ARCHAEOLOGICAL WORK. Archaeological work was continued in the park this season over a period of three months under the direction of Dr. J. Walter Fewkes, Chief of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution. His work included the excavation and repair of Pipe Shrine House, Far View Tower and kivas, Unit House, partial excavation of Megalithic House, work in burial mounds, and the protection of the walls of Far View House. Doctor Fewkes, during his stay in the park, also gave evening camp-fire talks at the Circle in Spruce Tree Camp, which were attended nightly by nearly every visitor in the park. TRAVEL RECORDS BROKEN. Despite the fact that the park was opened 15 days later than usual. and that the rail strike seriously curtailed rail travel, all previous travel records have been broken this year. Extension of the public camp ground was made necessary, there being as many as 34 cars in the camp ground in a single night. Many minor improvements were made in the Spruce Tree Camp and guests were better cared for than ever before. Further improvements and increased accommodations are necessary and these are being planned by the operator. ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY NECESSARY. An adequate water-supply system is the park's greatest need. Rain and surface water collected and retained in the reservoir seeps through 75 feet of sandstone to the so-called spring stratum at the head of Spruce Tree Canyon, when it is again collected. An additional cistern in the canyon head was dug out and enlarged and new water lines and storage tank five times the size of the old one were installed. Water from the cistern is pumped to the tank above the camp and distributed by gravity. Increased storage space for surface run-off above the present reservoir and at least one additional storage tank above the camp will be necessary to meet the increased needs next year. Further studies for increased water supply must be continued; for travel to the park will be limited to the number of visitors who can be supplied with water at any given time. ROADS AND TRAILS. Probably the greatest improvement in the park highways since first constructed is the reconstruction this year of the old abandoned Knife Edge entrance road. It will eliminate 5 miles of uninteresting road at present traveled and does away with 2,000 feet of adverse grade. A further section to be reconstructed this year will shorten the so-called new road to the crest of the mesa by 2 miles and will eliminate many dangerous switchbacks and extreme grades. A serious problem was encountered in this work, due to the fact that all water used in the road-crew camps and for the steam shovel had to be hauled in by truck from Mancos, a distance of 10 miles. Two shortcut roads a little over a mile in extent have been constructed, eliminating 4 miles of backtracking in visiting the ruins. All the other roads to the ruins have been practically rebuilt, dangerous curves rectified, culverts installed, and widened and graded for two-way traffic. Never before have the park roads been in such excellent shape. Three new trails were built, giving new and better access to several of the most visited ruins. All old trails were thoroughly repaired and put in better condition than ever before. MOUNT MCKINLEY NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA. The Mount McKinley National Park was created primarily for protection of its vast herds of caribou, mountain sheep, and other game. To afford further protection to important breeding grounds of the mountain sheep and caribou the park was, on January 30, 1922, extended by act of Congress eastward to the one hundred and fortyninth meridian, thereby adding about 445 square miles, making the entire park area 2,645 square miles, the second largest national park. Under the law creating the park mining is permitted, and prospectors and miners in the park may take and kill therein so much game or birds as may be needed for their actual needs when short of food, but in no case are animals or birds permitted to be killed for sale or removal therefrom or wantonly. COOPERATION OF ALASKAN PEOPLE GRATIFYING. Administration of the park area was assumed last year with the appointment of Supt. Henry P. Karstens under a small appropriation amounting to $8,000 granted by Congress. A similar amount was granted by Congress for this year. With these small funds little more than the very important patrolling work for game protection could be undertaken. The superintendent has endeavored to secure the cooperation of the Alaskan people in the protecting of the wild life within the park boundaries by presenting the need for such protection in an open and frank manner, and they have responded splendidly. Very little poaching now goes on within the park and market hunting along the park boundaries has been reduced to a minimum. Prior to definite patrol by the superintendent and his ranger assistant, warning signs against poaching were posted in stations along the Alaska Railroad and also at strategic places along the park boundary, and these have had good effect. The surveyors of the General Land Office have cooperated in placing the latter signs. Altogether the cooperation afforded by