156 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 



are tliickly covered with pines. At Paris tlie rocks used for building 

 purposes are obtained from the Wahsatcli group, in the lower hills, on 

 the west side of the river. From Montpelier, for about ten miles up the 

 valley, there is a break in the hills on the east side, and they become 

 much lower; but opposite Bloomington a higher range conies in and 

 continues far southward. The little streams, which are very abundant, 

 especially on the west side of the valley, rise mostly at the foot of the 

 hills, and vary from one mile to four miles in length. Some large 

 streams, ten to fifteen yards wide and one to two feet deep, flow into 

 Bear Lake from a group of springs gushing out of the sides of the hills 

 not over a mile distant. The climate may be severe in this valley, but 

 the inhabitants are of the belief that it is becoming milder every year. 

 I was continually amazed at the evidences of prosperity e\'erywhere. 

 Pleasant villages are located every few miles, and in the interval are 

 numbers of well-improved farms. The soil of this valley is more fertile 

 than that of Salt Lake Valley, and is better watered. There is no lack 

 of springs and streams for irrigation or for milling purposes. The tim- 

 ber is very scarce, but sufficient for fuel is obtained from the moun- 

 tains, and there is no limit to the supply for building materials. 



Just before reaching the lake, we leave the river to the east and enter 

 the Bear Lake Valley. This must have been a large lake at one time, 

 at least twenty-tive miles long and from six to ten broad ; at the present 

 time it is ten miles in length and from five to eight broad. At the 

 boundary line, between Idaho and Utah, passing directly across the 

 lake from east to west, I was informed that jMr. Majors, the astronomer 

 in charge, under the General Land-Office, made the width of the lake, 

 by triangulation, seven and one-third miles. From the mouth of Swan 

 Creek the width was at one time measured with a chain on the ice and 

 found to be seven and three-fourths miles. Soundings were also made 

 from the mouth of Swan Creek to the opposite side, and the greatest 

 depth was determined to be 175 feet. One mile west from Indian Creek, 

 on the east side, the depth was 137 feet; so that we may estimate the 

 average depth at 40 to GO feet. It is a beautiful lake, set like an eme- 

 rald among the mountains. Xot even the waters of the Yellowstone 

 Lake present such vivid coloring. No sea-green hue could be more 

 delicate; and as the waves rolled high by the force of the winds, the 

 most vivid green seemed to shade to a beautiful, delicate blue. Bear 

 Eiver seems to liave been bent slightly out of its course by a range of 

 mountains which extends northward between the lake and the river, 

 but it suddenly flexes back again, even south of west, and then flows 

 to the northwest. I was unable to make an examination of this portion 

 of the ri\'er, and therefore cainiot present the geology in detail, but 

 hope to continue these explorations at some future time. 



By examining the map it will be seen that there is but a single range 

 of mountains between Cache Valley and Bear lliver, and that the 

 geological structure does not differ materially from that of the Wahsatcli 

 liange and its subordinate ranges. We have a vast thickness of very 

 hard quartzites at the base, and above them a group of limestones, 

 \vhich, so far as Bear liiver Valley is concerned, has yielded only fossils 

 of Carboniferous sx)ecies. Above the limestones are (juartzites again, 

 with intercalated layers of clay and sandstones. The lower quartzites 

 appear to have been partially metamorphosed, and contain some quite 

 rich silver ores. These ores do not appear to be found in regular lodes 

 but in pockets or irregular cavities. At the time my party passed up 

 the valley there was a good deal of interest in these mines among the 

 peoi)le, and some verj- excellent specimens of the ores were shown to us. 



