The whole subject is one of prime importance to the industries of the Rocky Mountain Region, as it bears directly upon the agricultural capacity and prospects of the country, and through them on all other industries.

GEOLOGICAL WORK BY MR. GILBERT.

Further observations were made this summer by Mr. Gilbert on recent orographic displacements. It appears that the system of faults and flexures the system of upward and downward movements by which the mountain ranges and the valleys of Utah and Nevada were produced have continued down to the present time. Evidence of recent movement has been discovered on the lines of many ancient faults. The ancient shore line of Great Salt Lake which is exhibited so con. spicuously upon the surrounding mountain slopes, and which must have originally been level, is no longer so, but has been shifted up and down by the displacement of the mountains. Its present altitude above Great Salt Lake was determined at four different points by spirit-level; and the determinations were found to range from 966 feet to 1,059 feet. The measurements by level were all made in the immediate vicinity of the lake, but the barometer indicates that at points more remote the discrepancy is several times greater.

These observations are valuable additions to our evidence that mountain making is a work of the present as well as of past ages, and that the grand displacement by faults and folds are caused by slow and intermittent movements.

GEOLOGICAL WORK BY CAPTAIN DUTTON.

A geological party was also organized under the direction of Captain Dutton. His supply camp was in Circle Valley, about midway in the course of the Sevier River. The field of labor was through and around the great plateaus drained by this river and its tributaries. In pursuing his investigations he traveled over a large portion of Southern Utah and into Northern Arizona, giving especial attention to the mode of occurrence and the distribution of the eruptive rocks of that region, attention being also given to the borders of the district for the purpose of determining the relation of the extravasated rocks and the underlying sedimentaries. By reason of peculiar geographic conditions the region is one well adapted to successful study. These conditions exist in its great elevations and aridity, giving to the plateaus abruptly escarped edges and causing its water-courses to run in deeply corraded channels or cañons. In this manner the structural geology is revealed to an extent rarely seen in more humid and less elevated regions.

The especial problems for investigation were the relation of extravasated rocks to the sedimentaries, the succession of eruptive beds, and the methods and results of atmospheric degradation. These problems involve many minor ones of importance, and Captain Dutton has returned with a collection of facts that will materially supplement his former work. It is confidently believed that when he has properly arranged and discussed the same, his report will not only be of value for its description of the local geology of the region, but it will also be an important contribution to the general subject of geology.

In addition to geological work the captain has also made an especial study of irrigation within his district, for the purpose of determining the extent of land that can thus be redeemed for agriculture, and the best methods of utilizing the waters of the Sevier and its tributaries.

To this party Mr. J. K. Hillers was attached as photographer, and he

has returned with many views taken in that region, made for the especial purpose of illustrating Captain Dutton's report. These will serve to graphically illustrate many important points in structural geology and the dynamics of degradation.

GEOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATION.

Much attention has been paid to methods of graphically representing the important features of geological structure. The Rocky Mountain Region has proved to be one of great interest in this branch of our investigations, because of the peculiar features of its physical geography. Long and towering escarpments are found, deep cañons with precipitous walls are numerous, its hills and mountains are often without soil and vegetation, accumulations of subaerial or glacial drift are infrequent, and thus the general rock-structure is well revealed. Several new methods of illustration have been devised, some of which have already appeared in the publications of the Survey.

SURVEY OF THE BLACK HILLS.

In 1875 a reconnaissance survey was made of the Black Hills of Dakota by Mr. Walter P. Jenney, with a corps of assistants, under the direction of the honorable Secretary of the Interior. On the return of the party from the field Mr. Jenney's report relating to the mineral resources of the country was immediately published, but the geographical and geological report was unfinished at that time. This latter work was left in the hands of Mr. Henry A. Newton, his geological assistant, to be completed. On May 28, 1877, at the request of Mr. Newton the completion of the work was placed under my direction by order of the honorable Secretary of the Interior.

I was somewhat familiar with the whole subject from the fact that these gentlemen occupied my office during the time in which they were engaged in the preparation of the report.

On consultation with Mr. Newton it appeared wise for him to visit the field again for the purpose of determining certain doubtful points in the geological structure, and to insert on the maps the position of the several towns and roads that have been established in that region since the discovery of gold, and Mr. Newton was employed as a member of my corps, and instructed to proceed to that country for this purpose. He had been in the field but a short time when he was prostrated by the sickness which resulted in his death. Previous to his departure he completed his report on the geology of that country, and the map had been placed in the hands of an engraver; the whole embodying all the facts discovered up to that time. Thus, happily, his work will not be lost. It is expected that his report will be published during the present winter, in the shape in which it was left by him.

