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Show 150 ZOOLOGICAL SPECIMENS- THBBMAL WATSBS. tioBs being sufficient to shake plates from the shelves and to disturb milk in the pans. Advantage was taken of the confinement of the party to winter quarters to observe for the latitude, to arrange and plot the notes of the survey as fiur as it had advanced, and to collect and prepare specimens of the zoology of the valley. These specimens have since been classified and arranged with characteristic ability by Professor Spencer F. Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution, whose report on that subject is hereto appended. Specimens of the different thermal waters, also, were collected and brought safely as far as Pittsburgh; but, in their transportation thence by the express line, most of the vessels containing them were unfortunately broken, and their contents lost. This was a subject of much regret, as interesting results had been anticipated from the analysis. Such as escaped destruction have been carefully analyzed by Dr. L. D. Gale, of Washington, and the results will be found in Appendix F. During the winter, a large boat was built for the survey of the Salt Lake. This was an achievement of no little difficulty, as almost every stick of timber used in the construction had to be procured from the cafions of the mountains, piece by piece; and the planking, although of the best material the country afforded, was so " shaky" and liable to split and crack, that it was totally unfit for the purpose. Had time permitted, it had been my purpose to procure, before setting out, a couple of Francis's metallic life- boats for this service, which would have saved much time and labour. The experience of the exploring expedition to the Dead Sea has fully proved the entire fitness of these boats for service of this nature; and the ease with which they can be transported in sections, and be put together for instant use, will doubtless render them hereafter an indispensable part of the equipment for every exploration of a similar character. Where the use of wagons is practicable, these boats can readily be mounted on wheels and made to answer the purposes of a wagon- box; and where this is not the case, their arrangement into sections will allow of their being packed and transported on the backs of mules with but little inconvenience. |
