NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Wyoming, and thence by the South Pass and the Sweetwater 

 Mountains across Green Eiver Valley and around the northern 

 end of Salt Lake to the Humboldt River, in Nevada, correspond- 

 ing thus in a general way to that followed in later years by the 

 transcontinental railroads and included in the belt which the 

 party under King's charge was destined to survey. 



The progress of the wagons was necessarily slow and about 

 three months were occupied in the journey, which gave the 

 young travelers, who were mounted upon their own horses, abun- 

 dant opportunity for making detours along the route, of which 

 they fully availed themselves. In more than one instance, while 

 exploring the neighboring mountains, they ran the risk of cap- 

 ture, by hostile Indians, but the experience thus gained was un- 

 doubtedly of great service in King's explorations of later years. 



After crossing the deserts of Nevada they left the party and 

 made a detour to the south to examine the already famous 

 Comstock Lode at Virginia City. The very night of their arrival 

 their lodging-house took fire and burned so rapidly that they 

 barely escaped with their lives, losing everything the} r had with 

 them, even to their letters and clothing. This was a serious 

 blow, as they were entirely unknown in the place; but they were 

 equal to the occasion, and having been fitted out by hospitable 

 miners with rough clothing, they found employment in one of 

 the quartz mills, where they worked until they had saved money 

 enough to continue their journey. Starting anew, they crossed 

 the Sierra Nevada on foot and reached Sacramento with just 

 enough money to pay their passage on the river steamer to San 

 Francisco. 



On this trip the}' met by chance Prof. William M. Brewer, 

 then first assistant of Prof. J. D. Whitney, of the Geological 

 Survey of California, who was making a reconnaissance along 

 the upper portions of the Sierra Nevada and had temporarily left 

 his party in order to get further aid before going into the north- 

 ern country, where the Indians were reported to be troublesome. 

 The immediate result of this incident, his appointment as volun- 

 teer assistant geologist of the recently organized Geological 

 Survey of California, was one that had a far-reaching effect on 

 King's future career. 



Although a few enterprising geologists had succeeded in pene- 



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