The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-01-17
THE LAKE wITHOUT A BOT.
TOM.
" emaerHu Sla .. Of water HTxh
up -AsA0ng agountaaus.--

width. II is but 4U0O feet above the
level Of the sea, while Lake Tahoe is
6s2I6 feet above the sea level. The
lake contains many islands, several of
which, near the middle of the lake,
rise to tie height of some hundreds OF
;eet, and are pyramidai IN form aud
gray in color. One tall spire, seen far
down to the morthward, where the
lake seems shorelees, il perfectly
white. A white leland, probably the
largest in the lake, contains i've or six
square miles OF comparatively level
ground and is covered with vegetation.
Upon this island number ofgsats
were turned Loose some years since,
and they have increased at wonder
full rate, SO that they may be seen feed
ing on every hill. They need no care
summer or winter, and ars about ~
wild as the goats found by Robinson
Crusoe on the island of Juan Fernan-
.dez- The lake is of immense depth;
it is said that near the center GOO faith.
oms of line failed to find bottom. The
waters of the lake are brackish, ex-
cept Immediately about the point
whele the waters of the Truckee river
flow into it.
Owing to the brackishness of its
waters, to Its great depth, or. to both
depth aud brackishness, the lake new
er freezes. .<.t 80. al, -
Although the lake is generally very
rough, owing to its being exposed to
sweeping westerly winds, tho Piute
Indians fearlessly navigate it In all di-
rections and almost at all times on
their tule RATS. These rats are often
nothing more than single bundle Of
tulee, but when the raft is intended to
accommodate more than one person
two or three bundles are lashed to-
gether and drawn into the shApe of Q
clumsy boat. Near shore they gener-
ally pole these crafts about. but they
frequently hoist . sail made ofs blan.
ket and fearlessIy steer away 20 far out
upon the lake that only their sail re-
mains visible. These tule boatsf very
closely resemble the 'csfamarahs used
by the natives Of some. of the Islands
Of the South Pacific. They are 90
buoyant that it is impossible to sink
them. Far out in the lake among
islands they set their long tines,
strung full of hooks. These they vis-
it on their RATS, and sometimes bring
in not less than 400 pounds of trout 1t
one trip. The trout are cold ut 10
cents per pound at the lake, therefore
it will readily be seen that fishing is .
profit ablo business. -z2z2i ifsaE 3zzllz
At the north or lower end OF tho
lake are q dozen or more islands of
rock of peculiar and picturesque form.
These are of solid rock, and are from
300 to 400 feet in height. At dis
lance they look like monster mush-
rooms or exgs standing on stems-such
eggs as might have been produced by
the roc, that bird of ancient times, one
wing of which, according to Ibn.El-
Wardee, was 10000 fathoms long.
1t is impossible to climb these rocks,
as, while their stems form perpendic-
ular walls, is beyond the power of man
to ascend those parts where they be-
gin to swell out into domes. Mr..
Stiles Gays he has sounded the lake 1T
the base of come of these fantastic is
lands. and, with the longest line at his
command. was unable to lind the bot.
tom.
One of the largest of these islands,
the tall white one seen from toward
the head of the lake, is not wholly
perpendicular on all sides. On one Of
its sides there is a steep slope which
it is thought might be scaled in some
way. A story is current at the lake
that John e. Fremont. tho great
'Pathfnder," found path to the top
of this rock. 1t is believed that he
left his field glasses and some other
instruments Of value on the summit
of the rock, and many attempts have
been made to climb it in order to Sc
cure these articles. 'e
The last attempt to scale the pyra-
mid was by sailor, who used long
rope, throwing it tupward till it caught
upon projecting point Of rock, then
drawing himeelf up, aud again throw
ing his rope to q rock above. He
reached height of about $50 feet,
when he was unable to find any more
projections over which to throw his
rope, and came near never reaching
level ground aliye. He was obliged
to descsnd in the same way he effected
the assent, and when he finally got
down he was completely exhausted;
his hands were bleeding, and he was
cut aud scratched from head to foot.
The fishermen have now concluded
that The only way in which the field
glasses and other plunder eau be Sc
cured, is by attaching line to rock,
aud then firing it over the top of the
pyT6mlO lTOul d ufOTlaT.
,, One of the small rocky islan Is If
the lake is alive with rattlesnakes. 1t
is supposed that the first of the stock
were waited to the island on q raft of
tules or driftwood. Doc. Wood, who
has visited the island, Gays there is
millions in it." The reptiles have
on the eggs and yoang of waterfowl,
and upon the dead fish that are cast
ashore upon the island. Mr.. Wood
says that the stories that have ben
told OF the snakes rushing in body.
kissing and rafting, to attack any man
landing on the island. are untrue. lie
found that whenever thew were dis