pare] 200 
lower polls; clustering together-in a branch ridge. These, like the great. 
re-snowy masses, secondary only to them; and, from the’best éx- 
simtabtion our time permitted, we are inclined to believe that the range to 
which. they belong is a branch from the great chain which here nee 
the westward. The trail during the remainder of the day followed n 
to the large stream on the left, which was continuously walled in between 
high rocky banks. We halted for the night on a oe by-streafh. 
November 30.—Our journey to-day was shor Passing over a high 
plain, ei which were scattered cedars, with feaqent beds of voleanic rock 
in fragments interspersed among the grassy grounds, we arrived suddenly 
on the verge of the steep and rocky descent to the valley of the Pacbisore we 
had been following, and which here ran directly across ou t path, emerging 
from the mountains on the right. You will remark that the country. is. 
abundantly watered with large streams, which pour down from the neigh- 
boring TANBes.-e-: 
‘streams are characterized by the narrow and chasm-like valleys 
in which they run, generally sunk a thousand feet below the plains At 
tie wae of this plain, they frequently commence in vertical precipices of 
basaltic rock, and which leave only casual places at which. they can be 
: aveead by horses. The road across the country, which would otherwise be 
very good, is rendered impracticable for wagons by these streams. ‘There 
is another trail among the mountains, u wide followed in the summer, 
which the snows now compelled us to avoid; and I have reason to believe 
that this, aa nearer the poaae - xs ee etree eae a sone 
better road. > : 
pl 
on ey, 7 oF a = 
lage 
aie miles up the epee of chee Fae we. we es 
ed € ottom among t the p pines, a short distance below a 
lodge of :-alore | the bluffs present escarpments 
“seven or omaha halidred feet i in height, eotitaining strataof a very fine porce- — 
- lain clay, overlaid, at the height of about five hundred feet, by a massive 
stratum of compact basalt one hundred feet in thickness, which again is suc-* 
ceeded above by other strata of volcanic rocks. The clay strata are oe et ese 
colored, some of them very nearly as white as chalk, and very fine grained. 
Specimens brought from these have been subjected to iifeeeeig ea exami- 
“nation b y Professor Bailey, of West Point, and are considered by him’ ~ 
constitute one of tlie most remarkable deposites of fluviatile infusoria ‘o 
roa “While they abound in Bendis: and species which are common in 
fresh water, but which rarely thrive where the water is even 
one ¢ dly marine form is to. er fort: among © gorerc< aia 
__ Water origin is therefore beyond a doubt. At is ee that ae, 
red ‘sick age An t the situation whee sit vere found, as th carce- 
ge 
cies ens diftored so pena creas 
: es heen was = ae infer that they might belong to. 
ns ered them also as affording proof of an em. 
OM. V bick: they an obtained, of fresh a Salt. 
, urope, had not saastiss ion 
" "Coming Perron: from a locality entitelys 
