The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-09-16
Goausdiut 9ailg yaurnal.


A correspondent Of the New York
Hsrold, writing from the head waters OF
the Merced river, gives the sketch of
trip into the Sierra Nevada Mountains,
to the wonderful cataract Of Cholook and
other waterfalls, and describes some tru-
ly grand scenery. The following ex-
tracts viii be read with interest:
N Chscadssef ts< Rsiaboso.
it's from this point that we obtained
our first view Of the Yosemity Valley.
and the scene produces an impression
never to Be forgotten. When we pass up
the valley the first object that attracts at
tention is the Cascade Of the Rainbow"
1t dsscends into the valley nine hund-
red and twenty eight feet. The water
comes over the granite edge Of the preci-
pice, then. descending, is broken into
6eecy forms, sometimes swayed hither
and thither by the wsyward winds. At
other times the sun illumines it's spray
into Rainbow hues, and the whole hangs
from the cliff in a thin veil of pink, white
foamed from its dizzy height since the
creation, with none but savage and unap-
prsciating eyes to behold it. The sur
rounding peaks are riven into varied
forms, most picturesque in thear outlines,
contrasting beautifully with the emerald
meadows and masses of pines, cedars
and oaks at their base The stream
carries large body Of water, and has its
source far away to the south, towards
the divide Of the San Josauin river.
The Fails Of Ctolcos.
As we proceeded onward we were
held in awe by the sublime proportions
Of "El Captain" or the "Chieftain of the
Yosemity"--a cliff of granite lifting its
giant form on the left to the height Of
more than three thousand feet-a sheer
precipice jutting into the valley, (Which
is here only three.fourths Of q mile
wide, immense cliffs also occur, their
cerrated pinnacles piercing the very skies
and forming with El Capitao the gateway
Of the Merced.
We rode slowly and almost reverent-
tally along the base of Ell Captain, and
fording the river beyond, reached the
camp Of Judge Walworth directly oppo-
site the high fall," where we remained
during our sojourn in the valley.
From the edge Of the grove in the rear
OF the house We obtained full veiw Of
the great fall whore the water precipi-
tates itsslfinto the valley in three awful
leaps, snccessively. Of fifteen hundred,
four hundred and six hundred feet
Think ofa river plunging over preci-
pice twenty-five hundred feet high, and
with the two exceptions Of inequalities
in the surface Of the cliff which partly
breaks its descent falling from its diz-
zy heights into the. valley below without
impediment! 1t should be remembered
that this body Of water is no trickling
stream. (though viewed from a distance
such is the great height Of its descent
that it resembles silver thread hanging
from the cliff,) but river often swelled
into formidable dimensions by the
melting of the SHOWS in the Sierra Neva- |
da. Compared to this, all other known
falls on tie Gennesces, Trentons, &C.,
are but oqueous pigmies. Niagara, it is
true. discharges greater volume OF wa
ter. but. with all its grandeur and SUBJ
Unity, it fails to produce the effect upon
the beholder caused by first view of
the great falls of the Yosemity. Thus
you see California, independent Of her
gold mines, gigantic trees, higher than
the cross of Trinity church steeple, mam-
moth vegetables and Brobdignagion
fruits, filings down the gauntlet to the
world on the waterfall question. and
challenges an equal even to the smallest
falls OF this wonderful valley; for there
are FIVE Of them here, and even the les
ser one is two hundred feee high.