250 GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 



The accoinpanyiDg panoramic view, (Fig. 49,) taken from Mr. Becliler's 

 field-notes, will give a general idea of the relative positions of the Tetous, 

 the lake, and the slopes of the Eed Mountain group, of which Mount 

 Sheridan is the culminating point. 



On the west shore of the lake, near its northern end, numerous hot 

 springs occur, over a considerable area, a few being seen far up on the 

 western ridge. Those near the lake were examined by Mr. Taggart, 

 who reports as follows : 



The hot springs found on the west bank of Lewis's Lake occur mostly in two groups, 

 separated by a low ridge. In the iirst group exaunned, all of the springs issued from 

 the sides of a marsh, and -were mostly covered either with masses of leafy vegetation 

 or with the soft, thick, pulpy masses of fungoid growth so common about the hot 

 springs of the Fire-Hole basins. Some of the springs were constantly bubbling with 

 an escaping gas, whose character was not ascertained. The temperatures of all the 

 springs are low. A few of them are as follows : 112°, 122°, 124^^, 126o, 128°, 130°, 138°, 

 140'J, 148°. As an interesting fact, I noted that all the springs whose temperatures 

 reached or exceeded 120° had the growth of fungoid pulp or a deposit of gray gey- 

 serite, while those cooler than 120° were covered with leafty vegetation. This cluster 

 of springs is evidently the last remnant of a much more active group, since, all along 

 the shore of the lake at this point, there are large deposits of old geyserite. At some 

 points, this extends far ont into the lake. 



The second group of springs differs from the one just described, in that its vents are 

 larger and the water hotter. The springs are surrounded l)y solid ground, and, iu 

 their general features, resemble the hot springs of the Fire-Hole basins, so that they 

 need no general description. The following are the temperatures and sizes of a few of 

 the principal ones : 1, 152°, 2 feet in diameter; 2, 156°, 10 feet by 6; 3, 176°, elliptical, 

 about 40 feet by 20. 



Both Mr. Stevenson and Mr. Taggart brought specimens of the gey- 

 serite, including many vegetable fragments, apparently some of the 

 coarse sedges common along the lake-shore. 



CHAPTER ly. 



MOUNT SHERIDAN — HEADS OF SNAKE EIVEE— FALLS 

 EIVER PASS— JACKSON LAKE— GLACIEE LAKES— GEAND 



CANON OF SNAKE EIVEE— FOET HALL. 



Leaving the main train to find its way southward to the stream which 

 flows from Heart Lake, a small party of us started, on the morning of 

 the 11th, for Mount Sheridan and the country beyond. At the north end 

 of the lake, there is a considerable marsh and a lagoon, which, when 

 full, throws good streams into the lake ; but its outlets were now choked 

 up with beach-sand. Its water comes from the drainage of the broad, 

 flat area, partly in meadow, partly in timber, which stretches across to 

 Yellowstone Lake. Our course, holding to the left of the main peak, 

 led us over moderate slopes, for some miles, until, passing one or two 

 small ponds, with no outlets, we struck the foot of the spur which, run- 

 ning out from the second crest of the Eed Mountain range, counting 

 from the north end, forms the divide between Lewis's and Yellowstone 

 Lakes. Upon that divide lies the small lake, without outlet, called Lake 

 Eiddle,* visited by Dr. Hayden's party on their return from the Fire- 



* "Lake Eiddle" is a fugitive name, which has been located at several places, but 

 nowhere permanently. It is supposed to have been used originally to designate the 

 mythical lake, among the mountains, whence, according to the hunters, water flowed 

 to both oceans. I have agreed to Mr. Hering's proposal to attach the name to this 

 lake, which is directly upon the divide at a point where the waters of the two oceans 

 start so nearly together, and thus to solve the iusolvable " riddle" of the " two-ocean 

 water." 



