OCR Text |
Show 176 CAMP ON THE SANDFLATS. point of the western promontory, and doubtless at one time formed the northern boundary of the lake in this direction. At the point where we landed, it was upward of a mile in breadth. There being no wood to be obtained for cooking purposes nearer than the foot of the mountains, all hands were despatched to gather and pack upon their shoulders sufficient for that purpose; and the camp was pitched upon the naked sand. The land party came in at sundown from the line of survey, which had been carried to the point of the mountain at the head of the bay. They reported the discovery there of some springs with a small supply of good fresh water and abundance of excellent grass. Saturday, May 4.- Morning calm, bright, and balmy. Despatched most of the hands to the springs found yesterday, for water, which they brought on their shoulders to the boat- a distance of over two miles. On their return, we packed the baggage in the skiff, and dragged it about half a mile to the boat. After much difficulty, we extricated ourselves from the shoals, and made for the south point of the range forming the western boundary of the bay. At this point the water is deep, quite to the shore, which is iron- bound by boulders of black rock from the surrounding hills. A small ledge or reef of rock was seen above water some three hundred yards to the south. Rounding the point of this little promontory, we encamped on a small bluff, a short distance from the edge of the water. The hillsides are covered with broken masses of a very dark-coloured rock, containing much iron, and which, from its peculiar tint, as we approached them from the water, gave the slopes the appearance of being covered with a forest of cedar. These rocks we found, upon landing, to consist of a dark compact limestone, stained, and in many cases apparently vitrified, on the surface by iron. The top of the ridge, which is three or four hundred feet above the water, is crowned by a stratum of light cream- coloured limestone, in a cliff thirty feet in height. All the varieties are of a close texture, and very hard, especially the white, which will, I think, quarry easily. If so, it wilj be quite valuable, as the shores at this point being accessible for boats, a continuous navigation is practicable to Black Rock, at the southern end of the lake, whence the land- carriage to the city is only twenty miles. Small quantities of bitumen were found on the shore, in the masses of a substance which lined the beach to the depth of six inches, and resembled in appearance the brown, dried seaweed |