the Alaskan people has been most gratifying. OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS ESTABLished at McKINLEY PARK STATION. The General Land Office of the Interior Department has had a survey party in the field now two seasons, marking the northern and eastern boundaries of the park. The main park entrance is on the eastern boundary, closely approached by the Alaska Railroad. The railroad station at this point has been named McKinley Park Station. Here the superintendent's official headquarters have been established and a base camp constructed. At this point a strip of land 1 mile wide, extending from the railroad into the park, has been set aside by Executive order for entrance and administrative purposes. A road from this point through the upper passes of the park to the base of Mount McKinley, a distance of about 85 miles, is the park's most urgent road need. GIFT FOR PARK TRAILS. The Alaska Road Commission, in cooperation with this service, is marking out a good trail 86 miles in length, extending from McKinley Park Station across the park to the foot of Muldrow Glacier by way of Sable, Polychrome, and Thorofare Passes, then down the McKinley River and passing out of the park to Wonder Lake and on to Kantishna post office. The trail has been brushed out and confusing points have been tripoded. Small tents with stoves have been erected at 10-mile intervals for shelter, and mileposts will be erected and signboards placed at important points. No money has been available for trail work, but through the generous gift of Mr. W. F. Chandler, of Fresno, Calif., who this summer was the first visitor to make a purely park trip, $1,000 is now available for use by the superintendent in blazing and constructing trails as in his discretion are necessary. The Alaska Road Commission has prepared a project for consideration of the service, which contemplates the improvement of the main trail through the park, as well as the development of successive sections of it to automobile standard as travel conditions may warrant. Another project in which the Road Commission is interested is for a summer and winter road from Lignite on the Government railroad to the Kantishna mining district, which would eventually form a loop route 170 miles long from McKinley Park Station through the park to Kantishna and return to the railroad at Lignite. SOME ACCOMMODATIONS to be installed. It Many inquiries received at this office indicate that Mount McKinley Park has a great fascination for prospective visitors to Alaska. was necessary to advise all inquirers that no tourist facilities are as yet availabe in the park. A large Brooklyn newspaper desired to send a tour to Alaska this year with the park as the main objective, but was discouraged in doing so because of utter lack of facilities. A number of applications have been received from persons desiring to install hotels and camps and transportation service in the park, and these are now being investigated with a view to having installed by next year some accommodations for visitors. LAFAYETTE NATIONAL PARK, ME. Increasing appreciation of the gift to the Nation of the lands on Mount Desert Island, Me., comprising the Lafayette National Park, has come in the minds and hearts of its thousands of visitors, who this year number the greatest yet recorded. Its educational advantages and its recreational opportunities have been equally appreciated. Many men of science have visited it this year and each in his own field has found great interest in it. PROBLEMS IN CAMPING. The most important new development in the park is that of motor camping, for the first time on a large scale. The park, our only national park east of the Mississippi River, lies within easy touring range of all the Eastern States with their great city populations, and its striking scenery, its bracing air, and wonderful outlook on the ocean is sure to attract in the future thousands of persons who will make it the objective of a motor tour. The park is not yet ready to take care of incoming throngs of motor campers, and definite camping grounds, involving considerable initial cost to install sanitation and water supply, should be provided. Large appropriations must be given if these essential features are to be made available. A further detail of unusual interest has been the establishment of group camps. This year the Appalachian Mountain Club, with two successive camps of some 60 members each, made a notable success of its first venture. In fact, so successful was it that the club, contrary to its custom of seeking annually new places for camping locations, looks forward to making a camp in the park a regular event of its annual program. The individual cost to the members for their two weeks of wholesome, happy life was comparatively small. This group or community camping is certain to grow to large proportions in the park because of its accessibility by sea as well as land to our crowded eastern cities. HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, TERRITORY OF HAWAII. Under an initial appropriation of $10,000 granted by Congress last year, the National Park Service assumed active jurisdiction of the Hawaii National Park with the appointment of Thomas Boles