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Show 116 SPRING VALLEY RANGB. although the neighbouring mountains continued all whitened by it* After much search, water was found in a deep ravine near by; and grass was tolerably abundant, though dry and hard. As the mules were nearly exhausted and much stiffened by their journey across the deep mud- plains, I determined to remain here for the day, to recruit them. A couple of men were sent back afoot, to try and recover those left yesterday: they returned, after dark, bringing with them one only; the other had strayed from the road, and all efforts to recover it were vain. It was the third lost on this trip. A deep ravine at the foot of the mountain presented sections of the strata. The lowest exposed was dark limestone with white veins, inclined to the south- east, at an angle of 85°; in fact, almost vertical. Ascending the ravine, the limestone was found to be overlaid by red sandstone, and this again by clayey shales. All these rocks had been altered by heat. No organic remains were found in the sandstones or shales, but some corals were seen in the limestone. The rocks were all veined with white marble. Large crystalline nodules of this substance were found, which assumed the form of arragonite. Some specimens of iron ore were also found, apparently a carbonate, but not in place. Ther. at noon, 87°; sunset, 81°. Monday, November 5.- Ther. 23°. Morning clear and quite cold. Grossed the mountain through the pass. The snow was about • two inches deep and the ground frozen hard. Followed down the eastern slope for about two miles, when we came to a spring- branch issuing from a gorge of. the mountains where there was plenty of green grass- the first full supply our animals had enjoyed for several days. The only rocks observed in crossing the mountain were limestones, containing remains of encrinites and corals. A wide dike of trap formed the crest; and, on the eastern side, another dike was seen running north by east, and south by west, forming the summit of a lower ridge. The limestones were tilted up almost vertically, but as the surface of the ground was covered with snow, the nature of the strata and their direction could not be very accurately ascertained. A piece of altered coal was found at the eastern base of the mountain, but not in place. The lower hills were covered with conglomerate not conformable. Leaving the spring, our true course lay about east, to strike the southern point of another range ten miles distant, and forming the eastern boundary of a broad, green, intervening valley, which ex- |