go, ied OI as OS A A AVETE CTO EDR, AE EE WN an SY 
ings (REL OS gan SS nts Se ara Sn eg one a 
1878. | United States Survey of the Territories. IOI 
tion of glacial activity must have occurred within a comparatively 
recent time. Scarcely any vegetation has sprung up on the light 
glacial soil, and the characteristic distribution of erratic material 
_ bears every evidence of freshness. Considering the enormous 
amount of snow and ice that was observed by the party exploring 
(latter part of July and beginning of August), the view was 
expressed by the geologist that the discovery of still active gla- 
ciers in that range would by no means be surprising. 
Returning for the last time to Stambaugh, the route was taken 
in an easterly direction along the Sweetwater and its drainage. 
First, the adjacent drainage of the Wind river was surveyed, and 
the divide between the two streams crossed. All along the 
Sweetwater the characteristic “Sweetwater group” of tertiary age 
was found to occur. It has been named and described in my 
former publications. This continued uninterruptedly until a series 
of hills north of the river opposite Seminole Pass, was reached. 
These consist merely in projections of granite that during the 
tertiary epoch, and probably long before that, had remained as 
islands above a widely-extended sea. Apart from their singu- 
larly unique character in this respect, the granite itself possesses 
a peculiarity that renders it at once conspicuous. Owing to the 
distribution of component minerals this granite is in a high 
degree subject to exfoliation. Probably the main cause of this 
may be found in the action of freezing water. The result as 
observed is striking. Instead of the rugged outlines usually 
presented by isolated granitic outcrops, we find a series of 
rounded, smooth, almost totally barren hills. To such an extent 
_is this feature developed that many of them offer serious obsta- 
cles to an attempted ascent. A locality where the celebrated 
= moss-agates occurred in great quantities was found in that region, 
_ and the geognostic horizon of these interesting quartz varieties 
= was established. 
The district assigned to the Teton division, directed by Mr. G. 
R. Bechler, was situated between the parallels 43° and 44° 15/ of 
north latitude and the meridians 109° and 112° of west longi- 
tude. This area is drained by the branches of Shoshone or 
Snake river. The first portion surveyed by this division lies 
along the Blackfoot river and its tributaries. 
After having completed the area described above, Mr. Bechler 
returned to Fort Hall for supplies, and then passed up Henry’s 
