Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1878-01-19
TIE LAKE WITHOUT BOTTOM
A Wonderful Sheet of Water High
up Among MOuntaiDs.-Pyra-
midal Islands Hundreds of Feet
High-.i Rocky Isle Alive with
Rattlesnakes-A Sailors At
tempt TO Scale the Pyramid.

Pyramid lake is nearly forty miles
in length by from fifteen to twenty in
width. 1t is but 1000 feet above
the level of the sea, while Lake Ia
hoe Is 6,2lG feet above the seq level.
The lake contains many islands, sew
eral of which. near the middle of the
lake, rise to the height of some hun
dreds of feet. and are pyramidal in
form and light gray in color. One
tall spire, seen far down to the north
ward, where the lake seems shoreless
is perfectly white. A large island,
probably the largest in the lake, con-
talns five or six square miles of COM
paraiively level ground. and is cover
ed with vegetation. Upnn this island
number of goats were turned loose
some years since, and they have in
creased at wonderful rate, so that
they may now be seen feeding upon
every hill. They need no care, win
ter or summer, and are about as wild
as the goats found by Robinson Cru
soc on the island of Juan Fernandez
The lake is Of immense depth it Is
said that near the centre GOO fathoms
of line failed to find bottom. The
wat,rs Of the lake are brackish, ex-
ccpt Immediately about the point
where the waters of the Truckee
river flow in to it
Owing 20 the brackishness of its
waters, to its great depth, or to both
depth aud brackishness the lake never
freezes
Although the lake is generally
very rough, owing to its being expos
ed TO sweeping westerly winds, the
Piute Indians fearlessly navigate it
in all directions and almost at all
times on their tulc RATS. These RATS
are often nothing more than a single
bundle of tules, but when the raft is
intended To accommodate more than
one person two or three bundles are
lashed together and drawn into the
shape of clumsy boat. Near shore |
they generally pole these craft about,
but they frequently boist sail made
Of a blanket and fearlessly steer away
so far out upon the lake that only
their sail remains visible. These tuIe
boats very closely resemble the cata-
inarans used by the nat:vvs of some
Of the islands of the South Pacific.
They ere so 5uoyant that it is impos-
sble to sink them. Far out in the
lake among islands they set their long
lines, strung full of hooks. These
hey visit on their RATS, and some
times bring iu not less than 300
pounds of trout at one trip. The
rout are sold at ten cents per pound
1t the lake, therefore it will readily
DC seen that fishing is a profitable
business.
At the north or lower end of the
axe are dozen or more islands of
'ock of peculiar and picturesque form.
These are Of solid rock, and are from
300 to 400 feet in height. At dis
ance they look like monster mush.
'Ooms or eggs standing on stems
such eggs as might have been produ-
ed by the roc, that bird of ancient
lines, one wing of which, according
o lbn-El-Wardce, was 10000 faith
,ms long
1t is impossible to climb these rocks.
IS, while their stems form perpendic.
liar walls, it is beyond the power of
nan to ascend those parts where they
'egin to swell out into domes. Mr..
Stiles says he has sounded the lake at
be base Of some of these fantastic is
ands. and. with the longest ltne at
lis command, was unable to find bot.
ON.
One of the largest of these islands
be tall white one scon from toward