The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-07-23

s.d %. :!sss during the night ives Disturbed ~ the
srssn o. lps timber and the mournfu cry Of the 0An
iofnh noa - he retreated before tho flames
fohHB AND FOLIAGE on The sIKRRA NEVADA.
percspebs change in the temperature hal taksz
attitude. Tho vegetation also hes sprng Appear Aaoe
bat above this point the trees begin 70 assume mere
shrubby oox ana sne few flowers 70 become more simple
and smaller they arc for the most part soentiess, 30
fragrance 70 reach In highest perfection requires
. warm and Org climate Stem: o. wosay abrs yie!A
the long 70 tho short, annual to perennial Ones aad al
perhaps for similar reasons that s their dspssdsoss
upon moisture for nutrition rather than the soil q
the Sierra Nevada ascsaded, becomes, except The
I cannot here forbesr to remark upon the grsdssa
change noticeable the foliage Of the serras yoa -
cenc them. After passing tho lines OF oak, mspe and
birch reach the pines and 81 an altitude Of about Ave
. region OF dwarf pines their trunks frequently Of .
large size, yet growing 10 30 loose sou thss whsa
s,aspsa y the hands they may sometimes G % mad.
meantime. the dense spougy carpet Of moss heaves ~
meath our feet and, examine this moss, especially
In steep situations, shall ind the roots Of the trees
rami the substance often for loog dstaeces adS NJ
lcok CLOSELY shall see thai conceas numberlasJ
cserns Of formed 10 the hoows of the rock from
beth Of and Of the which they sus
tain. These bolts Of dwarf nrs remarkable feature
and seem rs frmea n resimer.si Inc their branches
declining, and 70 rigid thas nearly impossible to pene
trase Their racks Tor while the depending limbs readily
oneself E no. 50 easy as the tAtered clothing OF the ire
weller frequently textiles.
Above this point are to b. found only stanted bushss,
inermsaleo with slender trunks blasted and bleacheA
the skeletons OF race long since peshed and hero We
frequently reach enough depressed 70 hold here
and there ii.sIe lakes on wnoee margins gro vaross
rare plants mostly unknown In tho regoOs below. We
arrive at last perhaps st some pyramid OF broken rocks
piled upon another aud this forms the peak WHICH
hrst sIikes the eye from distance when in looking
wards the Sierra Nevada describes series Ut broad
more or less sharpened As We scramble with diculty
over this rude pile Of rscss ali yer lure d.sp oeanws
are surrounded only by cesolasn But soAd reserve
iul description OF the mountain sge for future
CONTAMINATION. shat Only add that 10 the mid region
which We had now attained, VIC found ourselves sur
rounded with beautiful flowers while below ia the SAcra
menio and San JaaGuo valleys, everything green haA
disappeared IN The summer drought
THE DESCENT INTO THE YosnMTY VALLEY
From our camp rear HArie Green, we SOU reached q
large meadow by the lofty forest and Adorned
vito brilliant foweys. Here the trail leads 70 the right
and then divides to the s descsn ing into tue q
Cascade creek and It's tributaries Ascending and desoend
ing several stesp spurs aud crossing several streams
finally caught glimpse Of the everlastrg walls Of the
Yosemity ano further cleaning ike Q
silver thread from the dark preciice, the Cascade d
We COW commenced the descent into the valley in gcoA
earnest and IN hour, after rolling, alppiog Jumping,
and some little swearing among the less intssed Wc
reached the level OF the river
CASCADE THE RAINBOW.
II Is from this point tina. Obtained ffsi Wow q
the Yosemy Valley and the scsn produces an impress
zion never 10 be forgotten As pass up the valley
first objec, that the attention the Casosde OF
the Rainbow, already referred TO It descends into tia
eight ieet The water comes the granie edge of
the precpce, then, descending In broken into dseoy
FORMS sometimes sgayed hther and thtber by the way
winds. Al other times the illomines spray
into rainbow hues, and the whole hangs from ths cuff
In thin ven OF pink white and bloc mist. Here IL has
dashed and oamed from us dizzy height since orea
Non with none but savage and unapprec atng eyes 1,
neld IT, TIE surrounding PEAKS are ryen into varied
forms, most picturesque in their outlines, ccnir Asng
beautifully with the emerald meadow VS. AGA MISSES Of
pines aud oaks at their base Toe
ige bo5y Of water aud its source far away to the
Is riDg In the Wy peaks OF the Sierra Nevada.
fcwiug along the mountain roges until 4, leaps a prsc
pee more than eight tines high Niagara But
must no. begin To sxclam at q pcin slaI exhaust
my store OF explosives before reach the great wonder
OF the valley.
oHooIooK.
