New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-25

A delightful evening drive of 10 miles up the Sierras
brought to Lake Tahoe The air sweet with the
breath OF the pines while the eye fasted deep green
valleys greaH mountains Of rock and hills studded with
eyergreens. The peerless little lake is up among the
clouds. more than mile above sea level 1t stretches
for 20 miles, shining mirror fringed with sombsr mrs
and walled in by dark mountains In the quiet night
stroled down to the shore and lounged on pile OF
lumber, listening to the winds low moan through the
pines and the waves soft ripple against the sand The
crescent made in the Furnished lake great held
Of light narrowing toward like an inverted A. I'M
ill., in the low swell it broke into of sparkling
silver chains.
The next morning the melody of singing birds awoke
me pouring In through my open window at the GIen'
brook House. We brcakfasted upon the lake trout
which weigh from to % pounds. Then we enjoyed
ride Of two hours upon the little steamer governor
BlaSdale Some suggested that it was named Tor
his Exceency because they about the same length
he stands nearly six feet ski Tahoe is, probably
the highest water nayigated by steamboat, on the
globe. II seems perfectly transparent. We could sec
the bottom with great dstinctness at the depth OF
nearly hundred feet. In some portions it has been
found fifteen hundred feet deep. All around. the rreg
uar dividing the seagrcen of the shallow waters
from the sky blue of the proounder depths, is as well
defined as a chalk line on blackboard.
The State liue crosses the lake. and soon passed
into California At the Lake House We parted from
the twenty Nevada friends who had accompanied us
and exchanged the steamboat for six horse stage
coach of the Pioneer Line. Whirling along up the
smooth winding graded road were among bare
granite peaks of white. gray and brown in air pungen
with oaors Of the pine and the slender balsam fir.
Many noble pines 80 feet high and straight as arrows
are covered on the North side with rich, yelowsh
green moss Riyuets leap for hundreds of feet down
the abrupt mountain Sides each converted by the uttng
rocks into one perfect rainbow Of aabaster wtencss
They recall the fine concet OF the Spanish poet that
brook is the laugh Of the mountain!
| Crossing the summit 7lG0 feet above the sea. we
looked back upon n grand panorama Far below u.
gtered Tahoe brightest gem In the mountain coronot
Of these twin queens the Golden and the Silver State
We saw every variety of form and color mountain and
valley the deepest green aud the purss snow. Then
we began to descend. Here where tho turnpike in
Winter is often DISTRACTED by ten feet Of snow pass
three telegraph wires and eight daily coaches There
great wooden waertanks two or three miles apart
and through the Summer the dusty road sprnked by
water carts for o. miles The coaches are heavily
loaded sometimes carries q passengers with much
luggage anu express matter.
Down the narrow, winding shefroad our horses
came leaping at sharp gallon. IL is thrilling ride;
for AT many points divergence Of SIX inches from The
track would send the coach rolling from five hundred TO
thousand feet down the mountain, into the foamng
bed Of yawniug cavern. Here is the per
lection Of staging. For weeks aftcrward ones blood
bounds at the memory of its whir and rush. Twenty.
four on the coach with six horses gaopng down the
Sierra Nevadas along q winding. narrow, dizzy,
H.. l. 1 utrff
Sheridsns Ride and stirring the Charge OF .hs Six
Hundred.
The road seemed half covered with great California
freight wagons one carries from six to ten uns and
is drawn by ten or twelve mules each bearing his
saddle four tinkliny bells. Very striking the skill
and coolne.s u. our driver rolled on winding
way among these long teams and ponderous wagons.
With perfect confidence and the incest calculation lie
whrlsd rs around sharp corners and through gups 10
tween the ireightefs and the prccipcc barely wide
enough FOR our wheels. With him. driving long ago
ceased TO be an experimental accomplishment and be
came one Of the exact sciences.
We passed in sigh, OF the peak immorlli1cd BY Ere
mont huinhlehee and Fodc along the foot Of granite
wall thirteen hundred feet high. so upright that from
the summit might have dropped an apple upon oar
heads We dined at Strawberry Station which com
memo:ites q pioneer named Berry. who used To sell
straw TO tine oaTy Wa.Aoe pilgrims. Among tie beau
tie. and wonders which toasted our eye. was one
striking scene Fifteen hundred feet below glttered
a silver bril- CHI section Of the American river Hl'
studded with deep pines and frs and lower, green will
delicious grass stoned down 10 II ul sides with per
fec, symmetry and regularity. IT tue rarcsi little
glitiering picture framed IN the richest vcrdurc.
Early III the evening We reached rlaoerville after
riding - miles IN hours including 81 .toppage.
How little we comprehend the common beauties AID
blessing, OF ffo IT, l-J9. returning from visit ia
Colorado AFTER leaving the Desert thought the FIST
green corn.feld beside the road II ihe lo'eesi
things | ever saw. Last Winter. alter escaping from
prison. tie mos, ordinary comort.-purs cold water
unteir,ed air. clean clothing ana Wholesome iood-werc
u1urie above description. SO after our long ride over
mountain and desert these pleasant valley homes will
trees and flowers and fe-tooning vines. won
drously beautiful. The reception TO Mr. Coliix seemed
to come rgh, from the heart; and for my own part
ike tie comedian was never treated well. or "a
often.
Tie mex. morning final ride OF nine miles landed NJ
al Shinkc Springs beside the enormous freight depot o
the Sacramento Valley and Placcryie Railroad Atei
two thousand miles Of stage coaching here was u'
locomotive again, From the bottom ~ my hear: ic
like embracing IT, at tho very least. apostropAkine
II in speech
Spending few agreeable hours in Sacramento We
embarked on the steamer Cysopoli,. much like tic
Long Island Sound boats built upon this coast. ec
gsny furnished and 2i- feet in length. Here We lost
sight Of the snowy mountains. shicb had not been
of our view for many hours at since first saw
them, fifteen hundred miles back. before reaching Den
Yer. At midnight, in San Francisco, were looking
out upon the great Pacific listening for it, low voice