NEBRASKA AND OREGON SPRINGS. 193 



NEBRASKA AND OREGON SPRINGS. 



NEAR Fort Laramie there is a thermal spring, described 

 by Fremont and Stansbury. Its temperature is 14 F., but 

 nothing is said of the mineral contents of its water. The 

 spring is between the north fork of the Platte and Laramie 

 rivers, in Nebraska Territory. 



Not far from the Oregon line of Nebraska, in Sweetwater 

 River valley, there are ponds of saline water. This is the 

 region of salt plains, the waters being highly charged with 

 carbonate of soda, sulphate of soda, and chloride of sodium. 



SODA, or BEER SPRINGS, are in the northern part of Ore- 

 gon Territory, on Bear River. The region is full of saline 

 springs, Bear River finally discharging itself into Great Salt 

 Lake. The temperature of the water is from 56 to 6*7 F. 

 They are in 42 40' north latitude, 111 46' west longitude. 

 According to Fremont, they contain sulphate of magnesia 

 and lime, carbonate of magnesia and lime, chloride of 

 sodium, lime and magnesia, with vegetable extractive 

 matter. The leading chemical substance is sulphate of 

 magnesia ; it also contains carbonic acid in large quantities. 

 There is a large number of springs here of this character, 

 and the region is described by Fremont as containing many 

 curious and peculiar features, and the different springs show 

 some strange forms and remarkable characters. 



Near the Beer Spring is Steamboat Spring. " This is a 

 jet of water thrown from the surface, accompanied by a sub- 

 terranean noise." The water is thermal, having a tempera- 

 ture of 81 F. 



The "taste is pungent, disagreeable, and metallic, leaving 

 a burning effect on the tongue." It contains carbonate of 

 lime and magnesia, with oxide of iron, silica, and alumina. 

 The rocks are not critically described by Fremont, who 