AS we preceded oowsro So we're held Ia ave by the
sublime proportions Of Fl Captain or the chiefrain
OF the Yosemry ell OF granite lifting u g,aot form
ON the LET 70 the height Of more tesn oree thousand
iee sheer Lesp'ce jnaius is'o The valley Upon the
ieurths OF mile wide,) immense cliffs also occur
.erIa,sd prIAces piercing the very Skies and forming
with I'll Cspiien The gateway OF the MERGED.
We rode slowly and almost reverensaly along The
base Of II Captain and fordog the beyond reached
the camp Of Judge wsworh, directly opposite the High
fai, where we renamed duripg soJurn In the val
ley.
From the edge OF the grove in the rear of the house vs
obtained full view o. the Great Fails where the water
prscpsies itself into the valley In three leaps soc
cessively OF een hundred, four hnnored six hun
dred feet Think OF river plunging q precipdcs
twenty Eve hundred feet high with the two ex go
ons of inequalities In tue OF the cn which partly
valley below without impeachment IL should be reueu-
bered that this body of Is trucking stream
Enough viewed from distance such the great heiGhS
OF It's descent that resembles silver threat hanging
from the clin but river often swelled fofmasos
dimensions by she melting OF the SHOWS in tue sierra
Nevaca Compared IA this. all other known falls
the globe fade into nsgnincance, and your Niagara
Generees nentons, &c, &C are but aqueous pgmes.
Niagara, is true discharges greater volume OF water
but, with all lis grandeur and suDry fails 10 procuce
the effect upon the behol1er caused by rst vie of thu
Gres, Pals o. the Yosemi,y thus you zee o.ucrnia IN
"a mi tras hiuha sh.~
the cross OF rriry church steeple
Md bobcignaAn fruit. fngs Gown the gauntonI tho
The smallest fails OF this ~ondcrlai valley; for
there Ae ave OF them here, and the Lesser one Ia
two hrnGred feet high The difficulty with Us Is thai We
have tsshiooabes anong these Iouoly m iutsn fast
nessce sing the praises OF the Chooook aud the ~ns
yes. reefs VINO execute the semi sonusi psnegyrc q
Niagara not only never heard Ct Cnoo look, but would
scarcely venture 20 soil their kids by scrambng up into
the Sierra 10 view them The travelling public are al
ready DecoDisg weaed Of the monoton, Of tue
sumIer resorts OF the AaDc states and are nsiuz V
Eurole for relef II ~il soon be thing
New YcrKer uoab enrui pass the lam ner in
California where sublime scsnery and exbisrssinr
ursurpasssd Thon shall begin read In tho
Pagers accounts Of the Yoscmi,y vsy and the wocdor-
ful Fails OF CnooUcs.
No, far from where The fails empty INTO the valley ths
river wiisps into placid slow nJ~fg str am pure a.
crystal. and cyosdeo with such disciple Of old
lzAAk Walton woad 20 crazy about Here l. "A aud my
necklace Of four roupdrrs strung on v,los ,wiy Am
no booster, bet must 10 cuiy gay thai generally con-
nned bis psoaiory olerstons to Ienousls sestrsodag
The sardnts from our lunch basset A, seated ia
rauoirg spot. econ became abscr 10 inx 70
canvas The serious soenery around hin, aud to
correspondent beot the credit Of efectng eaiAnxng
ALLIANCES ~th The zens OF The stream.
worsTAfv sCrNEgy.
We made frequent journeys the valley UP into ths
cloud capped SUBMITS around These trips we're often
st.bdea With great fatigue and some dang~r bot they
served 70 nerve US or future Efforts and imfi degree
ofsrergtn and tesltbfunsss such only rhe nyifoeA
ng mountain air Of California 10 ths ascents
We were frequently struck ~i,h me strsreeoess o. me
We've about us The gres, variety OF atmospheric effects
presents soue OF the meet interesting traits 10 moun,au
scencry- when, In a fogry moruiug. the white veil,
slowly risrg. displays AL the lower landscape clearly
tn the eye; while the greater peaks wfeaas piled
upon wrts,hs arc broken into Thousand picturesque
shapes and heh In the air thalhe de-
ccivta 70 the zeal neigh; OF iho ringes nenre him Az
he ascends be hIaiy enters hs rcson o. vao's which,
grcwg tnnoer anc thinner becomes 81 last 50 pcneat
cd by toe ouseu sun ght tnat particle IN
ed sud he looks behind him toe earth sufdenly
mistss In Of mis-, that tac steep pyramid 10 rnich