The Deserts of Nevada 



495 



composed largely of salt, * borax, and 

 gypsum. The surface is as rough as can 

 be imagined ; it consists of ridges, blocks, 

 and plates on edge, inclined, and flat, with 

 shallow drains full of dreadfully salt 

 water. From these drains the mixture 

 of salt and other material is taken, 

 molded into forms, and set up at various 

 places to mark the corners of the mineral 

 claims. This material dries out, and, 

 when the molds are removed, stands like 

 solid marble blocks, which remind one 

 of the fate of Lot's wife. Here we are 

 informed that during the summer the 

 temperature reaches more than 130 de- 

 grees in the shade, and that the nights 

 are too hot for sleeping, but during our 

 visit in November the weather was beau- 

 tiful except during the fierce sandstorms. 



Much of the real development in Death 

 Valley has been done by the parties in- 

 terested in borax, which is found here 

 and in many parts of the desert region. 

 The "cotton-ball" (borate of soda) is 

 found in the flats, but "colemanite" 

 (borate of lime) is found in the hills 

 and mountains, high above the flats of 

 the valley bottoms. At one time it was 

 attempted to refine borax at Furnace 

 Creek, but no work of gathering or 

 treating is now done there. The freight 

 teams of the company bring provisions 

 every few months. From here the now- 

 famous 20-mule team hauled to Mojave; 

 such teams are often seen along the lines 

 of communication in the desert, but few 

 have so many animals or such heavy 

 wagons. 



There is one way to become famous in 

 Death Valley — that is, to die near to a 

 trail so that one's remains may be found. 

 For instance, meeting a man one day, I 

 inquired about the route, water, etc. He 

 said : "The road is plain for ten miles, 



♦Chloride sodium 94-54 



Chloride potassium 0.31 



Sulphate sodium 3.53 



Sulphate calcium 0.79 



Moisture o. 14 



Gypsum and clay 0.50 



99.81 

 U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 200, p. 18. 



when you'll find a well about 100 yards 

 to the right; the water is salt, but your 

 mules will drink it. Six miles farther 

 you'll come to 'Tim Ryan, Aug. 9th, '05,' 

 and two and one-half miles southeast of 

 him you'll find plenty of good water." 



From the valley where, even now in 

 November, the temperature is between 

 80 and 90 during the day, we cross to the 

 Panamint Range. At the mouth of Cot- 

 tonwood Canyon we halt for lunch, hav- 

 ing covered eight miles during the morn- 

 ing, and find numerous hieroglyphics on 

 the walls. These illustrate Indians fight- 

 ing over water, and depict a running 

 stream, the bighorn sheep, and various 

 animals and birds. 



Twelve miles up this wash we find Cot- 

 tonwood trees, some grass, a running 

 stream, and quantities of watercress, 

 which the mules attack with evident 

 relish. Here we find numerous pros- 

 pectors, learn of an abandoned camp to 

 the north, and water and "trails every- 

 where. 



In the Grapevine and Panamint ranges 

 there are still a few mountain sheep. 

 Tracks near water-holes and a few old 

 skulls are the nearest we come to a view 

 of these shy animals. 



To the northward we follow along the 

 range, often in sight of our valley camp 

 miles away, and 48 hours after leaving 

 the summit of the valley we are camp- 

 ing 9,000 feet above it, wading in snow 

 varying from ankle to waist deep, with 

 shoes and stockings frozen hard, the 

 thermometer near o°, and a cruel wind — 

 a most trying change for man and beast. 



In the Panamint Range both sedimen- 

 tary and volcanic rocks appear, and near 

 one of the contacts of these we travel up 

 a wonderful canyon. The walls are so 

 near to one another that on horseback 

 one may touch both at once. The ma- 

 terial is limestone that has been baked 

 into marble of alternate beds of black 

 and white, about a foot in thickness. This 

 trail is one of the old Indian routes to the 

 Valley from Keeler and the Sierra Ne- 

 vada. 



From the summits of the Panamint 



