ENDucH.] ITINERARY. 27 



Stambangli — tlie occurrence of rattlesnakes. Meeting with several of 

 them (luring the day, we had occasion to make some interesting observa- 

 tions. We found that when the snake is getting ready to strike it grad- 

 ually raises the fore portion of its body from the groimd, supporting it 

 upon one or two coils near the tail. While this is going on the tail stands 

 clear from the ground and the rattles are constantly in motion. Imme- 

 diately before biting, the head, neck, and upper portion of the body, which 

 may be raised to a height of more than a foot from the ground, are curved 

 slightly backward, and then thrown forward swiftly Avith great violence. 

 This is the "spring" of the rattlesnake which popular report has mag- 

 nified very much. So far as we observed, the distance of the sprmg may 

 amount to about two-thu'ds of the length of the snake. Of coiu-se this 

 method of biting will be employed only under favorable circumstances. 



From Sheep Mountain we had a very fine \iew of the siuTounding 

 country. Prominent in the landscape are the bright red colors exhib- 

 ited by the Triassic beds. Whether disturbed from their original place 

 of deposition or not, they readily yield to erosive influences, and then 

 present bold escarpments, more or less ornamented by the effects of de- 

 composition and disintegTation. Having ascended Sheep Mountain on 

 the west side, we commenced the descent on the east. Camp had been 

 made in a narrow limestone canon containing Beaver Creek. Perpen- 

 dicular walls enclosed the small stream, which not far off loses its good, 

 fr-esh water and turns extremely alkaline. Within these Umestones a 

 number of springs have their origin, flowing clear, cold water. A 

 short distance from oiu' camp, on the south side of the Beaver, we found 

 a very interesting occurrence. This consisted in hot and cold suljihur 

 springs. From a distance we had noticed a cave-like depression in the 

 limestones. Upon examination this proved to be a vertical " drop " of 

 the strata. The form of the present excavation is oval, about 2o0 feet 

 long, 150 feet wide, and 120 feet deep. Lower do^Ti on the hill, toward 

 the creek, we found the hot sulphur spring. A decided odor of sulphu- 

 retted hydrogen announced its existence. The spring bubbles up in a 

 hole capable of accommodating two men. The temperature of the water 

 is 9GO F. About 250 yards oft" is a cold sulphur spring of similar consti- 

 tution. No doubt there is some connection between these springs and 

 the " drop," a point that will be more fully discussed in the geological 

 report. 



From aU that we could learn before entering this section of country, 

 it was the only one where we might apprehend any danger fr'om Indians. 

 Small parties of Sioux usually passed through it every summer, stealing 

 horses and occasionally firing upon the settlers. Several times they had 

 ventiu-ed within half a dozen miles of Miaer's Delight, but at no time 

 had their gain been adequate to the danger to which their predatory 

 expeditions exposed them. During our entire trip through that region, 

 however, we never saw an Indian. 



On August 12 the train marched down Beaver Creek, while we exam- 

 ined the country Ijing toward the Sweetwater. That region is very 

 much broken, well watered, and contains scattering patches of timber. 

 Game seems to be very abundant. We saw a large band of mountain 

 sheep and a great many antelope. As we were riding northward during 

 the afternoon the appearance of a horse attracted our attention. Upon 

 investigation we found that it was eAidently a "stray," and in no con- 

 nection with Indians. 



A short distance east of Sheep IMountain the Beaver makes a sharp 

 turn to the northward, retaining that course until it enters the Little 

 Wind Iliver. Along the stream we found a good Indian trail. Follow- 



