Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-11-12


CALIFoRNrA.-A California correspond
ent of the New York Epening Post, con-
tributes to that paper graphic account
of the numerous natural wonders to be
seen among the Sierra Nevada noun
tains-waterfalls twelve hundred feet
high, luxuriant valleys, exquisite flowers
magnificent pines, dark, wild gorges, and
bold, rocky peaks. His description of a
grove of enormous pines we subjoin;
The Mammoth Pine Grove is at
the south fork of the Mercsd. We
found them not only up the valley, but
up the mountain also. We rode along
for five miles, hardly knowing what to
look for, following our directions and ex-
pecting to find something at every turn.
We saw many trees OF ten and fifteen
feet in diameter, and, though at any
other time we should have gazed in Won
der at that, we had got our ideas up, and
that was not enough. But as we were
thus wandering along, suddenly, right in
the midst of all the other trees, appeared
a most enormous something-what, we
did not think for minute, for though it
was tree, it was so entirely different
from all our notions of trees, that it for a
moment was unintelligible. But when
we came nearer, and getting clearer aud
fuller view of its whole, obtained an idea
of its form, then the wonder of its size
could be seen and felt. My companion
walked his mule around it, and it took
him minute, less thirteen seconds i! We
soon came upon another-an old dead
trunk lying along the ground and partial
| ly burned out. Into it three could easily
ride abreast, two could go nearly through,
and one could pass out at the farther
end. But if the bark were cleared off
the wood, or if it were more fully burned
out, four or five could ride through with
ease. We saw others even larher, and
standing one, the largest, was thirty-six
feet in diameter, and one hundred and
eight feet in circumference.
These trees are of the redwood species
"a kind of pine which is common in
California, though only three or four of
these mammoth groves have been discov-
cred as yet. They grow in among the
more ordinary sized pines, which, being
all fine trees,serve to show the immensely
of the redwoods. Most of them are
from two hundred to three hundred feet
in height, and there are some nearly foul
= hundred. In the Calaveras Grove there
is a tree four hundred and fifty feet high
and one, which was thirty-three feet il
diameter, they have sawed off and planed
over it is built pavilion, and is use(
as dancing hall, the floor of which i
ninety-nine feet in circumference.
Though so high, none of these tree
taper toward the top-or but very little
a tree thirty feet in diameter five fee
above the ground, will be fifteen to TWEEN
ty feet at its top. True this quite a diff
ference, but in three hundred feet it hard
ly shows. The bark is very thick an,
rough; the limbs, commencing one hun
dred feet from the ground, grow out near
ly straight for several fe ct, ard then tur
suddenly up; they are thick and studded
the foliage is very meagre, being chief
Il clustered around the ends of the hooke
boughs. The lower part of the trunk
and the roots spread out on every sid
. and in consequence of the fires ever
summer, there are large cavities in neal
ly every tree. There is not much grac
or beauty in any of them, but they al
the 'awfullest biggest things that eve
| did see. There has been another grow
of them discovered lately on the banE
Of the Fresno"