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[[underlined]] Mussellshell River [[/underlined]]

[[underlined]] Aug. 20 [[/underlined]] Came 10 miles & crossed the Mussellshell at Lavina & across country beyond about 19 miles & camped by an alkalie pool. The country is barren & much of it grazed over by sheep. Traveled all day in Sonoran Zone.  Populus monolifera & P. angustifolia form a good strip of forest along the river. The river is sluggish & not very large. The valley is alkaline and baked & barren.

Cactus is abundant, Sarcobotus & Atriplex canescens & A. confertifolia, & an annual Atriplex. Orizopsis & Helianthus annuus & other Sonoran plants are common.

Saw lots of Perognathus holes & some good Perodipus holes. Lots of Coyote & wolf tracks along road. Dr. Foster killed a big buck antelope from a bunch of a dozen or so.

Most of the soil is gumbo and some quite typical ridges of badlands occur. Opposite our camp tonight are some excellent specimens of badland buttes, with bare sides, colored strata & sandstone caps. Lots of fossil wood is scattered along the base & some fossil bones.

A hot day & the glair from bare, baked soil of ashy color & radiated heat are very unpleasant & very hard on our eyes.

Had no distance of over 9 miles without water but mostly in alkaline pools & not fit to use. Passed two springs, but even in them the water is very alkaline & has a smoothe feel & a sweetish taste.