REPORT OF F. M. ENDLICH, S. N. D. 



LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



■Washington, D. C, May 15, 1878. 



Sir : I have the honor herewith to submit my report of 1877 us gcolo- 

 ^st of the Sweetwater division. The party to which this area was as- 

 signed for exploration consisted of G. B. Chittenden, topographer direct- 

 ing ; Charles H. Howes, assistant topographer ; Edward T. Clymer, as- 

 sistant geologist, and myself. Two packers and a cook completed the 

 j)ersonnelle. According to instructions received, we started from Chey- 

 enne on May 31, by rail, for Salt Wells station. On June 2 we com- 

 menced oiu- lield-work. Making Camp Stambaugh and Rawlin's Springs 

 oiu' bases of suj)plies, we arranged oiu- trips so as to reach them at the 

 proper time. To the officers of both Camp Stambaugh and Camp Brov,Ti 

 we are under gTcat obligations for the efiicient aid they kindly rendered 

 us in many instances. Our work was facilitated and Ave Avere enabled 

 to avoid many annoyances through their cheerMly extended courtesy. 



Diuing the season two of the members of our party were taken sick 

 with mountain fever, but both recoA''ered fidly. After liaving com- 

 pleted my portion of the w^ork, I left the party on September 17, rode to 

 Rawlings' and i)roceeded from there to the region of Evanston, Yv^yo., in 

 order to examine the coal-mines. September 23, the rest of the party 

 reached Fort Steele and disbanded. So as to comply with the orders 

 whicli required our return by October 1, a small i^ortion of the district 

 assigned to us remained unsurveyed. During the season we rode over 

 2,o00 miles. The pack-train, in the same time marched 1,500 miles. 



Owing to the protracted, severe illness of Mr. Chittenden, no map has 

 been prepared as yet showing the results of our labors. As no good 

 maj) of that region exists, fiu-nishing a sufficiently large scale, I am 

 forced to modify the usual arrangement of my report. No references 

 can be made to localities which are not represented by the older maps, 

 and descriptions thereof must necessarily suffer. In order to remedy, 

 as far as possible, this Avant, I haA' e i)refaced my report Avith an itinerary. 

 In this Avill be foimd a connected account of the trip, which may aid in 

 maldng more intelligible the allusions in subjoined pages to tlie names 

 of places and regions we visited. The report proper is divided into Hyq 

 chapters. Of these, the first treats of the physical and, in part, faunal 

 chai-acter of the country surA^eyed; the second describes the surface and 

 structui'al geology of the Wind EiA^er Range and the country east of it ; 

 the third treats of the country comprised Avithin the SAveetwater drainage ; 

 the fourth discusses the Ioav southern country ; and the fifth contains a 

 reAdcAv of the economic geology of the district, besides a "Conclusion." 

 An appendix has been added, containing a catalogue of the minerals 

 found AAithin our district. The study of the coal-mines Avill be the sub- 

 ject of a separate report. 



Owing to the want of a reliable map, much information has necessarily 

 been omitted Avhich otherwise might haA'e been embodied in this report. 

 The distances giA^en, from point to point, are not measiu-ed or calculated, 



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