Year: 1869

and ears were filled. ] could not
beat them off. Wherever they lit
there they remained, sluggish and sill
my. | fain had to rush out of reach
and seek breathing-place some dis
tance from the festive scene.


A WORM DINNER.


1t would appear that the worms, as
soon as they attain the power of loco
motion, creep up from the water, or
are deposited on the beach by the
waves during some of those violent
gales which prevail in this region
The Mono Indians derive from them
a fruitful source of subsistence. By
drying them in the sun and mixing
them with acorns, berries, grass-seeds
and other articles Of food gathered up
in the mountains, they make conglom-
crate called cuchaba, which they use
as a kind of bread. / am told it is
very nutritious and not at all unpala-
table. The worms are also eaten in
their natural condition. 1t is consid-
cred delicacy to fry them in their
own grease. When properly prepar-
ed by skillful cook they resemble
pork "cracklings." was not hungry
enough to require one of these dishes
during my sojourn, but would recon-
mend any friend who may visit the
lake to eat a pound or two and let
me know the result at his earliest con-
venience. In fact, [ don't yearn for
fat worms as an article of diet, though
almost any kind of food is acceptable
when my appetite is good. There
must be hundreds, perhaps thousands
Of tons of these oleaginous insects
cast up on the beach each year. There
is no danger of starvation on the
shores Of Mono. The inhabitants
may be showed in, flooded out, or cut
off by aboriginal hordes, but they can
always rely upon the beach for fat
meat.


NOLIFE.


No other insect or animal that |
could hear of exists in the waters of
the lake. The concurrent testimony
of the settlers is, that nothing contain
ing the vital principle is indigenous to
the water. 1t is possible, however,
that scientific research may develop
various forms of animalcul8. Fish
are not found in any of the streams
that fall into it, even high up in the
Sierra Nevadas. Yet in adjacent
streams that form the sources of sup
ply to Ovens and Walkers rivers
there is a great abundance of fish.


QUALITIES OF THE WATER.


No analysis, | believe, has yet been
made of the water of this lake. 1t is
strong and bitter to the taste, and
probably contains borax and soda
To the touch it feels soft and soapy;
and indeed has much the effect of IL
quid shaving soap. Upon being rub
bed on the skin or any foreign sub
stance it makes an excellent lather.
For washing purposes it is admirable.
| washed my head in it and was as
tonished at the result. To quote the
language of a patent advertisement
it removes the dandruff from the hair,
purifies the skin, causes healthy
glow, takes the grease out of cloth,
and is especially successful as a gene
raj expurgator. The only difficulty
| found about it is that it shrinks up
the flesh when stepped in it for any
great length of time, like a strong de-
coction Of lye, and is hard to get rid
of without a subsequent application
Of fresh water. | think it would ex-
tract all the flesh, blood and muscular
tissue out of. the human body and
form the usual calcareous deposit over
the bones in a very short time. Its
buoyant properties are even more re-
markable than those of the dead sea.
To sink in it requires the strongest
efforts of a strong swimmer. But
one might almost as we'll sink as float
in a case of wreck for in either event
his chance OF lie would be slender.


There are two islands situated a
few miles from the northern shore,
one of which is about two miles in
length by one and half in width;
the other is smaller. Detached rocks
extend around these for some distance
into the water.


The largest island has a singular
volcano in the interior, from which is
sues hot water and steam. Within a
few yards Of the boiling spring, the
water of which is bitter, spring Of
pure fresh water gushes out of the
rocks. This is justly regarded as the
greatest natural wonder of the lake.
-Ad0entures IN the Apache Country,
by J. Ross Broeone.


The New York Musical Gazette
throws out these suggestions to choirs
that wish to sing church music with
expression:


Let choir sing a tune through as
they have been in the habit of doing,
with voices full and unrestrained.
Let them sing it again in precisely
the same way as regards time, pro-
nunciation, expression, ETC., but di-
minishing the power twenty-five per
cent, that is, singing with about three
fourths the usual strength of voice,
and those who listen will find the
effect improved at least one-half In
fact, this proportion does not ade-
quately express the difference, for the
distinction is really between bad and
good. When the power is unrestrain-
| ed, every voice stands out distinct
from each other, causing each individ-
ual effect to be intensified and exag-
gerated. When the voices are sub
dued they are far more likely to blend
and become, as it were, transfused, a
process strongly tending to absorb
individual faults and to create an