Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-10-14

FAIL with n Clear Lean of $50 Feet
Inc Beautfful Lake-An Earthquake
shock, ETC.. etc.
The following letter has just been receiyed
by Professor Henry, Secretary of the Smith.
sonian Institution, from III. W. Elliott, artist OF
Hayden exploring expedition:
In CAMP, FORT ELLIS, M.T..)
Septe Sd, 1871.
Dear Profess0r:-Csmp and field iabors for The
season being entirely completed, the homeward
route is now the sole objective point, and wish
TO convey TO your mind faint Idea of the won
derful country over which we have been travel.
ling during the last two months the return march
from which will keep the move until the
Bridger. "
The reports of this country which were brought
to you last winter by Lieut.. Doane, and which
were published In Se'l6ner's and the Ocerlaad
Monthly, created out of the Upper Yellowstone
ono OF the most remarkable regions In the world
and ID verify or disproye these accounts has
really been the labor of our party this season
As you are probably well aware through Mr.
Thomas, who has been in Washington for the
last TWO months, of our starting in with teams M
Ogcen, and our progress up the Cache Valley.
nned with Mormon settlements, and over the
arid basaltic plains of Snake river, shall pass
on TO our starting-out from this place early in
July last.
FORT ELLIS
is about % miles northwest by north from the
yellowstone river, and on one of the branches OF
the east fork of the Gallatin river; the country
beyond this place would not admit of wagons, so
that We fitted up pack train of horses and
mules-the only efficient mode of transportation
that can be employed in this wild and unex-
plored country. Soon after We had passed over
the divide and assembled a grassy hill slope.
which fell away gently to the river ahead, we
came in view Of one of the greatest chains of
LAVA PEAKS
that can be found on this continent. From right
TO lett as far as the eye could reach il rested
upon serried front of rugged pinnacled sum
mits so sharp and keen as to shed the snow way
down upon their torn and rugged TANKS, leaving
the bare rock pointing upwards like needles
minarets, and gothic roofs. The snow beneath
seemed to depend upon the Struggling and
stunted pines for support, while these timber
lines IN turn fell away down the mountain sides
TO grassy benches and plateaus The whole
forming one OF the most perfect pictures of lava
upheaval and overflow that the world affords
In this chain there hundred peaks that are
OVER III ,OUU FEET ABOVE THE SEA-
and 5000 feet above the river, and eight or ten
that will easily reach the altitude OF II, 600 or
5000 feet. In my travels on the northwest coast
/ have seen isolated mountains higher than
these, but such a grand aggregate of lofty and
in most cases, inaccessible submits had never
gazed upon before.
The valley, which cradles the Yellowstone
river at the base of the range is trife over
seventy miles in length, between the canon of
the Mission, (where the river breaks Through a
great limestone ridge and turns out upon the
plans, and the lower canon, above, varying in
width from one TO five; it is well watered with
most luxuriant growth of bunch grass almost
everywhere within it, AT the present time there
is but one rancho in it, and that is sustained nv
man aamed BOettler. He is the mainstay of a
party of miners who are working in Emfgrant
gulche, supplying them with vegetables of all
varieties, milk, butter, etc: His cattle run out
the whole season around without care or shelter
and are in excellent condition.
Near the mouth Of the lower canon, where the
river comes out from abrupt mountain gorges, a
small stream flows in from the west, and bears
the name, on DOane's map, of "GarIiner's
River" while 1t is known to the trappers a.
.Warm Spring Creek" We assembled it som,
three miles. and came into camp at the base of
MOST WONDERFUL HOT SPRING.
Up here on the rolling, semi wooded slopes O,
high mountain, one sees at first what appears
to be huge bank Of snow, covering a very large
area, with the strange phenomenon of steamI
clouds OF vapor rising from it; approachint
nearer 1T is found to be, in reality little noun
tain made up by the precipitation and deposition
OF SODA and carbonate OF lime, which are held in
solution by the hot water of the springs, which
comes up through basaltic assures from some
great depth, as the water is ALWAYS at the
boiling point. The deposition of the material
held In solution is made in delicate LAYERS over
tapping, and in beaded rows, the who'll,
being In appearance not unlike the coral
reef. The spring In this way is con
stantly shutting itself up and breaking Out
afresh In some other place not far distant By
this closing up and breaking out again of tn,
springs large area OF country is covered with
cannot be less than five hundred acres i'm extent
over WIFI oh, here and there, are
tho ds HtRT ~ Or OF F0nIr BOILING SPRINGS,
h me deptn OF the precipitation in many places
The water itself is beautiful blue, and trans
parent to great depth--at least to depths tba;
see; seem Iatn no. in many places, in flow
ing over Its deposits of soda and lime it shows
tints OF the most exquisite delcacy, such as rose
creamy yellow and faint purple. We gave two
days to the survey of this system of springs ana
the adjacent country; thence proceeded over
roiling woodland prairie-the river roaring in
its steep, deep canon on our left, with denselI
timbered plateau of the Madison on our right
to the
MOUTH OF THE GREAT CANON.
three miles above the head of the Lover. and
camped at the beautiful falls OF Tower Greek
AT the junction of this stream with the Yellow
stone above and below, for q mile or so are q
number of sulphur and sulphuretted hydroger
springs, while high up on the basaltic walls of
the canon opposite the yellow stain of dead
or cold sulphur springs is very marked The
structure of the basaltic columns Just above the
staining is very perfect and beautifully regular
Rows OF pillars from twenty to thirty feet stand
without flaw or crack in regular tiers one above
the other.
THE GREAT CANON
may be said to end at Tower Greek, and rise at
the foot of the Lower Falls, giving ii a length OF
twenty-five or thirty miles. 1t Is a great ba-
saltic fssure, or rather rent, in the earth vary
ing In depth from one to two thousand feet.
along down which the river seems delighted to
fairly whirl, foam and fly, now blue and then
snowy ribbon. The work of erosion has Ietf
towers, points and pinnacles barely standing out
IN
miles below the falls. These perpendicnIar
walls are gaily painted by the waters of tbe
numberless warm and hot springs which flow
seep and ooze out from the assures into a va
r1ety OF tnts and tones da zzl ling white. intense
red, purple, saffron, yellow, etc, and fairly he
wilderng the eye at first sight with their singn-
larity and grandeur.
now turn to
THE WONDERFUL FALLS
though conscious of my inability to picture them
They are broad, evenly deep sheet of clear ice
water, leaping down at one bound from its ledge
four hundred and fifty feet, unbroken by any
rocky point or cascade farming, snowy column.
the waters pausing in the pool where thew alighi
for moment, as II stunned and taking brestb
before they rush headlong away down the dear
windings Of the canon. 'p
The spray and mist rise a hundred feet in
CLOUDS and columns above the pool, and by their
condensation and precipitation have reared mn
quite beautiful grass plot way down there on
the bare rugged wallis Of the canon at the foot of
the falls. Nowhere else below with the ex
ception Of the marginals Of the springs in fev
cases, does anything appear to grow on the bare
hot face Of the rocks.
The river at the brink of the fall Is ahopt On
rect In width and about five feet deem at fms
season or the year. Less than half n mile above
are the Upper Falls, $50 feet high and verv
handsome. From the falls on our wav To tn
lake we passed over an extremely intsrestins
region, interspersed with boiling sulphur spring.
MUDDY BUBBLE POTS
or puns. One Of these mud springs hollis mn n,
intervals Of every five OF six hours. PLAYING ont
me &c mi-nnid contents of its crater to height