 of the grand and beautiful in nature is 

 important event, around which will 

 an ever cluster memories of unalloyed 

 happiness, thoughts of little adventures 

 and weired experiences that go to make 

 life worth living. It is situated in the 

 northwest portion of Klamath County, 

 Oregon, twenty-two miles west of 

 north of Ft. Klamath, and about 

 eighty miles northeast of Medford, 

 which is the best point to leave the 

 Oregon and California railroad. The 

 Jacksonville and Ft. Klamath military 

 road passes the lake within three miles, 

 and the road to the very walls of it is 

 an exceptionally good one for a moun- 

 tainous country, while in near prox- 

 imity may be found remarkably fine 

 camping grounds. The Indians of 

 southern Oregon have known of it for 

 ages, but until lately none have seen 

 it, for the reason that a tradation, 

 handed down from generation to gen- 

 eration, described it as the home of 

 myrids of sea-devils, or as they were 

 called Slaos, and it was considered 

 certain death for any brave even to 

 look upon it. The superstition still 



haunts the Klamaths. While a few of 

 the tribe have visited it they do so 

 with a sort of mysterious dread of the 

 consequences. It was discovered by a 

 party of twelve prospectors on June 

 12, 1853. These had left the main 

 party and were not looking for gold, 

 but, having run short of provisions, 

 were after wherewithal to stay the 

 gnawing sensation that seized upon 

 their stomachs. For a time hunger 

 forsook them, as they stood upon the 

 cliffs and gazed in awe at the scene 

 stretched before them. After partak- 

 ing of the inspiration fostered by such 

 a wierd granduer they decided to call 

 it mysterious or deep Blue Lake. 



It was subsequently called Lake Ma- 

 jesty, and, being constantly referred to 

 as a Crater Lake, it gradually assumed 

 that name, which is in itself so de- 

 scriptive. At times when gazing from 

 the surrounding wall, the skies and cliffs 

 are seen perfectly mirrored in the 

 smooth and glassy surface over which 

 the mountain breeze creates scarce a 

 ripple, and it is with great difficulty 

 the eye can distinguish the line divid- 

 ing the cliffs from their reflected coun- 

 terfeits. The lake is almost egg-shap- 

 ed, ranging northeast by southwest, and 

 is seven miles long to six in width. 

 The water's surface is 6,251 ft. above 

 the sea level, and is completely sur- 

 rounded by cliffs, or walls from 1,000 

 to 2,000 ft. high, which are scantly 

 covered with coniferous trees. To the 

 southwest is Wizard Island, 845 feet 

 high, circular in shape and slightly cov- 

 ered with timber. In the top is a de- 

 pression or crater, the "Witches Caul- 

 dron," 100 feet deep and 475 feet in 

 diameter. This was evidently the last 

 smoking chimney of a once mighty vol- 

 cano. The base of the island is cover- 



