The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-01-31
WITHOUT A BOTTOM.


Pyramid lake is ne,rIv Cortv miles in
lanctb hv some fifteen ar fwentv in width
1t IL but 4 600 feet above the level of the |
sea, while Lake Tahoe is G,2l6 feet above |
the sea level. The lake contains many
islands, several of which, near the mid
die OF the lake, rise to the height OF some
hundreds of feet. and are pyramidal in
form and light gray in color. One tall
spire, seen far down TO the northward,
where the lake seems shorcIess, is per>
fectly white. A white island, probably
the largest in the lake, contains five or
six square miles of comparatively level
ground and is covered with vegetation.
Upon this island number of goats were
turned loose some years since, and they
have increased at a wonderful rate, so
that they NAV now be seen feeding over
every hill. They need no care summer
or winter, and are about as wild as the
goats found by Robinson Crusoe ION the
island of Juan Fernandez The lake is
of immense depth it is said that near
the center 500 fathoms of Iiue failed to
find bottom. The waters of the lake are
brackish, except immediately about the
point where the waters of the Turckee
river flow into it.
owirn nto tbo brooLi,hreso w,tor.
70 r.. ore arest dantb ~ to hotb Jenth and
hrocL ;.hnoss Tho Jaka navor freeIas
Althouch the lake is renerollv very
rounh owing to its b.in~ exuoSed ia
sweeping westerly Winds the Piute In.
dians fearlessly navigate it in all drec-
tons, aud almost ut all tunes on their
tule RATS. These RATS are often nothing
more than a single bundle of tuIes, but
when the raft is intended to accommo.
date 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 hoist a sail
made o: blanket and tearIesly steer
away so tar out upon the lake ihat only
their sail remains visible. These tule
boats very closely resemble the catama-
rands used by the natives 0i some OF the
Islands OF the south iacllIc' lhey are
so buoyant that IL Is Impossible 10 SINK
them far out IN the laKe among .the
ISLANDS they set ihe'r iohS mes strung
lus. Vi @ i,oJNa a,;,o no 'Iui o'iU Vi a, 'o io,.
,' ,a,.o' "nr I'J"aI a,'aJSo S - ,ro',t ~
Ila .i,ie' rho T"v t."t dr"nI5 % " e,oU "antS aS
oi'o n,pind ",pI ~ ,Io IoLo tborofnra II viii
pei T'na NV ."er q" T tb.t % Gshn', 10 nrom,,his
hm,;ns., ie"any ~ "o'" '''' ''''7 '''' '''''0
ouo''ss'' -,
Al the horIh OF lower ehd oi lle lake
are dozen or more 's'ahaS "' rock OIL
peculiar ana picturesque iorni' lhese
are OF Solid r0cK' ana are rom 'nfee nun,
dred TO 'our hunureu ieeI IN he'sht. ~
distance they look IKE monster musi,'
rooms OF EYES slanulhs vi stenis sur
eggS as nli nav n;a oaom Uu'.u oy ;'
~, ,,I;t, IG"L '" nooord;mo ,n Ihnl III, w ,W,rIop
u. ,, ",i,I1,, n n1o 1otu soi,,oma Iour nv ''''
was i''Voo '''.o"'' i'"5'
1t IS Impossible TO climo these rocks
az, while their stems form perpendicular
walls, 1T is beyond the power OF man u
ascend those parts where they begin U
+ swell out into domes. Mr.. Stiles says n
, has sounded the lake at the base OF som
of these fantastic islands, and, with tn
/, longest line at his command, was unabl
!, to find the bottom.
One of the Iargcst of these islands, tn
tall white one seen from toward the hea