176 CAMP ON THE SANDFLATS. 



point of the western promontory, and doubtless at one time formed 

 the northern boundary of the lake in this direction. 



At the point where we landed, it was upward of a mile in breadth. 

 There being no wood to be obtained for cooking purposes nearer 

 than the foot of the mountains, all hands were despatched to gather 

 and pack upon their shoulders sufficient for that purpose ; and the 

 camp was pitched upon the naked sand. The land party came in 

 at sundown from the line of survey, which had been carried to the 

 point of the mountain at the head of the bay. They reported the 

 discovery there of some springs with a small supply of good fresh 

 water and abundance of excellent grass. 



Saturday^ May 4. — Morning calm, bright, and balmy. De- 

 spatched most of the hands to the springs found yesterday, for 

 water, which they brought on their shoulders to the boat — a dis- 

 tance of over two miles. On their return, we packed the baggage 

 in the skiff, and dragged it about half a mile to the boat. After 

 much difficulty, we extricated ourselves from the shoals, and made 

 for the south point of the range forming the western boundary 

 of the bay. At this point the water is deep, quite to the shore, 

 which is iron-bound by boulders of black rock from the surround- 

 ing hills. A small ledge or reef of rock was seen above water 

 some three hundred yards to the south. Rounding the point of 

 this little promontory, we encamped on a small bluff, a short dis- 

 tance from the edge of the water. 



The hillsides are covered with broken masses of a very dark- 

 coloui-ed rock, containing much iron, and which, from its peculiar 

 tint, as we approached them from the water, gave the slopes the 

 appearance of being covered with a forest of cedar. These rocks 

 we found, upon landing, to consist of a dark compact limestone, 

 stained, and in many cases apparently vitrified, on the surface by 

 iron. The top of the ridge, which is three or four hundred feet 

 above the water, is crowned by a stratum of light cream-coloured 

 limestone, in a cliff thirty feet in height. All the varieties are 

 of a close texture, and very hard, especially the white, which willj 

 I think, quarry easily. If so, it will be quite valuable, as the 

 shores at this point being accessible for boats, a continuous navi- 

 gation is practicable to Black Rock, at the southern end of the 

 lake, whence the land-carriage to the city is only twenty miles. 



Small quantities of bitumen were found on the shore, in the 

 masses of a substance which lined the beach to the depth of six 

 inches, and resembled in appearance the brown, dried seaweed 



