APPROACH TO THE MUD LAKES. 37 
mile for 6.93 miles; and 97 feet per mile thence to the summit, 5.50 miles distant. The 
width of this depression, in its narrowest part, exceeds one and a half miles. 
We were obliged to leave it, however, to find water and grass, encamping on a granite peak 
to the south, and several hundred feet above it, where the grass was abundant, and a small 
spring furnished a sufficient supply of water. 
June 12.—The pass to the west is equally as broad and open as to the east, with a descend¬ 
ing grade of 87.20 feet per mile for 10.55 miles, and of 30.50 feet to the mile for the next 
4.68 miles ; and thence to the succeeding valley, 1.85 miles, 73.50 feet per mile. This valley 
extends far to the south, and doubtless to the east to Humboldt river, passing to the south of 
this mountain, and west to Pyramid lake. It extends, however, only 12 or 15 miles to the 
west, opposite the point where we entered it. The western portion of it is entirely barren, and 
in the spring is doubtless covered with water. To the north the plain of the valley ascends 
considerably, and becomes narrow, not exceeding two miles in the narrowest portion. It was 
late in the afternoon when we entered it, and we could nowhere see any indications of water. 
We therefore turned northward, and were gradually approaching the west side of the valley 
when we discovered a hunch of willow-hushes on its east side—an unfailing sign of water in 
this country—where we found a small spring, and scattered grass in the plain two miles below. 
The plain was level for 2.55 miles by the path we followed, and ascended 21 feet per mile for 8 
miles to where we left it to encamp. The mountains about us are not elevated enough to retain 
snow at this season, and are very dry and destitute of timber. The rocks in the higher parts 
are coarse granite, hut lower down are shale, and hard dark-red trachytic strata. The day has 
been cool, with a high southwest wind and slight showers. Day’s march, 28.75 miles. 
June 13.—From our morning camp our path lay west to a depression, two or three miles 
wide, in the succeeding ridge, from which we descended northward over the base of hills 
extending towards the western valley, directing our course to an open passage in the next 
western range, at the foot of Mud lake, or rather through which that lake extends, to the foot 
of the Sierra Nevada. Finding, however, that we should not he able to reach it before night, 
it was necessary to leave the barren sage plain, and ascend the mountain to the west, to find 
a camp. But although the grass was abundant, we were unable to find water. Several slight 
showers during the day, however, prevented great thirst, and one at evening moistened the 
grass for our animals. The most eastern of the miry plains, called Mud lakes, lies 11.75 miles 
directly north of the camp. Its southern border is followed by Noble’s road, which follows 
one of the most favorable lines by which the passes we are approaching in the Sierra Nevada 
can be reached from the east, and in the event of future surveys being conducted in this part of 
the basin, it is worthy of examination. In crossing the valley which extends to this lake, in 
approaching camp, we passed over a high mass of rolling hills, which should have been avoided 
by extending our course to the west, in the earlier part of the day ; or in leaving the preceding 
pass, we should have maintained our level by travelling on the east side of the valley, and 
thus have avoided the descent and rise indicated by the profile, for though the grades are not 
heavy, they are to some extent unnecessary. As before stated, the depression crossed in 
the ridge this morning is broad, and can be ascended by a line at least twice as long as the 
direct one followed by us, which would make it entirely a practicable grade in its unimproved 
condition for a railroad. From the centre of the valley east of that pass, we ascended 69.80 
feet to the mile; and thence to the summit, 1.37 miles, the ascent was 207 feet to the mile. For 
2.55 miles west of the summit, the descent was 40.30 feet per mile; and the average ascent 
for the next 7.04 miles, 44.40 feet per mile ; while the change of level indicated by the barome¬ 
ters in the succeeding 2.54 miles was but 43 feet. Day’s march, 24.12 miles. 
June 14.—We crossed the mountain on which we had encamped, immediately to the west, 
and descended to a branch of Mud lake. The soil of these plains is very light, and our animals 
sink quite as deep in many of the parts, dry upon the surface, as in the wet and miry por¬ 
tions. The name of lake is liable to mislead you in regard to the character of these mud- 
