191(3.] Townsend, Voyagt of the 'Albatross' in 1911. 425 



surface has ever been worked. There were about sixty tons of salt piled up 

 ready for use. The crystallization is heaviest after the rains. Later on the 

 salt is taken from the few moist localities where a little water remains. 

 These can be emptied by the cart-load daily, about twenty-four hours being 

 sufficient for a new supply to form in the same spots. As much as 35,000 

 tons have been shipped in one year, but much more could be supplied if 

 demanded. Its purity is such that it requires no refinement. This salt 

 deposit has been worked commercially for about fifty years and is at present 

 in the hands of an English company. The salt lake has no connection with 

 the sea. The deposit of salt is known to be at least 15 feet in depth. 



Carmen Island is 17 miles long by 5| miles wide and has a height of 

 1500 feet. 



Leaving Carmen Island on the evening of the 3d, we anchored at Mulege 

 on the Peninsula, on the morning of the 4th. Some of the officials visited 

 the ship in the morning, the Captain returning the call later in the forenoon 

 In the afternoon many of the citizens came to the ship and in the evening 

 the officers were entertained ashore. The collectors were busy as usual, and 

 obtained good results. Among the food fishes taken at Mulege was the 

 large and important crevalle (Caran.v hippos) which is found also on the 

 Atlantic coast, numerous weakfish, kingfish and red snappers. 



On the morning of the 5th, the ship proceeded to the head of Concepcion 

 Bay, about thirty miles inland from Mulege, where our work was carried on 

 with gratifying success. Mountain sheep occurring in this region, I made 

 a hunt for them, but only one was seen and this one not secured. Four 

 pairs of horns were obtained from Sefior Castro, a ranchman in the neigh- 

 borhood. The mountain sheep occurs on both sides of this bay but is more 

 common among the higher ranges farther inland. 



Dr. Bartsch made an important collection of marine invertebrates in 

 this locality, both along the shore and by means of the boat dredge. Here, 

 as at all localities visited on the Peninsula from Cape St. Lucas northward, 

 we found quail and doves in abundance. The shore collections in general 

 were important, but the character of the beaches did not permit of seining. 

 A number of grunts, groupers and red snappers were taken by other means. 

 We saw uncommonly large schools of porpoises moving about the Bay, one 

 •of them containing perhaps two hundred individuals. The ranchers here 

 had a few cattle and donkeys, and occasionally collected iron-wood (palo 

 ferro) for sale at Guaymas. The botanist secured among other things a 

 new species of century plant (Agave affinis). 



The ship was moved six miles northward to Ricason Island on the morn- 

 ing of the 7th, where we engaged in profitable work until the following day 

 at 1 : 30, when we returned to Mulege. After a stop of three hours, we pro- 



