112 



THE OREGON NATURALIST. 



"It was discovered by a party of twelve 

 prospectors on June 12, 1853. * * * 

 They decided to call it Mysterious, or 

 Deep Blue Lake. It was subsequently 

 called Lake Majesty, and by being con- 

 stantly referred to as a crater lake, it 

 gradually assumed that name, which is 

 within itself so descriptive. 



"From Allen Davey, Chief of the 

 Klamath tribe, I gleaned the following 

 in reference to the discovery of Crater 

 Lake : 



"A long time ago, long before the 

 white man appeared in this region to 

 vex and drive the proud native out, a 

 band of Klamaths, while out hunting, 

 came suddenly upon the lake and were 

 startled by its remarkable walls and 

 awed by its majestic proportions. With 

 spirits subdued and trembling with fear, 

 they silently approached and gazed upon 

 its face; something within told them the 

 Great Spirit dwelt there, and they dared 

 not remain, but passed silently down 

 the side of the mountain and camped 

 tar away. By some unaccountable in- 

 iiuence, however, one brave was induced 

 to return. He went up to the very 

 brink of the precipice and started his 

 camp fire. Here he laid down to rest ; 

 ere he slept till morn— slept till the sun 

 as high in air, then arose and joined 

 s tribe far down the mountain. At 

 !ght he came again ; again he slept till 

 torn. Each visit bore a charm that 

 rew him back again. Each night 

 )und him sleeping above the rocks; 

 yach night strange voices arose from the 

 waters; mysterious noises filled the air. 

 At last after a great many moons, he 

 climbed down to the lake and there he 

 Vjathed and spent the night. Often he 

 climbed down in like manner, and fre- 

 quently saw wonderful animals, similar 

 in all respects to a Klamath Indian, ex- 

 cept that they seemed to exist entirely 

 in the water. He suddenly became 



hardier and stronger than any Indian of 

 his tribe because of his many visits to 

 the mysterious waters. Others then be- 

 gan to seek its influent^e. Old warriors 

 sent their sons for strength and courage 

 to meet the conflicts awaiting them. 

 First, they slept on the rocks above, 

 then ventured to the water's edge, but 

 last of all they plunged beneath the 

 flood and the coveted strength was 

 theirs. On one occasion, the brave who 

 tirst visited the lake, killed a monster, 

 or fish, and was at once set upon by un- 

 told numl)ers of excited Lloas 'for such 

 they were called,) who carried him to 

 the top of the cliffs, cut his throat with 

 a stone knife, then tore his body in small 

 pieces, which were thrown down to the 

 waters far beneath, where he was de- 

 voured by the angry Llaos — and such 

 shall be the fate of every Klamath brave, 

 who from that day to this, dares to look 

 upon the lake. 



"The lake is almost egg-shaped, rang- 

 ing northeast by southwest and is seven 

 miles long by six in width. The water's 

 surface is 6,251 'feet above sea level and 

 is completely surrounded by cliffs or 

 walls from one thousand to over two 

 thousand feet high, which are scantily 

 covered with coniferous trees. To the 

 southwest is Wizard Island, 845 feet 

 high, cii'cular in shape, and slightly 

 covered with timber. In the top is a 

 depression or crater — the Witch's Caul- 

 dron — one hundred feet deep and 475 in 

 diameter. This was evidently the last 

 smoking chimney of a once mighty vol- 

 cano. The base of the island is covered 

 with very heavy and hard rocks, with 

 sharp and unworn edges, over which 

 scarcely a score of human feet have trod. 

 In the immediate foreground to the 

 north lies the lake, with its twenty odd 

 mile- of rugged cliffs standing abruptly 

 from the water's edge. To the left is 

 Wizard Island ; beyond stands Llao 



