492 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 
Emerald Bay Glacier.—All that I have said of Fallen Leaf Lake and Cas- 
cade Lake, apply, almost word for word, to Emerald Bay. This beautiful 
bay, almost a lake, has also been formed by a glacier. It also is bounded on 
either side by moraines, which run down to and even project into Lake Tahoe, 
and may be traced up to the rocky points which form the mouth of the canon 
at the head of the bay. Its eastern moraine, as already stated, is partly 
merged into the western moraine of Cascade Lake, to form a huge medial 
moraine. Its western moraine lies partly against a rocky ridge which runs 
down to Lake Tahoe to form Rubicon Point. At the head of the bay, as at 
the head of Cascade Lake, there is a cliff about 100 feet high, over which the 
river precipitates itself and forms a beautiful cascade. Over the lip of this 
cliff, and in the bed of the canon above, and up the sides of the cliff-like 
walls, 1,000 feet or more, the most perfect glaciation is found. The only dif- 
ference between this glacier and the two preceding is, that it ran more deeply 
into the main lake and the deposits dropped in its retreat did not rise high 
enough to cut off its little rock basin from that lake, but exists now only as a 
shallow bar at the mouth of the bay. This bar consists of true moraine mat- 
ter, i. e., intermingled boulders and sand, which may be examined through 
the exquisitely transparent water almost as perfectly as if no water were 
present. Some of the boulders are of large size. 
All that I have described separately and in detail, and much more, may be 
taken in at one view from the top of Mt. Tallac. From this peak nearly the 
whole course of these three glaciers, their fountain amphitheaters, their cation 
beds, and their lakes enclosed between their moraine arms, may be seen at 
once. The view from this peak is certainly one of the finest I have ever seen. 
Less grand and diversified in mountain forms than many from peaks above 
the Yosemite, it has the added beauty of extensive water surface, and the 
added interest of several glacial pathways in a limited space. The observer 
sits on the very edge of the fountain amphitheaters still holding large masses 
of snow: immediately below, almost at his feet, lie glistening, gem-like, in 
dark, rocky setting, the three exquisite little lakes; on either side of these, 
embracing and protecting them, stretch out the moraine arms, reaching to- 
ward and directing the eye to the great lake, which lies, map-like, with all its 
sinuous outlines perfectly distinct, even to its extreme northern end, twenty- 
five to thirty miles away. As the eye sweeps again up the canon-beds, little 
lakes, glacier-scooped rock basins, filled with ice-cold water, flash in the sun- 
light on every side. Twelve or fifteen of these may be seeu. 
From appropriate positions on the surface of Lake Tahoe, also, all the 
moraine ridges are beautifully seen at once, but the glacial lakes and the 
caiion-beds, of course, cannot be seen. I have attempted, in the rough sketch 
accompanying this paper, to express the combined results of observations 
from many points. The outlines of the great and small lakes are accurate, 
as these have been taken from reliable maps. Also the general position of 
the rocky points, and the moraine ridges, are tolerably correct. But, other- 
wise, the sketch is intended as an illustrative diagram rather than a topo- 
graphical map. The view is supposed to be taken from an elevated position 
above the lake surface, looking southward. 
