The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-06-08
Moses and Pictures of Sand.

Moses and Pictures of sand.
Col. RICHARDSON'S:
We knew you would be sorry that you
did not accompany US upon our excursion
to the "Pictured Rocks last Saturday
please consider US obliged by your kind
offer to send US all there per "Boat Elk.
press"
Our gentlemen chartered vehicle which,
for ease and elegance is unsurpassed
in the Northwest; never were seats Of such
spring or wheels of such motion. With
the paternal eye Of Amos beaming upon
us and his blessing gently descending up.
on our hands, twelve of us set out, the
'appiest Of the 'appy, to see the great Ma.
tural Curiosity, the pride of biologists and
the chosen resort of pic.nicians dom,
print this Pick-wickians.)
Nothing worthy Of note occurred upon
our passage thither except that we passed
mysterious floating mass; whether it
were a gunboat or raft do not know
any way it bore Quaker-gun and several
cottages, all surmounted by little fluttering
flags; there was no lack of lumber from
the pineries of the North.
Upon 'alighting" it was declared, viva
voce, that we 60 first to the "Moss Rocks"
and here the gallantry of our escorts was
exhibited with telling effect, for, how la
dies could ever have scaled that perpendi.
cular height, unaided, is beyond my ken.
Imagine an unsophisticated kitten attempt
ing to reach the top of the TINES office up.
OF the outside and you have faint idea
of our power of accomplishing startling
feats in the way of climbing; away we 60,
through prickly ash and quagmire, over
stones and adolsscent stumps: snaix, also,
momentarily expected but none appearing,
save one in the far distance, calmly dis.
porting itself in fond anticipation Of our ap.
proach.
Altogether, at last, upon the summit
Misses L., P, b, Mr.. HI,
John A. B., Charley D., of the 1st
Iowa Cavalry and the inimitable Frank
H, Mrs M, Lottie s., Alice
H, Nellie c., and, modesty forbids
further enumeration; glad to see each other,
too, after our manifold tribulations. Frank
Ii. in the exuberance of his delight clasped
maple tree in loving embrace and sang
his popular refrain,
"Mein water ist Deutsch,"
,,,;@I, orook nm h ~, that bod 4,
Teuton strayed that way he would have
wept for the Father land.
Numerous petrifactions of moss sur.
rounded us, though none of much value
can be obtained without Ratchet to hew
them out Of the "rock." Wood MOSES in
this or any other vicinity about McGregor
| are of great variety and beauty, which
| some Of our ladies are preserving ingen
iously in the form of a cross emerging from
a led of moss, this, framed in cone work
forms rural and attractive picture.
/ The view here is remarkably fine; the
far away bluffs upon the eastern shore lost
in the blue haze; the Mississippi, dotted
with green islands and miniature lakes and
receiving into its broad bosom the gently
flowing Wisconsin; the white walls O.
Fort Crawford and the brown roofs of tho
ancient French town cleaning in the sun
However, emotions Of the sublime CAV,
way for time to discussion Of substan
tials from the ladies' well filled baskets ant
q few bottles of strawberry wine. After
various interesting exercises we passeC
down the gorge between the Moss and Pic
tured Rocks, which for bold and rugged
scenery can hardly be excelled among tn.
defiles of the Alps; the spring and water
fall coming down cool and musical, is on,
of its best features.
Atlast we descended the charmed circl.
of Rocks with their overarched grottoe
Az h i many hued walls carved in al
own hnger. Who that STANDS w1tTTn tn
deepest grotto fit for the enchanted isle 0
Calypso, or, beside that waterfall encir
cled with grandeur, cannot feel the presenc
of the world-creatng Power is surely I'm
worthy life on this beautiful earth.
After staying long enough to ccllec
sand for skilful arranging-a jar of this
by the way, is becoming an indispensable
arrangement for almost every BOULDER il
McGregor-we passed on 20 the outer worl
unharmed and satisfied, save, that part @
our Commissary's Stores having been alb
stracted from their hiding place three Q
our party attacked a suspicious looking
craft lowering about the shore and manned
by John who expresseth," and succeeded
in capturing from thence and retaining
prisoner small bottle of Phalon's Night
blooming Cereus.
| QUI VIvE.