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Show 128 JW K¥ llfO UN'l'AIN SCENEHY. rapitlly as in fornwr tim es. It is stated by the milroacl pnn·ine ,. , tktt th<' water · or the lake have ri Ht'n nin( vt•rtieal fe~t. sine ' 180-t, allll the n·L·neral i1np1·(• '>'ion i ~ , that nll tl1r1 lakes of t-1 10 \Ve ·tar· J·i::;ing more OL' l ~ . \\' • might no.tt- in this t·onll •ction many cl1aJw 'R wlli<'ll tllis rnll <•y must havt• het>n Slib_jN·t •d to ::;inee th 'present 'Oirfi n-uratiom; of the Slll'f:lr\' m•r • outline l l)y the eJt .. ,·ati on of lht• mountain chains. t'H'J·a 1 times th i::; .-alley n1u t hm·p hl•Pn tillt•d lligh np on the motmtain ·id<' ll'itlt wat(•r, wat ·r, too, with hu t \' l'I'Y liltle or Umt alin' chmncteJ• which it ] )(l S-CSS<' S at this tim e. Inc1 •ell, Lam convin ced that, whil • tl1e Jake itHl'H i::; not of n10dern origin, yt>t a a snlt lake in it · prL'S-'nt condition, it iK of comparativ<•ly l"CC\'nt tlat('. \Vp find all alono· tl10 ·flank· of the ln Otlll tain ,;, and hin·IJ up in thu val](>_y ::; of the ravines OJWnillg into tlli · basin, g-roups of strata h1t11dn•ds of" feet in thi ckne ·s, whi ch are d.oul>Lk ·.· of f'J·p·h watCI' origin , clatin n- back into the Pliocen' 01· Upper T(•rtiary p<• riod. Then thes-' hl'd · har · been di ·turbctl by tit, ' ]('ration of thP lllOIIIItnins, Hhowing that wllil tit •. range f"OI'111 <'cl HIIOI'<' lines for tl1e Jak(•S Of titi . peri od, tlll'.}' did not L"t'<teh thci1· pre 'C IIt lu•ight nntil :tf't(•r the dt>po ition of tlJt•sc Tt> rtia.ry 1)('<1 ::;. H.cstinn- upon thPIII and apparentl.r dPpo::;itl•ll aft r tit ' upl H•aral mov\'ment · l1acl cea · •d , arc heavy bPdt) of a11<L nnd gravel, :tll ll tit( flank · of tho mountain · all around th ' ra]i(•_r, a· wdl a · the sitll'i-l of till' mounta.in.· in thl' i::;lands of' til , lakt>, ,.e,·eal JUII1L •rous wat<•r lill L'::>, · Jw,~· in g 111ost ckarly tl10 L'](•vat.ion t) to wlli ch tlw waters of tho lak<· must have reached in later geolon·ieal ti111 ·. \Vc can hardly ·uppost' that during tlH• ·c 1w riod;; the wat •r · lwro were ·urlicienlly alt to difl\•r from the oth er Jakes in tiLe \Ve-t. I :1111 in clin •d to tile belief thor for , that tl1 • , alin(' matt•rials of a va t area have bl•en corwPn trat<'tl by lim into the ba ·in now OC'CHJ icd by alt Lak , and that it is owin n· to it · partial 'vaporation that it:,; water i f:i become so ·alt. 0 Let u · for· a monu nt take a bird' eye vi •w of th nTcat inland ba ·in of which 'alt Lakr Yallcy forms only a part. vV hall liJH1 that wlmt i ::; tPrmocl tho Great Basin of tiP W · -t compri ·es tlt vast area cnclo · d by tl1o \Vasatch Mountai 11 on th' eat, anl the Siena N >vacla on tho w(•::;t, tlt ere tor water divid , of the Columbia on tho nm·tl1, and that of the Colom<lo on th ' south. \Ve ·hall al so observe tl1at this n·1· •at n n·ion kLs no visible ontlot; that it is compos •d of am nltitudc of small •r basins or vall y ' each of wlri ·h hns it . little lakes, pl"inn- and wat >r course ·, their ~ urplu · water either orapomting or inking beneath the surface. If we 120 l'Xamill\' tho cl •vat ions in tl1is n•gion, wt' obs('rve a won<ll •rful unif'onnity ill till' snrf"a('t' flit' Vaill' .)'S