GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY OF THE TEREITOEIES. 5 



out uuder tlie eye. To tliose who are familiar witli the remarkable 

 purity of the atmosphere iu these high latitudes, these statements need 

 not appear incredible. To the east the Wind Elver and Big Horn 

 Eanges, with the snow-clad summits of Fremont's, Union, and Cloud 

 Peaks, bounded the view, Ou the north the Yellowstone Eange, with 

 Emigrant Peak and man}- of the loftiest mountains iu Montana, were 

 clearly seen. To the west the numerous ranges comprised in what are 

 called the Salmon Piver Mountains of Idaho form the horizon of vision 

 iu that direction, while the mountains near Fort Hall and the Wahsatch 

 Range completed the mighty amphitheater. This remarkable view em- 

 braced a large i)ortion of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah Terri- 

 tories. 



About forty small streams, which uuite and form the upper portion of 

 Snake Eiver, were carefully examined. The party then proceeded down 

 the valley of Snake Eiver, through its remarkable canons, examined Jack- 

 son's Lake and the numerous streams that empty into the maiu river on 

 either side. About the middle of October the i)arty arrived at Fort 

 Hall, where it was soon after disbanded. 



It will be seen from this report, and the more elaborate final rei)orts 

 which will follow in due time, that the scientific as well as the practical 

 results of these explorations are of great importance to the material in- 

 terests of the West. They have already enlisted the interest and sym- 

 pathy of all classes of intelligent people of our country from Maine to 

 Florida, as the numerous letters and applications for the reports afford 

 ample testimony. 



The t^vo principal field parties were organized as follows : 



The first division — Adolf Burck, chief topographer ; Henry Gannett, 

 astronomer 5 A, E. Brown, assistant topographer^ E. B. Wakefield, 

 meteorologist; Dr. A. C. Peale, mineralogist; W. H. Holmes, artist; 

 Walter B. Piatt, naturalist; W. B. Logan, secretary; A. E. Bingham, 

 Joseph Savage, and T. O, C. Sloane, general assistants. 



Second, or Snake Eiver division — James Stevenson, director; Profes- 

 sor Frank H. Bradley, chief geologist ; W. E. Taggart, assistant geolo- 

 gist; Gustavus E. Bechler, chief topographer; Eudolph Hering and 

 Thomas W. Jay cox, assistant topographers; William Nicholson, meteor- 

 ologist ; John M. Coulter, botanist ; Dr. Josiah Curtis, surgeon and 

 micro scopist ; C.Hart Merriam, ornithologist; Campbell Carrington, 

 naturalist; William H. Jackson, photographer; Charles E. Campbell, 

 assistant ; Eobert Adams, P. J. Beveridge, J, S. JSTegley, W. A. West, 

 S. F. Hamp, T. B. Brown, and S. C. Jones, general assistants; Hon. N. 

 P. Langford, C. S. Spencer, and Dr. Eeagles accompanied the Snake 

 Eiver division from Fort Hall as guests. Mr. William Blackraore of 

 London, England, accompanied my party from Fort Ellis to the Geyser 

 Basin for several weeks as guest, for the purpose of examining the Na- 

 tional Park. 



Although most of the members of both parties labored with great zeal 



