THE SPRINGS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA. 689 



reply be in the negative, some other route must be followed, or else a sup- 

 ply of water mvtst be carried along. The springs in this portion cf the 

 Great Basin are few", and often far between. Their waters differ much in 

 quantity, temperature and chemical composition. In quantity, the yield 

 varies from a few gallons per day to a never failing supplj^. As to tem- 

 perature, the heat of the waters range through cold, cool, tepid and warm 

 to boiling. As regards chemical composition, some are fresh, others alka- 

 line, and still others, sulphurous. In the waters of- Svme springs, a mere 

 trace of saline ingredients are found, while in other cases the salts are pre- 

 sent in sufficient quantity to produce saturation. 



The first that will be mentioned are Mud Springs, also known as Desert 

 Wells, from the fact that parties passing that way, have dug pits from four 

 to eight feet deep when there, in search of more water. These springs, 

 when visited by the writer, were mere pools of muddy slime, with a slight 

 film of stagnant water overlying the viscous blue marsh. So nauseous were 

 these waters that neither men nor animals could drink them. Enough 

 water, however, was obtained hy digging new pits or " wells" near by, to 

 partially alleviate the sufferings of man and beast, which were soniewhat 

 intense after marching over thirty miles through the heated sands of the 

 Smoky Valley Desert upon a July day. 



These springs — if springs they may be called — wore situated at the 

 southern extremity of Smoky Valley, surrounded by a dreary waste of 

 sand and "alkali flats," with here and there a stunted sage bush. 



Day break the following morning found the party en route to Silver 

 Peak, the next objective point. Silver Peak, a small mining camp, is located 

 near the west side of Clayton Valley, and at the eastern base of the lied 

 Mountain range. Near this place and along the western border of the salt 

 marsh which forms the major part of the basin are the Thermal Springs, 

 The more important ones are eleven in number. "With one exception they are 

 contained in a narrow belt, running almost north and south.. This j^elt is 

 about a half mile in length, its width being but a few rods. Beginning at 

 the southern limit of this line, the first spring we encounter is in a small de- 

 pression in the general surface. Its waters are slightly saline, but quite 

 palatable, and are the best for use in the vicinity. The temperature of the 

 water is 69° Fahr. Just north of this is found a cluster of springs; the 

 largest and most central one is called Saturn. Their temperatures are 69.5° 

 Fahr. These springs are in close proximity to each other, and flow out 

 upon a level area some twenty acres in extent, covered with a rank growth 

 of coarse salt grass, from whence the water flows into the salt marsh. 



Proceeding northward, we next meet with three salt springs arranged 

 in the form of an isosceles triangle, difi'ering widely in terai^erature and 

 the degrees of their saturation. 



These are situated in the edge of the salt marsh, the two forming the 

 base, being in an east and west line, twenty feet apart. The more westerly 

 one has a temperature of 79° Fahr., while the other one in its quiescent 



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