munz] A JOURNEY TO THE S ALTON SEA 9 



shadows of the night only to enfold themselves in that blue haze 

 that always invites one on and on, and makes charming the most 

 forbidding aspect. Such is the desert at its best. 



But to return to our excursion. On Wednesday night we 

 camped about a mile from the shore of the Salton Sea at Figtree 

 John's Spring, a little oasis indeed, with good cold water flowing 

 from a sedge-filled basin, but it does not flow far. From here 

 we walked to the Sea and also in the opposite direction, to the 

 ancient shore-line where after some little climbing we reached 

 sea-level. 



We had wonderful meals on the desert ; I remember the supper 

 at this camp; fruit cocktail from tin cups, bread, butter and jam, 

 and a stew containing everything available from canned beef, 

 corn, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and water to salt and pepper. 



The next noon we turned again toward Mecca, as all the faithful 

 ought, but passed it by and went directly to Indio. A sandstorm 

 was raging; the air was white with it and we sought the most 

 sheltered spot we could find back of some rocks, made our fire 

 and prepared to camp. After our supper of hamburger steak 

 and boiled potatoes, we felt it would be more comfortable to ride 

 than to try to stay in the blowing sand, and set forth again. In a 

 comparatively few minutes, we were again in a land of calm and 

 found a very comfortable place to sleep. Thus quickly can one 

 pass from wind to quiet; the air-currents are apparently largely 

 controlled by the mountain ranges and a distance of a few miles 

 makes a great difference. Even when the wind is not blowing, 

 the heaping sands about the mesquite and other shrubs show the 

 customary path of the air-currents. Two or three miles tfurther 

 on, these dunes may be lacking entirely and one finds great 

 stretches of scattered creosote bush interspersed with smaller 

 forms of vegetation. 



Thursday morning we were not near any stream or spring, 

 and as there had been almost no rain this season, we did not need 

 to spend much time collecting. We therefore effected an early 

 start, a very fortunate occurrence; for in the afternoon a combina- 

 tion of four blow-outs and a worn-out pump delayed our arrival 

 in Claremont until late in the evening.* 



*For an account of the Salton Sea at once scientific and interesting I would 

 refer any one to the publication of the Carnegie Institution written by D. T. 

 MacDougal and collaborators and issued in 19 14. 



