BEAR-RIVER BAT. 165 



boiled up from beneath, through numerous small orifices in the 

 sand, and to have spread itself over the surface of the flat, in a 

 semifluid state, to the thickness of from half an inch to three 

 inches, with various diameters from three inches to a foot. The 

 exposed surface has been indurated slightly by the action of the 

 sun, and has formed a thin, tough, and slightly elastic covering or 

 skin, which retains the substance within in a moist state for a long 

 time. By long exposure, these lumps seem to dry up entirely, 

 although, upon removing them, they are found still to be supplied 

 with moisture from the small orifice or tube in the centre beneath, 

 which latter apparently extends to a considerable depth in the 

 ground. ' 



Having erected the station, we returned to camp, which we did 

 not reach until nearly midnight, all hands being completely worn 

 out by incessant labour of nearly eighteen hours at the oars, and 

 in wading through mud and water. The distance passed over 

 amounted to about thirty miles, and the exposure in the water, at 

 this early season, was peculiarly severe. The team from town, 

 with provisions, &c., returned in the afternoon. 



Friday^ April 12. — Broke up the camp on Antelope Island, 

 and started for the north end of the lake, to complete that portion 

 of the survey as early in the season as possible. It had already 

 been foreseen that one great obstacle to the rapid prosecution of 

 the work would be the want of fresh water, and means had accord- 

 ingly been provided for carrying in the boats as much as was pos- 

 sible. Such was the limited means of transportation, that a sup- 

 ply for more than two or three days could not be carried without 

 overloading the boats, already burdened with camp-equipage and 

 provisions. Being uncertain of finding any water at our next 

 contemplated encampment, all the vessels were filled. 



After passing Fremont's Island, the water of the lake continued, 

 as on yesterday, very shallow, the deepest being six and a-half 

 feet. We were now in the Bear-River Bay, and the shallowness 

 of the water is no doubt owing to the deposite of immense quanti- 

 ties of alluvion brought down by that river at every freshet, in a 

 state of suspension. 



After coasting along the eastern slope of the promontory range, 

 which puts into the lake from the north, and seeking in vain for a 

 point at which to land, we were at length forced to drag the boat 

 to within a mile and a-half of the shore, where we left her stuck 

 fast in the mud. The tents, water, and provisions were placed in 



