The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-10-01
ADDITIONAL FROM CALIFORNIA.
Assent of monn,ains on ths Pacific.

FIRST ASCENT OF SHASTA BuTiE-lhIsE-sSftsa
NAsHArIvE II.
On the 18th lost. 3 party OF eight made the hrst
attempt to reach tie summit OF the celebrated
Shasta Butte, or n UNI Shas'a the highest peak IA
California. and al oot five times as high Is Mount
Dsblo. Mr.. f. D. Pc &c, one OF the party, fur
nh es the Yresa HJaid 9TH tie following interest.
ing narrative OF b. trip
we camped as ,be base of the mountain. on the
south side. On The morning OF the lith We .urne /
Ourselves loose for the trip The frat three miles
we found 10 b. OF ascent it took us two hours
sn5 half TO accomplish the next mule; then came
TIE tug Of war. We were Obliged ia many
PAGES to climb from Gag 30 cTag - BEST re
could The Least nisstsc, or the deiachng OF the
smallest piece OF rock, upon which we we're
obliged 10 cling for life, would have gently lowered
The adyenturer fir N three to i've hundred feet
perpsS dicularly upon tue rocks beioa. Believe
me when ! say thar each one OF the party
when scaling the clzzy heights, taraed deadly
pale, AID assure y31 taat most oil the pale faces
were Of long dual ~. From this onwar1s ~ we're
Obliged TO exert ourselves TO tie utmost In the WAY
OF jumping humping, x :, Go keep from fleeEinS,
TOR the w1ld was piercing cold The next oos'ace
10 oar way Was the frozen snow, one iouria oil a
mte, which We were obliged to pass over oeiag I'd
smooth US glass, most perpendicular. Here
we were obliged t. spell each other, and cut notches
or s,els with our knives THUS we climbed on tas
hrs. beach, some four mesup. The next SIX NIL es
we found to he seIy stse2 and difficult to ascead;
so much so. that We were Obliged most Of the Wsy
to proceed on allfours. In many instances our up
ward course WAS rendered both difficult aud danger
eyer loose, detacDs rock, which WAS liable at any
mou mt 10 start Of Ia the shape Of an avalanche.
with our little parry as outside passengers "a
i0afnty from viii there would have been n
rsiu "a. the secotd tench or peak. sorne seven
niles mp, We found 20 * composed Of o very har
RED cement or lava, which has every appearance Of
hagug been for ed ~ by subterraaeaa fires. Ia
this vicinity discovered three beautiful lakes
one in an old on the westerly peak. one
amdshiDs, and one on side of the easterly peak.
Tie third b.ncn or peak we found to be com
pesed OF a coal blsck cement or lava, OF A sandy
na,me. internixed with quartz and 6uru. glass
ard here, 10 an6 bel 10, we came in sight Of the
topmcst peak, which ~e found to be the most DIM.
cult by far master, from TIE fact that il is the
steepest by far, aud in going ahead three feet We
slipped back four; and in order to make the rifle
Gas the boy said about going to school on ce), we
were obliged TO turn round and 60 backward, aud
here it was that We found the atmosphere ge.tiog
too light for comfort, shch WAS fully demonstrated
ia different ways, such a. splitting blood headache
and being Obliged TO rest every few feet &c. In
iact some OF the party made motions to go no fur
ther. But our motto was :" neck or nothGg." By
the way, one Of the psrtY, ~ Davis, lost his breath
once. lie made three efforts TO regain it, and he 3.
lowed that II be had not succeeded the fourth time
he would nothave tried it any more. After many
desperate struggle we all reached the heights OF
btouIt Shasta at half past ii A. ~ watch we found
to he In the sh 4pe of mammoth stack OF chinaeys,
with barely room for our party to stand uooI. Here
pause for the want OF language to describe the
beauties Of the surrounding scenery. Not tae pea
OF ready writer can ever give yoa the most
distant idea of the grandeur ard sublimity
OF the face Of nature. as far as the eye
could reach. Imagine for yourself mountains
rising back Of mountains, large and small, in
the most beautiful disorder and confusion. inter.
spersed With beautiful iuxuriant valleys, MI well
wateted with fine mountain streams with here aud
there crystal lake or pond, and all this seemingly
encirrled by tie Coast Range, like unto 4 mammoth
coral. All ibis and much more could be scanned Mt
glance Who could look down from the towering
HEIGHTS OF Mount Shasta up0n the noble and won.
n
being strongly impressed vita reverence aud ave.
