The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-02-06
THE LAKE WITHOUT BOTTOM.
A Wonderful Sheet of Water High Ul
Among Mountains.

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A Wonderful Sheet of Water High Up
Among Mountains.
The Nevada Enterprise says: Pyramid
lake is nearly forty miles in length by
from fifteen to twenty in width. It is
but 4, 900 feet above the level of the sea,
while Lake Tahoe is 6 216 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 pyra-
midal in form and light gray in color.
One tall spire, seen far down to the
northward where the lake seems shore
less, is perfectly white. A large island,
probably the largest in the lake, con-
tains five or six square miles Of compare
lively 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 won
derful rate, so that they may now be
seen feeding upon every bill. They
need no care, winter or summer, and
are about as wild as the goats found by
Robinson Crusoe on the island of Juan
Fernandez. The lake is of immense
depth it is said that near the center
600 fathoms of line failed to find bottom.
The waters of the lake are brackish,
except immediately about the point
where the waters Of the Truckee river
flow into it.
Owing to the brackishness of it's
waters, to it's great depth, or to both
depth and brackishness, the lake never
freezes.
Although the lake is generally very
rough, owing to- its being exposed to
sweeping westerly winds, the Piute In
dians fearlessly navigate it in all direc-
tions and almost at all times on their
tule RATS. These RATS are often nothing
more than 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 a clumsy boat. Near
shore they generally pole these crafts
about, but they frequently boist sail
made of a blanket and fearlessly steer
away 80 far out upon the lake that only
their sail remains visible. These tule
boats very closely resemble the cata-
marans used by the natives Of some of
the islands of the South Pacific. They
are 80 buoyant that it is impossible to
sink them. Far out in the lake among
islands they set their long lines, strung
full of hooks. These they visit on their
RATS, and sometimes bring in not less
than 300 pounds of trout at one trip.
The trout are sold at ten cents per
pound at the lake, therefore it will read
lily be seen that fishing is d profitable
business.
At the north or lower end of the lake
are 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 a distance they
look like monster mushrooms or eggs
standing on stems-such eggs as might
have been produced by the roe, that
bird of ancient times, one wing of
which, according to Ibn-El- -Wardee, was
10000 fathoms long.
It is impossible to climb these rocks,
as, while their stems form perpendicular
walls, it is beyond the power of man to
ascend those parts where they begin to
swell out into domes. Mr.. Stiles says
he has sounded the lake at the base OF
some of these fantastic islands, and, with
the longest line at his command, was
unable to find bottom.
One of the largest of these islands,
the tall white one seen from toward the
head of the lake, is not wholly perpen-
dicular on all sides. On one of it's sides
there is steep slope which tits thought
might be scaled in some way. A story
is current at the lake that John @.
Fremont, the great Pathfinder" found
a 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 tn climb it in order to
secure these articles.
The last attempt to scale the pyramid
was by sailor, who used a long rope,
throwing it upward till it caught upon
projecting point of rock, then drawing
himself up and again throwing his rope
to the rock above. He reached height
of about $50 feet, when he was unable
to find any more projections over which
to throw his ropr, and came near never
reaching level ground alive. He was
obliged to descend in the same way as he
effected the ascent, and when he finally
got down he was completely exhausted;
his hands were bleeding and he was cut
and scratched from head to foot. The
fishermen have now concluded that the
only way in which the field glasses and
other plunder can be secured is by
attaching line to rock and then firing
it over the top Of the pyramid from a
mortar.
One of the small rocky islands Of the
lake is alive with rattlesnakes. 1t is
supposed that the first OF the stock were
waited to the island on raft of tules or
dr1ftwood. Doc. Wood, who has visited
the island, says there is "millions In
it." The reptiles have their homes
among the rocks and live on the eggs
and young of waterfowl, and upon the
dead fish that are cast ashore upon the
island. Mr.. Wood says that the stories
that have been told of the snakes rush
ing in a body, Kissing and rattling, to
attack any man landing on the island,
are untrue. He found that whenever
they were disturbed they ran away and
concealed themselves in the crevices OF
the rocks. just as would have been done
by any other snakes.
A Long Walk to Get Married.
The Free Grant IN. W Gazette says
a domestic event has transpired there OF
much interest to our secluded COM