e astonishment of all who learned the facts, the metal proved to
be pure silver. This circumstance gave rise to the celebrated "Gunsight
Lead," a phantom that was chased in every direction from Death Valley;
but, like the mirage of the desert, the lead was never found.

In summer the valley is said to be the hottest place on the face of the
earth, and persons deprived of water even for an hour become insane. Men
who have attempted to cross it at mid-day have been known to fall dead,
and birds flying across have been killed by the fierce heat.

Cloud-bursts occur occasionally on the adjoining mountains, when
torrents pour down the declivities, filling the canyons with streams of
water sometimes many feet deep, which sweep everything before them. A
cloud-burst may change the whole face of the mountain. Cloud-bursts come
usually in the hottest weather and almost with the suddenness of an
explosion. A swiftly moving black cloud tipped with fiery streaks and
growing rapidly appears above the crest of the mountains. Then it sinks
like a monster balloon turned sidewise until it strikes a ridge or peak;
the flood is then let loose and destruction follows.

Many stories are told of persons barely escaping with their lives by
hastily climbing up the side of the canyons, beyond the reach of the
roaring waters, and of others being overwhelmed and drowned. Such a
flood, caused by a cloud-burst, may have buried the alleged Gunsight
Lead and have changed the conformation of the canyon beyond recognition.

No one without experience in travelling over deserts in the summer
season can realize the hardships attending travel in the region of Death
Valley nor the sombre sameness of the arid stretches of sand. When the
sun has set and the full moon rising makes the silhouettes of the
mountains look darker, a vague, indescribable sensation comes over
one--an awe-inspiring feeling of insignificance and helplessness amidst
scenes of majestic desolation. If religiously inclined, one is prone to
utter the words of the wandering Arab of the Sahara, "Nothing exists
here but Allah! _Allah hu Akbar!_--God is greater than all his created
witnesses." In summer, the air being almost entirely destitute of
moisture, evaporation is exceedingly rapid, and so hot is the sun at
this season that metal objects lying out-of-doors burn the hand if
touched.

Many years ago valuable borax deposits were discovered in the Death
Valley and thousands of tons of bor