New-York daily tribune., 1859-09-26
AN OVERLAND JOURNEY.
xxx.
CAIIFORNIA-THE BIG TREES.
STEAMBOAT CoRSELIA, on THE
CAV JoAOyuS Aug tS 20

happy az 70 meet the Rev. o. C.. Wheeler, Secre-
tary Of the State Agricultural Society, and ms
associates on the Visiting Committee oil that CO.
eiety, now on tour of observation through VARIOUS
regions of the State. We had agreed at Sacramen-
~ 70 make the trip to the Yosemite together, but
some mishsp had detained them fourteen miles
hack Of Bear Valley during the night Of Wednesday
ls,t: and when at length they reached Marlposas,
nv party had been some hours on our way, while
not horse or mule could be hired till next morn
ips, to replace their jaded nags, whose immediate
proceeding on so rough trip was out OF the qaes-
Ton. 60 they halted, perforce, till next morning,
and were only going up to the Yosemite when we
were coming down, as aforesaid.
But they had just returned to Clsrks from the
Big Trees Of Mariposss, having vi,ited those of
Cslaveras two or three days before. The general
impression seems 10 be that the Calaveras trees
ere the larger and finer; but Mr. Wheeler, having
rust visited each, was very decided in his preference
for those of Mariposss, and undertood all his
associates to concur in that verdict. They found
the Calsyerss trees in far better condition, in the
charge of keeper, and approached by road over
which light carriage may readily be driven up to
vaptaqes, but they assured us on the other hand,
chat the Msriposas trees considerably more nu-
nerous (some 25O to 3OO) and really larger and
finer specmens of their kind. Mr.. Wheeler found
bv careful measurement the diameter Of one Of
these trees 100 feet above the ground to be twenty
feet, while its first limb, which put off at that
hipht. had diameter of six feet. Just think OF
twig Elk feet through at that elevation! He OBJ
tanned these results by measuring the trees shadow,
which need hardly remark was probably narrower
than the tree itself He had several tape line meas
urements Of Nsrposas trees over one hundred feet
in circumference; but Of the Calaverss trees is
claimed TO be, think, nearly one fourth larger than
this. No matter-those of either County are big
enough.
We went up to the Mariposa Trees early next
morning. The trail crosses a meadow Of most lux
uriant wild grass, then strikes eastward up the
hills, and rises almost steadily but in the main not
steeply for FIVE miles, when it enters and ends in
Q slight depression or valley, nearly on the top of
this particular mountain, where the Big Trees
have been quietly nestled for dare notsay how many
thousand years. That they we're of very substsn-
tial size when David danced before the Ark, when
Solomon laid the found.tioos of the Temple, when
Theseus ruled in Athens, when Eness aed from
the burning wreck of vaDquished Troy, when Sesos-
iris led his victorious Egyptians into the heart Of
Asia, have no manner Of doubt.
The Big Trees, of course, do not stand alone. /
spprehend that they could not stand at present,
in view of the very moderate depth at which they
are anchored to the earth. Had they stood on an
unsheltered mountain-tOp or even an exposed hill
side, they would doubtless have been prOstrated-
a. presume thousands like them uere prostrated.
by the hurricanes of centuries before Chrsts Ad-
vent. But the locality of these, though probably
9 500 feet above the South Merced, and some 4,50O
above the sea, is sheltered and tranquil, though
several Of these trees have manifesty fallen within
the present century Unquestionably, they are
past their prime, though to none more than to them
is applicable the complimentary Characterization OF
4" a green old age"
Let me try to give as clear idea of these forest
nastodons as can, though know that will be but
apoor ore:
In measuring trees it is so easy to exaggerate by
running your line around the roots rather than the
real body, that place little dependence on the re-
ported and recorded measurements of parties under
NO obligations to preserve Judicial impartality
But believe a fair measurement of the largest
trees standing in this grove would make them not
less than one hundred feet in circumference, and
over thirty in diameter at a hight of six feet from
their respective bases, and that several of them
have an altitude of mere than three hundred feet.
believe the one that was last uprooted measures
little over three hundred
But these relics of more bounteous and magnih-
cent world seem destined to speedy extinction. /
deem them generally enfeebled BY age and the rack
ing and wrenching of their roots by the blasts that
sweep through their tops, These malign inhu.
ences they might Withstand for age', however,
were it not for the dsmsge they have already sus-
tanned, and are in danger of hereafter of sustain
ing, through the devastating sgency of fire. For
these glorious evergreen forests though the ground
beneath them is but thinly covered with inAamma-
bic matter, are yet subject to be overrun every
second OF third year by fire. For the earth, to
depth Of several feet even, is dry as an ash.heap,
from July to October, and the hills are so steep
that FIRE ascends them with wonderful facility.
And thus the Big Trees are SCARED and gouged,
and followed out at the root and upward, the ei
fects Of successive fires, one Of which, Originat-
ing far southwark through this locality late
as last Autumn burning one Of the forest kiugs so
that il has since fallen, half destroying another al
ready prostrate, through the hollow Of which two
horsemen (not G. L. Il. James's, trust were ac-
customed to ride abreast for distance Of fully oae
hundred feet and doing serious damage to very
many others. Ii the village of Marposas the
Counfv or tba State Of California doss moi imrns-