96 GEOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. 



the lids produced a copious discharge, which fairly 

 sealed them up at night ; so that, at last, in order 

 to have them ready for immediate use, I found it 

 requisite to sleep with a wet linen cloth covering 

 each eye. 



We heard with great satisfaction that Lieut. 

 Emery's search for water had been completely suc- 

 cessful, and that two large wells had been dug in 

 the valley, abreast of which the ship was anchored. 

 During our absence the barometer had ranged 

 between 30*08 and 29*97 ; the minimum height 

 being always at noon. There had been several 

 sharp squalls from the eastward, beginning at south- 

 east and ending at north-east, with a few showers of 

 rain. North-west, or sea breezes, were regular 

 near the changes of the moon, and of greater dura- 

 tion. No meteors were observed since the 16th, but 

 between the 7th and 11th they w^ere very numerous. 



November 20. — I went ashore to collect a few 

 geological specimens: the sandstone which prevailed 

 everywhere was in a decomposed state, but there 

 was a very decided dip in the strata to the south- 

 east, of about 30 degrees. On the east side of Water 

 Valley, I found the same kind of slate, noticed 

 before at Curiosity Peak : but what most interested 

 me was a bituminous substance found near the 

 bottom of the wells recently dug, and 23 feet from 

 the surface of the ground. It was apparently 

 of a clayey nature when first brought up, but 

 became hard and dark upon exposure to the air. 



