84 EXPLORATIONS 'ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN OF UTAH. 



Dry Flat Valley, on account of the whitish clay flat we cross, and which is as smooth 

 and as hard as a floor. Indeed, the glare from it was almost blinding. Twenty miles 

 from camp we attain the summit of the range dividing Dry from a valley I call 

 Alkaline Valley, on account of its general whitish alkaline appearance from saline 

 efflorescence. Descending this ridge 1.7 miles, and turning northwardly and skirting 

 it for 2.7 miles, we come to our camp-ground, where the guide party, which is in 

 advance of us, has dug a number of small wells. 



The water is found in an efflorescent sand-flat, and lies 3 feet below the surface. 

 In some of the holes it is strongly alkaline ; in others just tolerable. The addition of 

 vinegar improves it very much. It is, however, difficult to keep up a supply of water 

 on account of the sand tumbling in. The grass in the vicinity is very alkaline and 

 scant, and altogether this is a miserable camping-place, the worst we have had. Fuel, 

 rabbit-bush, a miserable substitute for the sage or greasewood. 



The wagons reached camp at half past 4. Journey, 24.5 miles. Road pretty good. 

 Country very arid and desert. Mountains in the distance perfectly devoid of timber, 

 and of a thirsty, ashy line, except the last range we crossed, which is of a dark-brown 

 appearance, approaching black, and therefore called Black Mountains. The rocks at 

 our morning's camp, Middle Gate, are porphyritic; westward of these as for as the 

 Black Mountains, first quartzite, and then highly altered stratified rock, siliceous lime- 

 stones, slates, dolomite. The Black Mountains are made up of partly strongly-meta- 

 morphosedst, ratified rocks and partly igneous and seoriaceous, lava-like rocks traversed 

 by quartz-veins. 



On the route, one ot 

 from Mr. Reese, inform! 

 unpalatable news that th< 

 12 miles of the north ei 

 The consequence is, tha 

 Walkers River, and not 

 therefore make the nece 

 occurred on the supposit 

 graphical Bureau map, f< 

 and upon which we have 

 not assured me that lie 1 

 doubt the truth of his rei 

 we are obliged to change our course from our present camp in a northwest direction 

 in order to reach in the most direct way the north bend of Walker's River. 



June 5, Camp No. 30, Alkaline Valley.— Altitude above the sea, 3,900 feet. Ther- 

 mometer at 3.3'0 a. m., 48°. Up at half past 3 a. m., but in consequence of mules 

 straying off to get grass and water, the train did not move until 5. Course north of 



<\v,v r 



roons 



return* 



Ml fl 



•om the guide's 



party witl 



i a note 





f the 



localit 



y ° f 



to-night's camp 



i, and givi 



ing the 



ter w 



as not 



good, 



the i 





hat we wer< 



3 within 



►f W; 



ilker's 



Lake, 

 I ha 



re b 



re we would ei 



icamp to-] 

 the north 



bend of 



Lake, 



we ai 



•e a gr« 



eat (1 



eal too far to tin 



3 south, ar 



id must 





lvspoi 



iding ] 



aortl 



ling. This erroi 



• could only have 



of \\ 



'jilker' 



s Lab 



3 bei 



ing wrongly pla< 



?ed on the Topo- 



feel c 



onfide 



nt that 



the 



latitudes which 1 



L have wor 



ked out, 



ed oi 



ir sou 



thing, 



hav< 



s been correct. 



If Mr. Re 



■esc had 



been 



over 



this ] 



.uirtii 



3ii of the counti 



y before, 1 



[ should 



entati 



ons; but, reb 



v'ing 



on the accuracy < 



>f liisobser 



vations, 