as superintendent. Mr. Boles arrived in the islands about April 1 and took charge without delay. LAND EXCHANGES AND AREA added. Under the act of Congress approved February 27, 1920, the governor of Hawaii acquired the more important private holdings in the Kilauea section of the Hawaii National Park and all of the private holdings in the Mauna Loa section of the park. These holdings, together with the Territorial land in the Kilauea section, were conveyed to the United States by three deeds which were accepted by the department on September 27, 1922. The area of land acquired by these conveyances comprises 28,745 acres in the Kilauea section and 17,920 acres in the Mauna Loa section. In the Kilauea section certain portions of the land acquired from the Bishop estate are encumbered by leases running for periods varying from 5 to 20 years from the date of execution, the proceeds of which were reserved to the estate. In the Territorial land conveyed certain portions are encumbered by leases, the proceeds of which the solicitor of the department has held should come to the United States. The organic act creating the park provided for a third tract of land on the Island of Hawaii sufficient in width for a road to connect the Kilauea section and the Mauna Loa section. A location survey for this road has not been made, and until this is done no steps can be taken to secure the right of way. The Haleakala section on the Island of Maui contains approximately 21,150 acres, one-third of which is Territorial land and the balance is held in private ownership. Acquisition of this land is the next important step in the development of the Hawaii Park. The Kau Desert lands were added to the park by the act of Congress approved May 1, 1922. This area of 43,400 acres, contiguous to the Kilauea section, contains the Kau flow of 1919, great earthquake cracks, a section of the seacoast where great lava flows have poured into the ocean, numerous craters and cones and desert flora, all of which will be of attractive interest to visitors and rounds out a complete exposition of the volcanic phenomena. 1 See p. 159. subsidence of the lake of fire. On May 1, 1921. the lake of living lava in Halemaumau began rising slowly until by May 13 it was but 40 feet below the rim of the crater. On this date earthquakes began opening up subterranean vents, causing the lava to drain away from the pit with resulting subsidence at times at the rate of 1 foot per hour. This sinking continued until the Lake of Fire entirely disappeared and by the 1st of June Halemaumau, instead of being a lake of molten lava 40 feet down and 1,200 feet across, was but a rumbling, smoking chasm 1,000 feet deep and nearly 2,000 feet across. During the sinking the walls of the pit, lacking the support of the living lava, began to collapse into the pit. The resultant rumbling splash with numerous streams of lava spurting out like blood, then slowly rising clouds of red dust, will remain forever indelibly impressed upon the memory of the fortunate be holder. During the subsidence the old craters of Makapuhi and Napau became active, liquid lava flowing into their long dried vegetationcovered pits. The flows into these old craters did not continue for long and they are again inactive. About the middle of July manifestations began which presage a return to Halemaumau of the Lake of Fire, the lava beginning to again cascade from openings in the pit walls forming a new pool in the bottom of the crater, which has risen until now the lava is between 400 and 500 feet in depth. It is expected before long the lake will again have assumed its normal condition. INCREASED ACCOMMODATIONS. The Kilauea Volcano Hotel Co. has made considerable improvement in accommodations at the Volcano House, including a 38-room addition which now gives the hotel 101 rooms, 10 of which have private baths. Under the skilled direction of a landscape engineer the grounds in front of the hotel have been greatly improved and beautified and an excellent golf course has been constructed just outside the park limits. A new tank for storage of rain water with a capacity of 400,000 gallons has also been constructed, making the total storage capacity at the Volcano Hotel 700,000 gallons. The water supply is dependent upon storage of rain waters during the rainy season. The Hawaiian Volcano Research Association has also erected a new building for museum and storage use. GENERAL GRANT NATIONAL PARK, CALIF. The popularity of this little park containing only 4 square miles has resulted in greatly increased travel which has brought with it serious problems of water supply and sanitation. Owing to lack of appropriations it has been impossible to open up camp grounds throughout the park so that campers could be spread out instead of being jammed together near headquarters where at least some measure of sanitation and water is found. This overcrowding results in destruction of vegetation, trampling of meadows and flowers, and injury to the wonderful Big Trees which the park was created to preserve. While everything possible has been done by warning signs and restriction of automobile travel around the sequoias, the trees are becoming affected. The bark of the General Grant, origi |