AND PACIFIC COAST GUIDE.

 

M. Talcott, located the
vein andnamed it Poney.
As soon as it beca.ne
known, prospeccors
flocked in, and the coun-
was pretty thorough-
i. prospected during
1862 and 1863. Many
veins were located, some
of them proving very
valuable. Mills were
erected at different
points, and from that
time forward the dis-
trict has been in a pros-
perous condition.

Austin contains a pop-
ulation of about 2,000,
nearly all of whom
are engaged in mining
operations. The town
has some _ extensive
stores and does a very
large business in the
way of furnishing sup-
plies for the mining
camps surrounding it,
for from50 to 100 miles.
The Reese River Reveille
is a live daily pub-
lished here. To the south of Battle
Mountain Station, about 20 miles, are
several hot springs, strongly impreg-
nated with sulphur and other minerals,
but they attract no particular attention,
being too common to excite curiosity.

Leaving the station we skirt the base of
the mountains to the left, leaving the river
far to our right over against the base of
Battle Mountain. We are now in the wid-
est part of the valley, about opposite the
Big Bend of the Humboldt.

After passing the Palisades the river in-
clines to the south for about30 miles, when
it sweeps away to the north, along the base
of Battle Mountain, for 80 miles further;
then turning nearly due south, it follows
that direction until it discharges its waters
in Humboldt Lake, about 50 miles by the
river course from the great elbow, forming
a vast semi-circle, washed by its waters for
three-fourths of the circumference. This
vast area of land, or most of it, comprising
many thousand acres of level upland, bor-
dered by green meadows, is susceptible of
cultivation when irrigated. The sage-
brush grows luxuriantly, and where the
alkali beds do not appear, the soil produces
a good crop of bunch-grass. The road

163

 

TRUCKEE RIVER,

takes the short side of the semi-circle
keeping close to the foot of the isolated

Humboldt Spur. On the opposite side of |
the river, behind the Battle Mountain |
Range, are several valleys, watered by the
mountain streams, and affording a large
area of first-class farmin rea] Chief
among these is QuinN’s VALLEY, watered
by the river of that name. The arable
portion of the valley is about 75 miles long,
ranging in width from three to seven miles.
It is a fine body of valley land, capable of
producing luxuriant crops of grain, grass
or vegetables. The hills which enclose it
afford excellent pasturage. Timber of va-
rious qualities—spruce and pine predomi-
nating—is found in the gulches and ravines
of the mountains. |

Qutnn’s River, which flows through this

valley, is a large stream rising in the St.
Rosa Hills of the Owyhee range, about 150
miles distant. From its source the general
course of the river is due south for about
80 miles, when it turns and runs due west
until it reaches Mud Lake. During the
summer but little, if any, of its waters
reach that place, being absorbed by the
barren plain which lies between the foot-
hills and the Humboldt River. Near the