February 17, 1898J 



NATURE 



375 



Richards and Baxter respectively, giving the results of analyses 

 of the bromides of nickel and cobalt ; which show in a 

 decisive manner that properly purified nickel and cobalt are 

 homogeneous substances. After stating the advantages per- 

 taining to the use of the bromides, for the sublimation and 

 bottling of which a highly ingenious apparatus is described, they 

 show how two totally distinct methods of purification, starting 

 from metals of different origin, lead to a bromide of the same 

 composition. 



For nickel bromide the material was obtained from two 

 sources — the " pure " nickel of commerce, and Mond nickel pre- 

 pared by the carbon monoxide process. The steps for the 

 purification of the first of these included fractional precipitation 

 as sulphide, then as hydroxide, conversion of this through the 

 bromide into the violet crystalline ammonia compound 

 NiBrj. 6NH3, and this, after several recrystallisations, converted 

 through the oxide into spongy nickel. For the Mond nickel, in 

 which a little iron was practically the only impurity, the same 

 process was adopted, except that to remove alkalis the hydroxide 

 was converted into sulphate ind the latter subjected to electro- 

 lysis several times. After conversion into bromide, these were 

 analysed, and for the final analyses further purification was 

 attempted by repeated deposition by electrolysis. All three 

 samples gave identical results, 58 69, for the atomic weight of 

 nickel (O = 16). 



The cobalt was purified with equal care, the cobalt bromide 

 being obtained by two distinct methods of purification, the one 

 through potassium-cobalt nitrite, and the other through a cobalt- 

 amine, and these again purified by a combination ot both pro- 

 cesses. The results of the three series were practically identical, 

 the atomic weight of cobalt being 58 '99 (O = 16). 



While recognising that data obtained from one compound only 

 are not sufficient to finally settle the atomic weights of these 

 metals, the authors conclude that if "gnoraium" exists, it 

 must have an atomic weight about equal to that of nickel and 

 cobalt ; and hence, that the wide variations observed in the 

 results of other experimenters cannot be considered a valid 

 argument in favour of the late Prof. Kriiss's doubtful discovery. 



CRATER LAKE, OREGON. 



'T'HE Mazamas of the State of Oregon are no ancient tribe 

 ■^ of redskins, but the members of a very active and most 

 praiseworthy mountaineering club in the city of Portland. The 

 President in his last annual address observed : " Within two 

 years the name Masatna has been heard throughout the world, 

 and to-day it stands as a synonym for all that is unique, pro- 

 gressive and inspiring in mountaineering societies " ; and even 

 if the European Alpine clubs hesitate to accept this statement 

 in its entirety, all must agree that the second number of the 

 publication entitled J/asawa justifies the "guid conceit" the 

 members of that lively club have of themselves. As no American 

 University commands respect without a rousing "yell," so no 

 mountaineering club can organise excursions without a " cheer," 

 and this is the Mazamas' :— 



" Three cheers for the mountaineers, 

 'Rah! 'rah! rah! 

 Nesika klatawa sahele 

 Ma-za-ma." 



The obscurest line is Chinook jargon for "We go up." 

 Led with such a slogan, the Oregon Highlanders have carried 

 many peaks by storm, and have opened to the public much of 

 the grand mountain scenery of the Cascade Range. Part 2 of 

 Mazama is devoted to the remarkable natural feature known 

 as Crater Lake, to which the club made an excursion in 1896. 

 The description is not a piece of amateur geography, but a solid 

 description put together out of reports by the first scientific 

 authorities. 



Crater Lake is situated nearly in 43° N. and 122° W. It 

 may be reached from several stations on the railway between 

 Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco, by roads, usually bad, 

 and as yet there is no house of any kind near its shore. Leaving 

 the Southern Pacific Railway at Midford, one may reach it by 

 S5 miles of road up the Rogue River valley. From Ashland 

 a road of 95 miles must be traversed ; but the best road — one 

 which is practicable for bicycles— is from Ager, Cal. , past the 

 deserted Fort Klamath, a distance of 116 miles. The whole 

 country is covered with dense coniferous forest. In approach- 

 ing the lake, there is a steep climb for about three miles ; then 



the forest-clad mountain slope gives place to a nearly level 

 plateau, carpeted in autumn with flowers, across which one 

 walks a few hundred yards with nothing to see, until suddenly 

 a precipice of 903 feet yawns at one's very feet, and deep below 

 the dazzling blue water of Crater Lake spreads far and wide. 

 The weird grandeur of the scene accounts to the full for the 

 superstitious awe with which the Indians of the district regard 

 the lake. 



Crater Lake may have been discovered in 1847, but the first 

 authentic account of its existence came from a composite party 

 of prospectors in 1853. A party of Californian gold-seekers 

 crossed secretly into Oregon to search for a mythical lost digging 

 of fabulous richness, and for as long a time as provisions lasted 

 they were followed by a party of Oregonians who could not 

 be shaken off The rivals united at last, and, continuing the 

 search for gold together, came upon Crater Lake, which they 

 named "Deep Blue Lake," or "Lake Mystery." The next 

 recorded visits were in 1862, 1865, and 1869. From that time 

 its fame began to spread, but it was not geologically examined 

 by experts until 1883. In 1885 a party of the United States 

 Geological Survey, under Captain Button, was detailed to sound 

 the lake and make a topographical survey of its surroundings ; 

 and a detailed contour map was constructed. 



The roughly circular lake, from four to six miles in diameter, 

 is without outlet, and without tributaries ; the upper edge of the 



Fig. I. — Photograph of a relief model of Crater Lake. 



rim is a water-parting, from which streams radiate down the 

 slopes towards the sea through deep cut valleys. The outer 

 slopes have a gradient of from 10^ to 15°, and are richly wooded. 

 The inner slopes are precipitous, and allow of a descent being 

 made to the water only at one or two points. The water-level 

 stands 6239 feet above sea-level, and the crest of the rim varies 

 from 520 to 1989 feet higher. The greatest depth ascertained 

 in the lake is 2008 feet. A relief model of the lake and its 

 surroundings has been constructed, and shows a remarkable 

 similarity to the larger ring-craters of the moon. One island 

 of some size rises in the lake in the form of a cinder-cone, bear- 

 ing a well-marked crater on its summit. It gees by the name 

 of Wizard Island, and a fantastically weathered islet is named 

 the Phantom Ship. 



A description of the geology of the region is given by Mr. 

 J. S. Diller. The rim is composed entirely of lava streams 

 and beds of volcanic conglomerate dipping away from the lake. 

 At one point, however, there is a remarkable lava-flow, which 

 appears to have run down the inner slope. 



The lavas of the rim are mainly andesites forming the earlier 

 flows, but rhyolites associated with pumice occur among the 

 later. There is no basalt on the rim, but basalts occur on 

 the outer slopes several miles from the lake, being related to 

 cinder cones adnate to the central crater. Numerous andesite 



NO. 1477, VOL. 57] 



