Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-10-25

own eyes, defectivt a. 10 colors, bshsid only
two But sfterward. when alone. I saw what a
Hebrew prophet would have thought e vision OF
heaven, or the visible presence OF the Almighty
II VAS the round raInooW-tte com lsts circle
Ia the afternoon sun | stood upon a rock q hun
dred feet from the base of the fall and nearly on
alevel with IL. There were two brilliant rain
bows Of usual the crescent. the bow
proper. But while I looked, the two horns Of
The inner Or lower c~rescept suddenly heightened,
EXCEEDING on each side to my feet. an entire
circle. perfect a. a snger-ring. In two or three
seconds It passed away, shrinking to the FIRST d.
meusions. Ten minutes later Il formed again,
and again a. suddenly disappeared. Soon the
cause was plain. Every time a sharp gust OF
wind showered the spray over me. il revealed
Tor a moment the round rainbow. Completely
drenched, ] stood for az hour aud a half, and
saw the phenomenon fully twenty times-that
dazzling circle OF violet and gold, on a ground
work Of rock almost black from water. of gay,
dripping flowers aud dripping grass. Visitors
say II is frequently perceFti6le. | have never
seen anything else 30 beautiful and impres-
sive.
Climbing 4 high rock wall BY crazy wooden
ladders we continued up the canon for three
quarters OF a mile to Nevada Fall, where the
MERGED tnmbles 100 feet, in " white and sway
ing mistiDess. Near the bottom il strikes an
ANiAc CNh ~ cpictOs utOu II u hucct va
floating silver tissue $50 feet ia breadth. Pass
ing over a aide gaping crack OF cbasm in THE
rocky grade, the thin sheet of water breaks into
delicate, snowy network, then into myrisds of
shining beads. and finally into long, spark ing
threads-an exquisite silken fringe TO the great
white curtain Several OF these names are Pc
culiarly fitting. The Bridal Vail Fall indeed
looks like a vail oflsce. In summer. when Bril-
dal Vail and Yosemite dwarf. Vernsl still pours
aAa . ..1a A...
p%ellatiOn, Tor il is as white as a snow-drift.
The Yosemite is height; the Vernal is volume;
TIE Bridal Vail is %soitness; but the Nevada Is
hight, volume and soitness combined. South
Fall Cataract, most inaccessible OF all, we did
not visit In Spring sch fall has twenty times
its present water.
10 mY heart of hearts 1 envy Olmsted. who,
with his family, with horses, tents and books,
remains here much Of the time for several
weeks, encamping wherever fancy dictates. Bat
yesterday we bade adieu to the valley. Three
gentlemen OF our party, who have been all over
Europe, declare that traits Atlantic scenery has
nothing at all approaching this. Possibly the
unexplored Himalayas may hide some rival To
losemite. Otherwise, there is 10 spot the wide
world over of such varied beauty and measure
less grandeur.
We cast one longing. lingering look behind
from Inspiration Point. Here is the best COM
prehensive view, not of separate features, but OF
the whole. This vast, rOoless cathedral. which
would hold fifty millions of worshippers, is true
to the ancient imperiOus maxim OF architecture;
IL mean width about equals the average height
OF It's walls. Our eyes, now adjusted to lis dis
tances and dimensions, were no longer panied by
the amazing spectacle. At last we turnei away
from this sublimest page in all the Book Of Ma
ture, | think few can come from its study with
out hearts more humble and %reverent, lives more
worthy and loved.
Yosemite valley is 4 600 feet above ses-leyel
: After climbing out and passing Inspiration Pom
we still ascend, and then ride for several miles
at an altitude of 5000 feet On this high ola.
teau, where snow il sometimes twenty feet deep
are meadows of richest grass and brightest
flowers among deep, coniferous forests The
tall, slender, pyramidal pine abOunds. Otten 20O
feet high. its trunk and branches gorgeous witt
yellow moss 81 does thst exquisite, blue tc-
ped, sllvery fir, (picea amabalis). which in thi-
Latitude is never found less than one mile abov,
the sea. This proiuse vegetation, with lark
spur, daisy, lily. hOneysuckle aud goGols, il At a
! height which, in the White Mountains of New
Hampshire, would kill tree, flower, grass anC
} twig-indeed, everything but granite. Ever
: here. certain deciduous trees take pigmy forms
: Thousands OF acres are covered with dwarf oakl
and chestnuts rarely four feet high. vet proli6,
OF shriveled nuts. The shrub manssniia slsC
hOurishes. lis red berTY--chief sustenance D
grizzly bears-makes excellent cider, and ~
acid Juice Qucnches thirst.
We arrived here last night Clark's Isa long
low, parched log house, interioriIy of 'soi
finish The lsaies occupied straw beds. Will,
| the mascnlines. outside, slep. upon the grounG
Z unde: the lee OF a friendly hay-stick. Mr. Clsfl
is a hermit and pioneer, OF high intelligence anC
great kindness, who has turned his back upor
civilization, eschewed boiled shirts" and with
out wife or child, pitched his lonely tent in thu
wilderness During the winter even be retreat,
before the Storm King to M~ariposa. Long
bearded and sun-browned, be looks ike a mod
srnized Wandering jew, and talks like a pro.
fessor OF bellies iettres and moral philosophy
We go hence to the Big Trees. A ID r.