The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-08-12

granite Tito deep ressrvoiv below. Oomocans ssNn:
the Yoseiy valley by succession Of picturesque rapids
some two miles below.
ms VALLEY or THE yoznrr.
From the above outline sketches Of the falls VIII 90
readily that far the interior OF California smens
the snow cad peaks Of the Sierra Nevada there oo~s
river which 10 Ito upon and leaps into g.
ganssc basin surrounded BY bald peaks h N two 70 foar
thousand feet in height The generaly sheer prec
The valley into the clouds and your
spondens doubts II Switzerland itself, with s boosted
sss Of hs
thousand feet above the ocean, the surrounding pc AXIS
double the height and nom tho nit Of these the eye
encounters the eternal which enshroud the submits
q the loer sierra whose peaks arc .omes mes
hidden In cloods oener stand out in bold relief in the
clear blue shy peculiar to the Pacific coast Then they
present Succession Of inermlnabs banks dazzling the
eye 18th the intensity Of their Wilderness, and rendered
the moro striking by the indigo blue Of the sty above and
hey ond II was scenes Ike tnese that A. loved to
transfer 70 his sketch book. Tho rays Of light at
morning or At sunsst often stream through the giant
ops,csosnt splendor, impsrtpg crimson and purple
effects the guEied cliffs and ., times visit tng the snow
seized Win the .vdy Of one Who hanssred and Sirs.ed
AFTER the picturesque and duo him TO say that he has
produced some pictures Of these hitherto uakno ~n wds
which ~ day create sonsaton In the EAsern
Safes. The Sierra Nevada evidently been torn down
at this point By csnvulsion or nature Tue noun
''vaey" given this separation better deserves
that Of huge CAM on or GORGE whon though OF even sur
~sed IN - BY Ssens o vhcS make
THn rAus or TIE SOUTH FORK
These In the of the Sosh Fork OF the river
which It's among the highest peaks OF tho Sierra
Nevada and probably contributes the largest body OF
~br Of SPRAY and foam. Awful preclpices OF granite
frown upon either side Inner 10 spes OF rech cumoer
the which the torrent desceBds while far
below the beautiful valley OF the Yosemity spread
Ing out in all it, luKurianca OF Wild beauty,
Ssssns S Soera the S LOOKING peak
beyond Above al the great "North me rises IN solemn
grandeur lit up with the rosy bues Of the declining sun
Icy and II perfect In Its form as the dome OF tho Capt.
tol at Warrington. There is also the "South Dome"
feet Its northern face cleft down. forming smooth preci
plea bare wall of granite two thousand feet high This
rem aabe peak tho highest In the vicinity OF the val
ley, and s,ans At the Confluence OF the north, middle
and south forks OF the river.
ROLLING BOULDER powY TIE NERaA NEVADA
While on Il summit of the South Dome discovered
huge boulder Of many tons weight standing on the edse
Of precipious slope, which extended, ~ near as we
could see down tho valley beneath. TAs had been gfa
duay by the act Of the rains for countless
ages until toered the brink OF the abyss. In all pro-
baoty 1t would have made It's own way do IN the noun
tain in few years L. with bis usual love Of mis-
chief and adventure, proposed to dsocate aud time
the bottoms distance not far from three thou
sand feet With the aid OF come limbs OF trees, which
served a. bars, scrsped the earth from beneath
It's outer edge after hsr hours industrious efforts
the hey Stone vas Prysd out The monster slSSI
me ment punging down the mountain side shall
never forget he terrific force with WI oh that boulder
Numbered down into the valley. pl ,ughng Q path
through the earth bounding from crsg 70 crag, and
awakening the echoes for miles among the surrounding
SUBMITS Large pines ard cedars which stood In Its path
snapped Off like ppcetems. II leapct like thun-
derbo through dense clusters OF WOO is and could
the tall eetops bow the right and LEFT the destroyer
swept through them. Presently reached q precplce,
bounded of into the air like India rubber ball. and fell
into the river below throwing the water and mud high
and far and actually making Important change In the
OF the stream, which partially blocked up There
II remains forever fixture, and is course down The
eeoogist with high forehead and gold speotaces In his
speculatlobs upon cause and effect.
In the summer time . vster may expect . thunder
storm, and every now and then he will be treated to
sarte from natures artillery. The thunder Is
at first heard In the distance, TILL at last the
to take aim at very eyes. Presently the
rain falls In torrents, overfewing the mountain streams
into Thousands OF little cascades and ncreaang the sulen
Of the venerable Cboook Who seems angry this
sudden swelling Of bis tributary waiers sooa the fogs
grow thinner, . sunbeam bursts through, the vapory
begin 10 scatter the landscape opens to vew and
the air. II possible, seems the purer and moro exharans
for the storm.
A hotel or something which in California passes for
one been erected in the valley, where travellers may
two expect u meet all the snobbery OF San Francisco who
will make this favorite place OF resort Certain Il
II th the best shooting and fishing the most nvgorAtug
air and the most sublime and picturesque scenery he
American continent may be seen In these mountains; aud
henceforh the roads are certain to be in good repair
The "waterng season. OF California viii be by the
middle OF July, amer which the country becomes dried
and pArcbed have relgiously eschewed politics In
this letter. and have endeavored 70 hold 20 original
plan OF describing summer jaunt Into the Sierra
accomplishing our return may DO the subject OF future