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The National Geographic Magazine 



the wagons go to the Wild Rose Spring, 

 16 miles distant. 



At the Gold Reed Mine we see some 

 very beautiful gold ore ; the metal occurs 

 in a ledge of rhyolite which is highly 

 silicified, and there is so much of it that 

 none need ask to see it. 



The Belted Range lies east of the 

 Kawich Valley. It is composed of vol- 

 canic rocks, which weather in cliff forms 

 that are very beautiful, many reaching 

 1,500 feet in height. Many rocks show 

 columnar structure, horizontal, curved, 

 and vertical, when looked at more closely. 



The valley at Kawich extends south- 

 ward many miles, and then rises to a 

 "high table-land which breaks abruptly to 

 "the south, forming a mesa front. To the 

 ■eastward the Belted Range runs about 

 north and south, and where it joins the 

 mesa land the Oak Spring lies. A butte 

 Ttnown as Oak Spring Butte rises just 

 north of this water — a landmark ; it is at 

 tmce an aggravation and a comfort to the 

 traveler, as he can see it for miles, and 

 journey apparently toward it, circle 

 around it, but not reach it. 



Oak Springs is about sixty miles by 

 wagon road from Kawich, with but one 

 small spring between and a road heavy 

 with sand. It is a wearying journey at 

 best, and men and animals are glad in- 

 deed when camp is pitched. Here there 

 are prospects of gold and of copper ; 

 azurite fine enough to be cut and set in 

 jewelry is found, and some of it has been 

 shipped for that purpose. 



From the top of the Oak Spring 

 Butte a panorama of interest unfolds : To 

 the west and north the high plateau 

 region, besprinkled with scattering cedar 

 and pinon trees, cut by sharp-walled 

 canyons, and limited by the backbone of 

 the Belted Range is one of the most arid 

 parts of the desert. To the east and 

 south is the long sweep of an unnamed 

 valley, the slopes of drift reaching from 

 rock-walled range to the white enamel 

 lake bed far in the distance. Across this 

 valley we journey. The road, often sandy 

 and slow, is relieved by stretches hard 

 and smooth, which are in themselves a 

 rest to horse and rider. In the bottom 



we find a great tank of water; it resem- 

 bles a stream without flow, head, or 

 mouth. The water surface is perhaps 

 200 yards long, 2 to 5 yards wide, and 

 has a maximum depth of 3 feet. We are 

 fortunate in that a fierce thunderstorm 

 with heavy rain passed a day or so before 

 and filled this reservoir, which had been 

 dry for months, to overflowing. The 

 water is already dark brown and alkaline, 

 but we fill every canteen and barrel and 

 journey onward for the next permanent 

 water. 



The road rises slowly to pass between 

 low buttes, and we find ourselves sur- 

 rounded by giant yucca, or Joshua, trees ; 

 some of them are large and spreading, 

 but give little more shade than a barbed- 

 wire fence. 



W T hen we reach the Cane Spring, one 

 of the watering places on the old emigrant 

 road — when to reach it from the north 

 a dry journey of 70 miles was neces- 

 sary — it has taken us three days from 

 Oak Springs, and the distance is not 

 more than 35 miles. Here the tired, 

 emaciated horses rest, wander in the 

 barren hills seeking grass and finding 

 sage brush, greasewood, and creosote 

 bush. 



Grain, which should have reached us, 

 has not come, and we are distressed and 

 worried lest more animals die and leave 

 us stranded. We estimate it is 40 miles 

 to the nearest hay — at a stage station on 

 the freight road from Las Vegas to Bull- 

 frog. We choose a light wagon, the four 

 freshest animals, and succeed in getting 

 back with a few bales in time to keep our 

 bony quadrupeds from starvation. 



For many weeks we have been skirting 

 the edge of the area indicated as dry. It 

 has been necessary to make small shelter 

 camps far within the area and to haul 

 water many miles across the trackless 

 flats. 



There are quite a number of animals 

 that leave tracks and marks near the 

 water-holes. During certain months 

 thousands of wild doves flock from desert 

 flat or bench land to spring or tank. 

 These flights and rabbit trails converg- 

 ing toward a single point are of great as- 



