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In Camp near Austin Nevada, Aug 6th, 1878 Dear Mr Bidwell What magnificent floods of sunshine we have here; open, shadeless,
unmitiagated sunglow Boo? how hot it is riding all day on the gray plains. We set out from Sacrament on horseback though but
fairly begun have already ridden 700 miles across plains mountains Mary O.? We spent the 4th of July at glorious Tahoe sailed
once more around the lake enjoying the ravishing beauty of the water. Thence we pushed eastward to the Wassuck mountains near
Walker Lake Thence North to old Fort Churchill on the Carson was delighted to find the ancient outlet of the Walker River
basin. It flowed from the North end of Mason Valley into the Carson opposite the old fort. It appears therefore that the great
Carson Humboldt Sink also received the waters of Walker River towards the close of the Glacier Period. From the fort we pushed
off in a North Easterly direction across the Sink ascended the gray ashy looking range that bounds it on the East. How the
sun shone, how the burning air wavered ripped strange that even the very sunlight may become dreary The gray alkaline levels
have a weird mysterious influence. Yet there is no real cause to make one lose his senses. The delicate pink Abronia is in
full bloom, one sunflower a leguminous bush with purple flowers, even the Sage is beautiful if one only takes the times to
look at it deliberately.