Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-10-08

more closely, we shall see that 1t conceal:
numberless cisterns ofwater formed intht
hollows ofthe roclzs from which moisture
is abundantly supplied for the nourishmen1
both of the MOSES and of the trees which
they sustain. These belts of dwarf frs ar,
a remarkable feature ofthe Sierra Nevada
they are only few feet IN height, and seem
as if formed in regimental line, their
branches declining and so rigid that it is
nearly impossible to penetrate their ranks
flor, while the depending limbs readily per
init one to slide doRnsbetween the trunks
to extricate oneself is not so easy, as the
tattered clothing of the traveller frequently
Itcstifies. = s... -.
Above this point are TO be LIQUID only
stunted bushes, intermingled with slender
trunks, blasted and bleached-the skele-
tons of race long since persisted, AMI here
we frequently reach Terrace enough de-
pressed TO hold here and there little lakes
on whose margin grow various rare plants,
mostly unknown in the regions below
We arrive at last, perhaps, at some pyra-
mid of broken rocks piled one upon anoih.
er, and this forms the peak which first
strikes the eye from distance, when, in
looking towards the Sierra Nevada, one
describes series Of bread, rounded bases,
for the most part surnounted by cones
more or less sharpenet As We scramble
with difficulty over the rude pile of rocks
all verdure diSappears-we are surrounded
only by desolation But shall reserve a
full description of the mountain foliage
for some future communication. ] shall
only aid that in the mid region which we
had now attained, we found ourselves sur
rounded with beautiful flowers, while be-
low, in the Sacramento and San Joaquin
valleys, everything green had disappeared
in the summer drought.
THE DESCENT INTO THE YosENiTY VALLEY.
From our camp near Harle Green, we
soon reached large meadow surrounded
! by lofty forest and adorned with brilliant
flowers. Here the trad leads to the right
and then divides to the left descending into
the waters OF Cascade Creek and its tribu-
taries. Ascending and descending several
steep spurs, and crossing several streams,
we finally caught glimpse ofthe everlast-
ing walls of Yosemity, and farth.r oil we
sawsgleaming like silver thread from the
dark precipice the Cascade of the Rain
bow" -
We now commenced the descent into the
valley in good earnest, and in an hour, af-
ter rolling. slipping, jumping, and some
little swearing among the less initiated,
we reached the level of the river.
THE CASCADE OF THE RAINBOW.
1t is from this point that we obtained our
first view of the Yosemity Valley, and the
scene produces an impression never to be
forgotten As we pass up the valley the
first object that attracts the attention is the
Cascade OF the Rainhow.' already refer
rel to. 1t descends into the valley on our
right at one fall ninc hundred and twenty
eight feet, The water comes over the
granite edge of the precipicc, then, des-
cendins. is broken into fleecy forms, some
times swayed hithcr and thither by the
maynard winds. At other times the sun
ilumines its spray into rainbow hucs, and
the whole hangs from the cliff in thin
veil of pink white and blue mist. Here it
has dashed and foamc,lirom its dizzy height
since the creation with none but savage
and unappreciating eyes TO behold it. The
surrounding peaks are riyen into varied
forms most picturesque iii their outlines,
contrasting beautifully with the emerald
meadows and masses of pines, cellars and
oaks at their base HE stream carries a
large body of water and has its source far
away to the south, towards the divide OF
/ the San Joaquin river. lIe.e is river
rising in the snowy peaks of the Sierra
Nevada, flowing along tie mountain riig-
es until it leaps iroma precipiee more than
eight times as high as Niagara But
must not begin to excaim at this point, oil
shall exhaust my store of explosives be-
fore reach the great wonder OF the val
/ ley.
TIE FALLS ca cIIoT.Ook.
+ As we proceeded onwerd we were held in
awe by the sublime proportions of ''El
Captain, ''or the "Chiefiian Of the losc'
lmity'-a cliff of granite lifting. its giant
form on the left to the height OF more than
three thousand fect-a sheer precipicc jut
ting into the valley. Upon the opposite
side of the valley, (Which is here only three
lOuTtiio vi u hiiic Niur, ihihichoS ei'iiH III
so occur, their serrated pinnacles piercing
the very skies. and forming with FL Capt.
tan the gateway of the MERGED
We rode slowly and almost rcvercntial
j ly along the base of Ell Captain, and ford
Ing the river beyond, reached the camp o
Judge Walworth, directly opposite tn,
thigh fall" where we remained during ON
soiourn in the valley.
From the edge OF the grove in the rea
Of the house VIC obtained full view of thu
great falls, where the water prccipitatcs it
: self into the valley below at three awful
leaps, successfully of fifteen hundred, fou
!, hundred, and six hundred feet. Think o
! "a river plunging over precipice of twenty
five hundred feet high and with two ex
ceptions of inequalities ID the surface of it
cliff which partly breakfasts descent, fallin;
..-ffrom its dizzy height into the valley be
Flow without impairment! 1t should be re
membered that this body Of water is M
tricklng stream, Though viewed from
: distance, such is the great height of its de
scent that it resembles asilver thread hang
ing from the cliff. but q river often swellet
into formidable dimensions by the melting
n