84 The American Geologist. February, 1902. 
we saw the latter filling rapidly from the torrents which rushed 
down the sides of the surrounding ridges, the dry white salt 
crusts giving place to several inches of muddy water. The 
roads were soon so slippery that the ponies could scarcely keep 
their footing, and in some places were almost impassable. Be- 
ing no longer able to secure samples of the surface incrusta- 
tions, we had to content ourselves with samples of the saline 
water, and of the soil from different depths. 
To the east of the northern portion of the Laguna del Perro 
is the group of smaller lakes above referred to. From a high 
point on one of the ridges we were able to see the water in 
nine of these lakes, and could locate many more by the sur- 
rounding ridges. These smaller basins averaged from 600 to 
1,000 yards in length, by 200 to 400 yards in width. Water 
from one of these smaller lakes (formerly almost or quite dry 
with very thin white salt crust) shows but 1.65% salt, while 
clay from two feet below the surface runs 5.2%. This will 
serve to give some idea of the extent to which the salt was di- 
luted. Water from another of these smaller lakes, known to be 
entirely dry before the storm, shows but 1.4% salt. About ten 
inches below the surface of the’ former lake we encountered 
another of. the layers of finely crystalline gypsum some four 
inches in thickness, carrying 10.5% salt. 
As we journeyeyd further southward we passed beyond the 
limits of the territory affected by the storms, and reached the 
so-called lake Salinas. This is evidently the great salt lake 
of the whole basin, and furnishes the salt for the ranches 
within the radius of a hundred miles or more. The almost 
pure product is hauled in wagon loads to Albuquerque, Santa 
Fre, White Oaks, and other places equally distant. The lake 
is somewhat round in shape, and perhaps a quarter of a mile 
in diameter. The water, which attains a depth of some three 
feet of more in places, is a supersaturated solution of sodium 
chloride. The samples of the water which we obtained were 
allowed to stand but a few days before analyzing, and then in 
sealed bottles. But in that short time considerable sodium 
chloride had crystallized out, while the residual brine showed 
28.35% of the salt still in solution, or nearly 2% over a normal 
saturated solution. The water is highly charged with carbon- 
ates, and it is suggested that these may affect the solubility 
