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Show RECONNAISSANCE IN THE UTE COUNTRY. 29 ally, or rather timbered to the visible verge. The lower third of the park on the west seems to consist of trappean or basaltic rocks. Those on the east, however, seem granitic, but with larger crystals and more feldspar, and show greater tendency to disintegrate. Range about the same distance to the left. The mountains seem close at hand, more timbered, and now show their rocks exceptionally, evidently also more basaltic and much more trap. There is no more bottom- land until reaching the lake, but the valley is filled with low hills and ridges. The stream then passes through a canon 50 to 150 feet deep, with vertical walls one- fourth of a mile long. Below this canon the mountains open out and form a valley almost entirely filled by a lake two and a half miles long by three- fourths wide. After crossing to the west side above the lake, had about 1,500 feet of willows, 8 to 10 feet high, and bottom extremely soft; animals mired to their bodies at every step. Then passed through a grove of yellow pines and down the west side of the lake on the slope of the mountain. This lake is a beauty. Its waters are perfectly clear, and reflected the mountains which slope into the lake on all sides. It has numerous coves and reaches, and two or three little islands dot its surface. Ducks, teal, mallards, and mud- hens were seen in all the cov3S with their broods of young, while a flock of ambitious mallards were sailing down the middle of the lake. There are no fish. Immediately below the lake begins the great land- slide, to be described hereafter. Crossed about a mile below the lake. Stream here 70 feet wide, 4 feet deep at most, and very swift* Fortunately the bottom is not rough at this point, and by lariats animals were gotten over with no great difficulty. Camped immediately on east bank in a small alder thicket at foot of land- slide. Grass rank but coarse. About one- fourth of a mile below this camp is the first fall of the Lake Fork, a very peculiar cascade. The stream, 60 feet wide, deep and swift, first plunges about 30 feet, strikes the face of a cliff, is deflected, to the left nearly at right angles, plunges immediately about the same depth, is deflected to the right at a less angle, plunges immediately about 20 feet, and goes on its course as rapids. Thus the whole fall is 80 to 100 feet in a spiral cascade. Deep caverns are worn into the face of the cliffs as the water strikes them, aud standing on that, below the first leap, one is within 20 or 30 feet of the crest. The whole spiral is one mass of foam. The cliffs seem a shaly trap or other rock of the trap kind, dark and extremely hard. From this point the scout was further continued down the Lake Fork some distance, but as the topography will be described in a succeeding portion it is here omitted. Upon retracing the route, we struck south from Lake San Cristobal, and reached Antelope Park, meeting Mr. Bassel aud the party just entering from the Rio Grande. That night we received news that the reconnaissance would be continued according to the original schedule, the Indian troubles having turned out to be of little consequence. Provisions were received to last the party while making the examination of the Lake Fork, and immediate arrangements were made to com* „ mence the trip. Connection was made with our outward line near * Camp 17. Examination of the LaJce Fork.- On our return, Cainp No. 40 was made on the site of Camp No. 17, and Camp 41 on the eastern side of Bristol Head, about two miles south of Camp 18. Thence, on our march to the Lake Fork of Grand River, our trail diverged from that before described at the southern apex of Bristol Head, where we passed up a dry canon close to the precipitous face of the mountain, which we named Lake |