150 ZOOLOGICAL SPECIMENS — THERMAL WATERS. 



tions being sufficient to shake plates from the shelves and to dis- 

 turb milk in the pans. 



Advantage was taken of the confinement of the party to winter 

 quarters to observe for the latitude, to arrange and plot the notes 

 of the survey as far as it had advanced, and to collect and pre- 

 pare specimens of the zoology of the valley. These specimens 

 have since been classified and arranged with characteristic ability 

 by Professor Spencer F. Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 whose report on that subject is hereto appended. Specimens of 

 the different thermal waters, also, were collected and brought 

 safely as far as Pittsburgh ; but, in their transportation thence by 

 the express line, most of the vessels containing them were unfor- 

 tunately broken, and their contents lost. This was a subject 

 of much regret, as interesting results had been anticipated from 

 the analysis. Such as escaped destruction have been carefully 

 analyzed by Dr. L. D. Gale, of Washington, and the results will be 

 found in Appendix F. 



During the winter, a large boat was built for the survey of 

 the Salt Lake. This was an achievement of no little difficulty, 

 as almost every stick of timber used in the construction had to 

 be procured from the canons of the mountains, piece by piece ; and 

 the planking, although of the best material the country afforded, 

 was so " shaky" and liable to split and crack, that it was totally 

 unfit for the purpose. Had time permitted, it had been my pur- 

 pose to procure, before setting out, a couple of Francis's metallic 

 life-boats for this service, which would have saved much time and 

 labour. The experience of the exploring expedition to the Dead 

 Sea has fully proved the entire fitness of these boats for service 

 of this nature ; and the ease with which they can be transported 

 in sections, and be put together for instant use, will doubtless ren- 

 der them hereafter an indispensable part of the equipment for 

 every exploration of a similar character. Where the use of wagons 

 is practicable, these boats can readily be mounted on wheels and 

 made to answer the purposes of a wagon-box ; and where this is 

 not the case, their arrangement into sections will allow of their 

 being packed and transported on the backs of mules with but little 

 inconvenience. 



