Edivard Dr'mkcr Cope. — Frazer. 103 
ering place much resorted to, whose waters are like those of Saratoga. 
It is called Soda Spring. Before this a turn in the road had brought 
into full view Mount Shasta, one-third covered with snow. I have been 
enthusiastic about this glorious mountain ever since. It is the grandest 
thing in California. Its immense mantle of snow gives it its name, 
Shasta, chaste. However I must leave it though I shall never for- 
get it." 
"Linkville, Ore., September 4, 1879. Sweet daughter. * * The 
two Klamath lakes are connected by a river, out of which the Klamath 
river runs to the Pacific ocean. This place is only 12 miles from the 
upper Klamath lake. I walked up to it to-day." 
"Silver Lake, Oregon, September 18, 1879. * * They gave me 
an old Klamath chief as a guide from the Agency near by. But he 
could not talk English and so I got very little information from him 
and he could not understand me. So on the second day out, I found 
a wild young Modoc, Pete by name, who can speak pretty well, and I 
hired him instead. Old Chaloquin carried his bag of Wokus for food. 
This is the roasted and ground seeds of the yellow waterlily, forming 
something like cracked wheat. They carry a cup and mix the wokus 
in it with water. It swells up and makes a very agreeable mush with 
a taste between Farina and coffee. 
Modoc Pete started with us on the third day. I was determined to 
get to this place on that day, and so I put a can of tomatoes, some 
hard-tack and some bacon in my saddlebags to guard against acci- 
dents. I left the wagon behind and rode off through the woods with 
wild Pete. * * * 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. * * * 
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 20 miles from this 
place. 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 show. I found it again and soon came to a part of the moun- 
tain side where the woods were on fire. This I soon passed, and pres- 
ently 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. I am 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 now behind us, was 
evidently an old volcano, and its sides were covered with pumice and 
lava, and lava capped the low mountains to the north. I chose the 
principal road, thinking that right or wrong it would lead me to 
