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Show RECONNAISSANCE IN THE UTE COUNTRY. 5 Again, on the return to Fort Garland, through the carelessness of the officer furnishing transportation from Camp Loma, a wagon given to the party was so overloaded that thirty- eight negatives, embracing valuable views taken everywhere, were broken; an irreparable loss. I would particularly call attention to the following views in the subjoined list, as giving the clearest idea of the character of the country: Yiews on the Musca Pass line, 17- 25. Barker's Park and Animas Mining Region, 47- 50. Engineer Mountain, 61. Lake Creek views, 74- 87. Philosopher's Mountains, 100- 104. Lone Mountain views, 107- 111. Red Mountain Pass views, 120- 125. The successful negatives numbered 142 in all, and are mostly fine specimens of artistic work. Dry- plate experiment.- I endeavored. to experiment on this expedition with the dry- plate process. The materials and plates were furnished by the Scovill Manufacturing Company, of Itfew York. Owing to shortness of time in preparation, no experiments were made before the expedition started. But as Mr. Hine had attempted the process and was reputed, to take much interest in the matter, I relied upon his judgment and zeal in giving the matter a full, fair trial. One hundred and forty- four negatives were taken out, and sixty exposed were safely returned. I regret to state, however, that not one was successfully developed. I feel compelled to lay a large part of the failure to carelessness on the part of Mr. Hine. This gentleman, although continually urged to do so, failed to keep a record snowing his times of exposure, kind of light, and such items as would naturally assist in forming the judgment as to results. Moreover, he made no attempts at experimental developing in the field. That this was an easy matter is shown by the fact that I myself have succeeded in developing views taken on the same lot of plates as late as in January, with the thermometer at 12°, and I a mere tyro in photography. Moreover, I succeeded in seven out of twelve attempted, and the last one or two were all that could have been desired. If he had tried in the field to develop one or two he would have seen the trouble and corrected it accordingly. As it is, however, the experiment must be considered a total failure, and from no fault of the plates. [ Here follows a list of one hundred and forty stereoscopic views, which is omitted. J MAPPING- AND OFFICE- WORK. In preparing the preliminary map the engraver, Ado. Hannius, has kept pace with the computors, and the lithograph has taken less time than a drawing would have done, as the facility of reducing directly on the stone. A final reduction will undoubtedly change the line somewhat, but so slightly as to be of no practical importance, especially in the present condition of the country. In computation, the astronomy has been in the hands of Assistant D. W. Campbell. Eecorder Samuel Ansley has been in charge of the platting of the instrumental line and computing the stadia line, and Sergt. G. A. Sichtenberg, Company D, Battalion of Engineers, has assisted in a very intelligent and reliable manner. Sergt. E. N. Harper, of the same company, has performed nearly all of the clerical labor. |
