97'^ The American Naturalist. fNovember, 
and makes a very agreeable mush, with a taste between farina 
and coffee. 
Modoc Pete started with us on the third day. I was deter- 
mined to get to Silver Lake on that day, and so I put a can of 
tomatoes, some hard-tack and some bacon in my saddle-bags to 
guard against accidents. I left the wagon behind, and rode off 
through the woods with wild Pete. We soon came across two 
mule deer, and later three antelope crossed the road before us. 
Pete called them with a peculiar cry, and they soon turned round 
and came toward us. Had we had a gun we could have shot 
one or two of them. Soon after we came down on Siacan 
Valley, which is ten miles across, and is covered with grass. 
The creek of that name runs into it, and is lost in a great bed of 
rushes. Only two houses are in it, and these are close together. 
The people own numerous cattle. 
From this valley we saw a large pointed mountain, N. E., with 
a naked cone on top. I crossed the first range of hills at its foot, 
and then got off my horse and had my guide to mark on the 
ground a sketch of the remainder of the way. I was still twenty 
miles from Silver Lake. I then sent him back to bring on the 
wagon, and came on alone. I passed a valley where some horses 
grazed, but no one lived, and leaving it, I crossed a hill of lava 
rocks, where I lost the trail, as it did not not show. I found it 
again, and soon came to a part of the mountain-side where the 
woods were on fire. This I soon passed, and presently came out 
of the forest into a great open valley, which seemed to be 
covered with •' sage brush." There were mountains north and 
west, but east the horizon was like that of the sea. I had reached 
Silver Lake Valley, which is a branch of the Oregon Desert. 
Pretty soon the road forked, and I was puzzled. It is necessary 
to be very careful about traveling alone in a sage brush desert, 
for one may easily die for want of water. I rode up on a hill 
and took a better view of the country, but got no satisfaction. 
The large mountain behind me was evidently an old volcano, and 
Its sides were covered with pumice and vesicular lava, often of a 
red color; and lava capped the low mountains to the north (Fig. 
I.) I chose the principal road, thinking that, right or wrong, it 
