Volcano weekly ledger., 1855-12-29
For he Weekly Ledger.
California

raj scenery and mineral wealth, and the
worka Of art have done much to render the
mountain scenery more grand and pictur-
esoue. Wateristurned from the rivers and,
meandering among the mountains, is conduct
ed to the summit Of some craggy hill, where,
low murmuring, il looks down upon its kin
dred waters, dashing and foaming among
the rocks, far, far below; and after serving
the wants of the miner seeks its original
channel, "stl amorous of thescenes it left"
Aoueducts are now leading water from near
" every river and creek in the State, and
these gigantic works have been constructed
with such surprising rapidity that they remind
us more of fairy dreams or Of the sportve
freaks of the gods, than the durable works OF
art. The mountains are now dotted over
with cities and villages, aud the savage tribes
have deserted their hunting ground to the
more permanent improvement of the Anglo
Saxon race.
To-day we may feel proud of our adopted
State, which, compared with the rest of the
world, is like Rome with all her fine works
of art, compared with Carthage, which now
is only famous for its history of the ,,ust
Italy is noted for its ancient monuments
and works of art, fSr its Alpine scenery and
gorgeous Sunsets Russia for the Ural noun
tai..,s that abound with rich mines of platina
and gold Iceland for its volcanic mountain
and geysers, or hot springs Scotland for its
Grampan Hills, Ben Nevis and Loeb L.omond;
Egypt for its catacombs and ohelisks; France,
Portugal and Spain for their mosques, feudal
castles and vineyards South America is no
ted for its rivers and its mines of gold, silver
and platina and that portion of the United
States east of the Rocky Mountains for its
Niagara Falls, Mammoth Cave, Natural
Br.uge and wide-expandcd lakes. Yet the
scenery of California is more pleasing and
varied more grand and picturesque, its sun
sets equal in splendor, and its Developments
more surprising, its formation more mysteri-
Gus and its wealth more durable than all the
world beside r saf
Ye who would see the lively and the wild
mingled in harmony upon Natures face" as
cend the Sierra Nevada mountains, and a land
scape of unequal beauty and grandeur will be
stretched out before you one that will inspire
the heart with the most exalted conceptions
of the wisdom of the Supreme Architect of
the universe. There you behold the noun
tains undulating in the soft azure of summer,
until far away the fertile valley presents itself
to view there the giant trees of the forest
bend their heads to the signing breeze, and
there, too, you behold the mighty rivers dash
ing along their rock-girt beds, and through the
mountain fastnesseS until they diminish into
! miniature cascades, ripping along the margin
6 of the plains where the air becomes redolent
, with sweet exhalatons from the flowers that
cover the ground, and where may be
seen the smoke curling above the wigwam OF
the untutored Indian the hamlet of the in
dustrious yeomanry with their field, grain
and lowing herds and bleating aocks grazing
upon the sunny hills, all the evidence Of thrift
and civilizations
California also has its caves studded
. with pendant stalactites, and adorned with
reefs of coral lime, its lakes and stupendons
waterfalls, and the sunny south with the rare
productions from the vintage, which in a few
years will cause champagne, hook and sau-
terne to vanish like the waters before Tanta-
lus.
Silver Lake and Yosemite Lake will soon
be as world-renownod for poetry and romance
as Loch Lomond.
"'Tis distance lends enchantment to the view"
and ere long the people on the other side OF
the ocean will visit California with as much
eagerncss to drink in the inspiration of our
mountain scenery, as ever the people of Amer,
lea have visited Europe to gaze upon her
Steudal remains, ruined castles and wonderful
works of nature
Ete. o-Semite falls is the highest water
fall in the world. 1t is situated on the north
: fork of~the Merced river and falls a perpen.
f. dicular height of 1890 feet, coming into q
! ysEley Of the same name, which is ten miles
in length and one half mile wide, which being
surrounded by high palisades and turreted
rocks is rendered inaccessible save at one