PHYSICAL GEOGRArHT. Ixiii 



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sixty miles long, by ten miles broad — a very small sheet of 

 water compared with the fresh-water lakes of the Eastern 

 States, or those of Central Africa. But there is abundant 

 evidence all around it to prove that in former times it 

 covered an area twice, if not thrice, as great as it occupies 

 at present. Of late years this lake has steadily been rising ; 

 so steadily that, if this rise continues, thousands of acres 

 which are now lake-shore will soon be re-covered with 

 water. It is a question of considerable interest whether the 

 large tracts of land now ii-rigated by the Mormons have not 

 caused this result, by considerably extending the area of 

 evaporating surface, and increasing, as a consequence, the 

 yearly rain-fall. 



The largest stream in the Great Basin is the Humboldt, 

 which is more than 500 miles long, and passes from east to 

 west across the entire district, at its northern part, before 

 emptying itself into Humboldt Lake. The valley of this 

 nver is said to be generally so sandy as to be worthless even 

 if irrigated ; but this conclusion may be premature, for many 

 of the lands most productive when irrigated, look sandy and 



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utterly worthless in their parched and wild condition. Much 

 of the Rio Grande valley bears testimony to the truth of this 

 assertion. Reese River fertilises a narrow valley of about 

 100 miles in length, near the centre of the basin, in which 

 are several agricultural settlements. The same may be said 

 of the Tuckee, Carson River, Walker River, and some others, 

 which flow from the eastern slopes of the Sierra Ts^'evada iuto 

 lakes in the desert. Along these, and the western slopes of 

 the Wahsatch Mountains, a great many spots are favoiu-ed 

 with enough running water to support a considerable popula- 

 tion; and, in fact, all over the Great Basin the most 

 tempting localities are being colonised and settled up by little 



