116 . . SPRING VALLEY RANGE. 



although the neighbouring mountains continued all whitened by it. 

 After much search, water was found in a deep ravine near by ; and 

 grass was tolerably abundant, though dry and hard. As the mules 

 were nearly exhausted and much stiffened by their journey across 

 the deep mud-plains, I determined to remain here for the day, to 

 recruit them. A couple of men were sent back afoot, to try and 

 recover those left yesterday : they returned, after dark, bringing 

 with them one only; the other had strayed from the road, and all 

 efforts to recover it were vain. It was the third lost on this trip. 



A deep ravine at the foot of the mountain presented sections 

 of the strata. The lowest exposed was dark limestone with white 

 veins, inclined to the south-east, at an angle of 85° ; in fact, almost 

 vertical. Ascending the ravine, the limestone was found to be 

 overlaid by red sandstone, and this again by clayey shales. All 

 these rocks had been altered by heat. No organic remains were 

 found in the sandstones or shales, but some corals were seen in the 

 limestone. The rocks were all veined with white marble. Large 

 crystalline nodules of this substance were found, which assumed 

 the form of arragonite. Some specimens of iron ore were also 

 found, apparently a carbonate, but not in place. Ther. at noon, 

 37° ; sunset, 31°. 



Monday, Novemher 5. — Ther. 23°. Morning clear and quite 

 cold. Crossed the mountain through the pass. The snow was about 

 two inches deep and the ground frozen hard. Followed down the 

 eastern slope for about two miles, when we came to a spring-branch 

 issuing from a gorge of the mountains where there was plenty of 

 green grass — the first full supply our animals had enjoyed for 

 several days. 



The only rocks observed in crossing the mountain were lime- 

 stones, containing remains of encrinites and corals. A wide dike 

 of trap formed the crest ; and, on the eastern side, another dike 

 was seen running north by east, and south by west, forming the 

 summit of a lower ridge. The limestones were tilted up almost 

 vertically, but as the surface of the ground was covered with snow, 

 the nature of the strata and their direction could not be very ac- 

 curately ascertained. A piece of altered coal was found at the 

 eastern base of the mountain, but not in place. The lower hills 

 were covered with conglomerate not conformable. 



Leaving the spring, our true course lay about east, to strike the 

 southern point of another range ten miles distant, and forming the 

 eastern boundary of a broad, green, intervening valley, which ex- 



