HAZINESS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. 201 



from wliat quarter the wind may come, nor how great its force, 

 the air continues to be hazy, so that it is impossible to see any 

 distant object with distinctness. Whether it be owing to the 

 elevation and consequent rapid evaporation from the lake, I 

 cannot say, but it occasions great vexation and delay in the ob- 

 servations upon distant objects, and renders the work liable to 

 uncertainty and error. 



About two P. M. a most furious gust came up from the south-west, 

 with heavy thunder, and a copious shower of rain and hail-stones 

 as large as hazel-nuts. The squall lasted about twenty minutes, 

 forcing the water up over the beach, overthrowing the tents a 

 second time, completely flooding us with brine, and forcing us to re- 

 pitch our camp higher uj) the beach. In the course of an hour a 

 fresh gust came up from the west, but it soon hauled into the 

 north, and blew with fury all the night. The weather was quite 

 cold, and the wind piercing, so that we were obliged to bank up 

 the bottoms of the tents, inside and out, with large stones and 

 sand, to keep them from being blown away, and to exclude the 

 chilling blast, which rendered great-coats indispensable to com- 

 fort. The yawl is doubtless out on the lake to-night, and the 

 crew exposed to all the inclemency of the storm. 



Tuesday, June 11. — The gale still continues, the temperature 

 resembles that of an October morning much more than one in 

 June. Closed tents at breakfast, and the survey party running 

 their line buttoned up to the throat. The morning is bright and 

 clear with flying clouds. The haze, however, envelops the sides 

 of the distant mountains in a mist which renders their outlines dis- 

 torted and indistinct. The yawl arrived in the course of the morn- 

 ing under oars, having dragged her anchor and drifted to leeward. 

 The night upon the lake, in the open boat, was any thing but 

 agreeable : the gale had raised a heavy sea, which frequently broke 

 over the bows, drenching every one to the skin, wetting their 

 blankets, and rendering sleep impossible. They had reached the 

 promontory on Sunday night, but, in the darkness, had struck it 

 too far north. Yesterday they clothed the station, (which is now 

 quite visible,) filled up their water-vessels, and were about leaving 

 the springs when the storm overtook them. They had very little 

 hail, although in camp it fell very abundantly. They represent 

 the lake as being much higher than when we were last there ; 

 owing doubtless to the increased melting of the snows in the moun- 

 tains, consequent upon the advance of the season. The water, 



