<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2873" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV>Here's a tidbit I just found within crude notes that were written by William P. Blake, who served as geologist and mineralogist with the 1853 survey of the Colorado Desert area of southern California. Though cursory, this amounted to the initial railroad survey through that area, including what is now the Salton Sea.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The following is believed to refer to the hot spring/mud pot area near Niland, CA:</DIV> <DIV>----------------</DIV> <DIV>Dec. 9 [1853]</DIV> <DIV>[snip]</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Volcano--</DIV> <DIV>Pond several acres 118 degrees</DIV> <DIV>Pond small 135 degrees</DIV> <DIV>small eruption gas & steam 170 degrees</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>From the pont [sic, pond?] the steam & mud is thrown up -- every 10 min. -- mud black & contrasted finely with the white of steam -- thrown up 30 or 40 ft.</DIV> <DIV>----------------</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Respectfully entered into the record by</DIV> <DIV>Scott Bryan</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>