and find that IIOI!l! of' tiw111 11,1'(' IIIllCh alJon • t IH• l ev<'l of tiL ' wal<'l'S of a l't'al • 'alt Lak(•. J\ ::; Captain :-3tan sbmy liaH l't' lll<l.l'kPd : " 'flit'S!' 1JlaiJl ' :1.1' ' bnt ]ittJp l'l (' v:tt l' l :Ll)()V tlH• })l'l'HPnt lpn •l of th t> l :tkl·, and have b<'y ontl quL'Htion at OIH' tim' fonnPd a pa.r·L of it; :111 t• i(' \'aLioll or bu t :t few fe ·t above th t> Pl'l'Hl' ll t l t'vol or till· lakt>, \\'ould tl oal tlli ~ pnLirP lltLL to a "Tl'at di ,;tan ·e, tlltl. ' forming a \'ast in laud HP:t." H Ht't'lns prolmble als , that ala co1nparatin·ly modt> l'll pl' ri od, til (' briny \\'ah·r · dill H]liTatl out· or<'l' a much larg(•r area than at ]li'PHl' lil , for !Jotli ]•'n'IIIOIIL Llll(l ' tai1HUIII'j' 111akt> fn•qJH' IIL IIH'Iltioll of Jarg-P trads t'O \'l'J'('(l wit II :w i neru sLati on of' sal!,. 'I' lie lattl•l·, in d(•:-;ni bi nno· t lie l>roml plain ('OIIIilry to Lli • w< ·:-<t of Gn•aL ~aiL Lakl•, Hay:; : ' ' 'i'JH• tin>t 1 arL oft] I(' ] >lain l'OIIHiStl•d silll]lly of dri t>d mud, wi t l1 HlnaJJ t rysl:tl :-; or Hal t HeaLte retl tlli<·kly OV(' I" til(• snrfa<"e. UrosHing- llii H, WI' (':JII Il' upon an otiJ <• r· porti on of' it·, tltn• • 1nill's in width, wli <' l'l' ll11· gmund was l' ldil't'ly CO I'l' l"l'<l ll'ith [t tllin I<J.)'l'l' of >'alL in a state or dl'l iq ii !'KCl'n('l', a lid of sn so rt :t <'OII ~ i :-; Lp n c • tliaL tile ft •Pt of' our lnlil l'H "ank at P\"(• ry st<•p into tlu• 11111d l>t> llcath. Bul Wl' soon l':Jin\' npon :1 porti on of' t lu· pi :Li ll wiH ·n• till• snit lay in a :-;olid c;tate in 0 11 • unbrokPII :-; IH·Pt, l'X!l'1Hli1 1p.; appart'ntly to its \\'('SLl·rll hor<lPr. . 'o lirnr and stro11g was this UlliCllll' :IIHI snowy tl oor, that it HU>' tain l'll tltP wt•i n·ht ol' 0111' l 'lilin• !.rain, witli ont i11 t ill• it'asL g- iri11 ~·· way or eracking b<'nealli tlw pn•i-ls lln'. Oru· mull'H walkt•d upon it ac: lljlOn a Hh<•<•L of >'Oiicl it:<'. 'l'ilt' ll'ilo]p li <•id wa,; l'I'OHt-:t•d by :1 lt l'! \\'ork of li lt k rid g<'s, pro_jl•<·ting about half :111 in (·li, as if til l• >':tit had l 'X ]l:lll dt·d i11 til l' ]l rO('<'i-lS of n ystalizali on. 1 l'Htiiii:J b•d tlliH til •i<l to lw at lt>aKt :-it' l'l'll rllil v,; widt> :J.II(L tl' ll 1niles in lPug tli . llo\\' lllll l' li fartll t'r it l'X(P IHil·tl nod ll ward I ('Ould not h•ll , bu l if i t. ("OVI'I'('d tiH'}>Iain in that din·('( ion as it did \\'ll l'l'(' Wt' ("I'OSHt'cl , its ('Xtl •ll t IIIUSt il:tVl' h t•('n \'l' l'.)' Ullr <" il gn•a(t• r. 'J'J II' ~al t, wlii <·IJ wa ~ \' l' l'}' J>Ur • and wllil<· :tV('I'li"'l'd l'ro111 Oll t>-ltalf to tltn·t ·- . ' n foul'tlr.t> or au in(' il i.11 tliiekn l'ss, and was l'qual in all rCKLW<'IK to om liii PHt SJH'cinll' IIH for tal>ll' uso. A ·sun1ing Ill<'>'<' data, tJH· quantity tl1:1t ilt'l't• ln _r ll]lOII (lll' g rollllll in OliO bod_y, VX<'iu siVt' 01' that ill a dl• ii(]II\'KG<'Ilt stall', :tmounLl•d to over four· H.JL<l a half 1nillion · ol' cuhie yanl", or :tbouL Oll l' illllltln•d m iII ion;; of busl1 ' I ·." J\i·<·:t ' of g n•at(•J' or IPs vx((•nt, \'OI'<' rPd witli tlti :; s:Liin t• innustat ion, occur iu nulll l'rous loeali t ie, .·o tlial wp lllay infer that in all probability lR |