After few necessary oreliminaries, precisely at
4. o'clock we unfntlsd the Stars and Stripes, AM
raised the standard to is long resting place amid
the dsaieuing cheers Of she little multitude. Cheer
after cheer followed IN quick succession, the flag
OF liberty Heated proudly upon the breeze until we
were too hoarse 10 give u,terar ce to feelings
Thus our task was accomplished, ard after partsk-
ing Of little refreshmenr and taking ioag, lin.
gerng and silent look u the surrounding sceoery,
with one award We common led the descent. Not
hundred yards vest OF tne summit we found clus.
ter OF boiling hot sulpnur springs about dozen in
number, emitting any amount of steam, smoke,
gas, &c. The ground for some 6ftY yards around,
we found to be considerably settled aud com.
pietely covered with SULPHUR, and the rocks are
hot erouea to cook An egg in five minutes. The
earth has the appearance oil being mere shell,
acd mighty thin al thst. BY the way lhis made
as thiak Of the lower country we read OF.
Affer accommodating here Tor some time, we conclu
ed that it was best for to leave for fear of acc
dsats. After descending some two miles, We came
to favre Of snc AND being somewhat fatigue aud
in hurry to get csar OF the smell Of birthstone We set
sail il the following manner:-The grade being on
angle Of some rs degrees and thetop Of tie snow
soft, sat ourselves down, feet foremost to regu
late our speed and our walking sticks for rudders.
At the word, Of we sped inside Of 2:40 aud the like
| never tAw before In the shape Of coasting. Some
unshipped their rudders before reaching the quarter
(these was no such thing as stopping some breach
wbiie Others too eager to be first down, got
mp TOO much steam, and went end over end;
while Others found themselves Rthwart ship, aud
making lsO revolutio ms per minute. In shor: il
was spirited race, a. far "a can zee, and that
not Ear, for in q THE we found Ourselves in snug
little PIE at the foot Of the snow gaspng for BREATH
After examining little We found that some were
their sbns bruised and other little ct ceteras too
numerous TO mention. No one knew what time we
made the four miles in: however 1t was concluded
By al that we were not over FIVE minutes and half
on the enow. Thus ended the incidents OF the day,
and we arrived in the camp at o'clock p. NJ.
FIRST ASCENT OF Morsr goOD-INrEgssriNG MAR
eATIvz-EFEcrs or HIGH ELEVATION rPoS
The HUMAN sYsrBx.
We give to day an interesting account Of the frat
asceot Of Mount Hood, = snow capped peak in One
gon, estimsted to be 1851 feet high. even more
lofty than Mount Shasta, and heretofore unexpored
who started on the 4th Of August, with party Of
gent,e ren under the guidance o. Captain BARROW,
an OLD mouItaineer, TO ascend the pesk.
They camped the first night at Fosters, about 20
miles IRON Portland. For some 30 miles from Eos
ters the ascent over the trail or immigrant road
il il called, is gradual, except an occasional hill
which to an inexperienced traveller In the noun
tains would seem TO be an insurmonutable barrier
TO further progress. After some eight hours ridug
over a rough, unsettled country, in hot sun. the
most Of the way destitute 81 wa.er, the party attain,
ed Whist appeared TO be tee summit of the FIRST bench
Of Mount Hood A few rodsbeloy they found ilae
gureling spring Of the purest water.
The narrator contiDues:--Aftsr two hours rest,
and paytakag of refreshments the order was giyea
10 7" saddle up:r VIC were soon under way acair.
The route from this point soon brought Us into "a
delp valley. through which considerable river
called the Sandy, runs directly from the sao Y
capped mountain. The party pushed on at ss rapid
pa.e "a the road would admit. Til ough this
whole valley the r9te was over g low bottom, full
uf large bouiders and sand, over which our horses
vesp obi;0ed To make thcjr way a. beat they couid