The death of Mr. Newton makes a serious break in the ranks of the younger and more active geologists of America. He possessed rare abilities, had had much experience in field operations, and had received thorough and wise training, and his work in other fields had exhibited his ability. But the great work of his short life will doubtless be his report on the geology of the Black Hills of Dakota. It is with sorrow that in thus mentioning his work I am compelled to record the death of an able collaborateur and generous friend.

ETHNOGRAPHIC WORK.

During the field season, while the geographic and geological work was in progress, the ethnographic work was also continued by various

parties and by myself, but as these labors are yet incomplete no further mention of them will here be made.

My own field season was short, and was devoted to correlating the work and to some studies in geology and ethnography.

During the past six years one branch of our work has been considered of paramount importance, namely, the classification of lands and the subjects connected therewith. The object has been to determine the extent of the irrigable lands, timber lands, pasturage lands, coal lands, and mineral lands. In general the lands that are cultivable only through irrigation' are limited by the supply of water. There are some exceptions to this. Where streams are found in narrow valleys or run in deep cañons, the limit of agricultural land is determined by the extent of the areas to which the water can be conducted with proper engineering skill. In the study of this subject many interesting and important problems have arisen, and many valuable facts have been collected. As an illustration, I may state, although the computations are not yet complete, that the amount of land that can thus be redeemed by the utilization of the streams, but without the construction of reservoirs, within the Territory of Utah, is about 1,250,000 acres.

From the survey of the timber lands one very important fact appears, that the area where standing timber is actually found is very much smaller than the areas where the conditions of physical geography are such that timber should be found as a spontaneous growth-that is, the area of timber is but a small fraction of the timber region. The destruction of the timber in such regions now found naked is due to the great fires that so frequently devastate these lands; and the amount of timber taken for economic purposes bears but an exceedingly small ratio to the amount destroyed by fires. Hence the important problem to be solved is the best method by which these fires can be prevented.

Another subject which has received much attention is the utilization of the pasturage-lands; and still another, the best methods of surveying the mineral lands for the purpose of description and identification, that the owners of mines may be relieved of the great burden of litigation to which they are subjected by reason of the inaccurate and expensive methods now in vogue. It is proposed at an early day to submit a report on this subject to the honorable the Secretary of the Interior, presenting the results of our work in the directions above indicated. Hoping that the labors of the corps under my charge as thus briefly set forth will meet with the approval of the Secretary,

I am, with great respect, your obedient servant,

J. W. POWELL,

In charge U. S. Geog. and Geol. Surv., R. M. R.

The Hon. SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR,

Washington, D. C.

2

REPORT OF THE COMMISSION APPOINTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF ACT OF CONGRESS OF MARCH 3, 1877, REGARDING THE HOT SPRINGS RESERVATION IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES HOT SPRINGS COMMISSION,

Hot Springs, Ark., November, 1877.

SIR: The commissioners appointed under an act of Congress approved March 3, 1877, entitled "An act in relation to the Hot Springs reservation in the State of Arkansas," have the honor to respectfully submit the following report and recommendations in respect to the work committed to their charge.

In April last they received their appointment from the President, and were duly qualified, and on the 28th of the same month they met at Hot Springs, Ark., and organized by the election of Hon. Aaron Ḥ. Cragin chairman of the board, having first given ten days' notice in both daily papers published at Hot Springs. This notice is continued, as required by law, during the session of the commission.

Mr. John W. Anderson was then appointed as stenographer and clerk, and F. A. Clark was chosen to take charge of the surveying and engineering. Both of these gentlemen have proved themselves efficient in their respective departments, and the commissioners desire to make this acknowledgment of their faithful and valuable services.

An examination of the complicated nature of the claims to be adju dicated and the rugged and mountainous character of the country to be laid off into city lots, blocks, and squares, with the necessary avenues, streets, and alleys, soon convinced the commissioners of the magnitude and importance of their labors.

The work to be done had a national importance, inasmuch as the government had determined to retain control of all medicinal waters here for the benefit of the general public, and had directed that all the thermal springs should be reserved from sale, together with a considerable portion of the original reservation, to be placed under the charge of a government officer appointed by the Secretary of the Interior for the purpose.

It was evident that the public benefit to be derived from the interest thus retained by the government and the value of the remainder of the reservation to be sold to private parties would depend largely upon the thoroughness and scientific skill with which the work was done.

With these facts in view the engineer was authorized to employ such assistants and force as he might deem necessary to make a thorough topographical survey of the entire reservation, as well as the exterior and subdivision lines.

This work has been pushed forward nearly to completion, and would have been completed some time ago had the surveyors not been called