108 SUFFERING FOR WATER — DESERT PLAINS. 



ral miles, down the edge of the sand at the foot of the range of hills 

 on our right, when we ascended it, taking a course south-west by 

 west, and passing over beds of conglomerate, which presented a 

 stratification almost horizontal. The ridge was about five miles 

 wide, stretching off to the southward, and about five hundred feet 

 above the level of the beach. The soil consisted of decomposed 

 conglomerate, and was much cut up by deep ravines. On the west 

 side, volcanic rock was again met with. 



Leaving the ridge, we entered upon a plain or sort of bay, 

 partly covered with artemisia, and partly (to the westward) with 

 mud and salt. It appeared to be bounded on the west, about 

 thirty miles distant, by a high mountain-range, extending far to the 

 northward, upon an eastern spur of which I judged we had encamped 

 on Friday. The plain contained several island mountains, rising 

 from it as from the water. To one of these, distant about twelve 

 miles south-west by west, we directed' our course and reached it 

 about an hour before sunset. Here we stopped for a short time to 

 prepare our scanty supper, and to give the mules a chance to pick 

 a little grass, which was scarce and dried up. Not a drop of water 

 had we met with the whole day ; but at noon I had ordered a pint to 

 be served out to each animal. Before arriving at this spot, one of 

 the poor creatures "gave out," and we thought we should have to 

 leave him to the wolves, but he afterward partially recovered, and 

 another pint of water being given him, he went on. The rocky 

 island, at the north end of which we halted, extended many miles 

 to the southward, and was apparently surrounded on all sides by 

 the mud-plain. One of the party ascended it, but could see nothing 

 of the lake, nor any appearance of water in any direction. The 

 rocks were formed of altered clayey and sandy shales, and strata 

 of conglomerate, all of which had been much contorted, but evi- 

 dently at different periods, as they were not conformable. 



It now became a matter of serious importance to find water for the 

 mules, as they had been without for nearly forty hours, most of the 

 time under the saddle, and almost without food. Nothing, therefore, 

 remained but to go on as far as possible during the night, so as to 

 reach the western ridge bounding this basin as early the following day 

 as practicable. We accordingly saddled up about dark and proceed- 

 ed on the same course, directing our steps toward another island in 

 the plain, which appeared to be about fifteen miles distant. The night 

 was quite cold, and the moon shone as bright as day. Our course 

 lay over a flat of damp clay and salt mud, in many places soft and 



