Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1877-03-27
A Wonderful Lake.

We have more than once heard OF
the wonderful properties Of the waters
Of Deep Spring Valley Lake, but. until
the present. not with suficisncy OF de-
tail to give the story full crsdence.
Lieutenant wetherspoOn, Company ID,
Twelfth United States Infantry, In COM
mand Of the relief party for Captain
Joe's Indians, passed several days last
week In the valley. and bears witness to
the literal truth OF the remarkable phe-
nomena. These are, that at certain
times the ducks. which visit tho lake In
great numbers. become Sc loaded down
with crystalizations Of borax. salt. or
some other similar substance. that they
are utterly unable to fly, and while in
this condition become an easy prey to
the Indians, who wade into tbs water
and PICK them up with their hands. In
fact, this substance often collects upon
the birds bill in such weight as to actu.
ally drag their heads under water and
drown them. As asserted by MIR.
Beasely and family. who have lived
near the Lake for years, the ducks arc
often loaded with several pounds weight
OF this substance-nOt less than ten
pounds in some instances. During the
iirst stages the crystals are quite evenly
disposed all over the birds feathers
above water, sticking them together n
firmly as II glued. Then II accumulaiss
In lunches or strings. forming drags or
RATS with which the bird can swim but
slowly. II at all and II formed from
the bill or head. soen causes its death
by drowning.
The crystalization always takes place
In the night time and entirely disappears
after o few hours exposure to the NORM
ing sun, or In the fresh water springs
ON the border Of the lake. The condi-
tons necessary to produce the crystals
in this manner are no less remarkable.
II occurs during the Spring months only,
and only on clear nights with q north
wind; never on cloudy nights or with
the wind from any other quarter than
the north. The lake. which Is about a
mile and q quarter In length and per-
uaI's u uiie w "iosu' "a NV o'ei INV"
feet In depth at the deepest. Strong
winds. no matter from what direction,
agitate its waters to the bottom, giving
them u milky or yellowish cast. II this
effect was produced by tho desiccating
north winds exclusively, II might afford
some clue to the u Of the excessive
capitalization ut such time. but II Is not;
other winds stir the gases from the bot.
tom quite AZ much or moro than that.
During the Lisutenant's stay In the
valley the wine night was from b
north, but the sky was overcast. Az
foretold by Captain Joe' no ducks wsro
caught next morning Ihe following
night the win was from The same point.
bat there were no clouds. on such oc-
casiens The Indians spent the entire
night In singing and IN their peculiar
lamentations, in full faith that they truly
insure an abundant harvest OF ducks IN
the early morning. Their iaith was fully
realized on ms occasion. Tor. before tbs
suns rays had toushed the aerid waters.
captain zoe anu ms oanu mao caught
scores o., 'ns nApaess o,ius. mere Is
one pai' =. sne' ~ ~ ~n'on
.ne,e oo,i .u. .a, saen
~. s'.sh ~.,.. .n,;ans ~ ~
IL :, an. IL. MI ..p,,a .,Ua,un
s., n, doin. a,h.r ,a.a.
,l;n,s = a "n~ IN. Gr.,, MsJ;c;n: