, 1865-09-18

miles below to mike a llssure g milo wide at
| the surface. The debris formed from renlins
| the mountains apart at drst fell down fu1;into
the dssu1e, and were subsequently covered up
by tho sand and gravel brought down by TIE
tremendous currents and glaciers which
swept through the valley. THIS Is proved by
the fact that ut Tu-toch-arnula {three-fourths
Of 4 mile ligh) and other perpcndicu1ar walls
where the fracture corresponds With the
cleavage u the granita, and where 1t l. espe-
base, and you can ride up directly to them
and put {our hand upon the crag, while to
look mp to the summit makes you dizzy
and bcWitde1ed. At other. points, a.
In The rear of Mrs. Hutchins' house,
aaa nj the 70 Semitic Falls the upper portions
The lower sections Of the valley were filed
with sand and gravel as above stated, and for
4 long distance from the base OF the noun
tatns tremendous touItleTs Of granite liz piled
upon each other IN the widest confusion.
Iheir edges are sharp, aud as there Is no de-
otts Between them, it Is certain that they were
broken oil and fell down long after the valley
was formed. With a tleld glass, and even with
ehe naked eye, 1a.ge white seams Of what nc
/ suppose to be ftldspar eau be seen In the
Granite walls, and We iouht not that photo
graphs carefully taken Of opposite bluffs
VIII show agenera1 Hnot an exact correspon-
dence IN the rise and general direction Of
these seams. Then agafa the opposite sec.
tlons Of the valley seem 10 he 1laarly Of the
! same height, especially where the granite IL
solid and The walls unbroken by tho elements
or ether causes. The entire valley will long
those who admire the beautiful and the SUBJ
lime handiwozk Of that Almighty Being who
made and adorned this most wonderful vol
ley. We might here spend a month most
pleasantly md psp1tably but even Ia tho
tour days We have been here We have had an
experience which it Is worth all the toll Of
crossing the coniiuent to slare:' Let Us re-
turn to Clark's and visit the next most
wonderful place in AmeFica, where grow the
| BI0 TREES.
For sonle years it was supposed that tile
grove in CaleTeIas county Was the onlY locality
where these monarchs Of the vegetable king
dom were found Eight years ago, the Sfari-
| posa grove was discovered by our host, Mr..
| Gnien Clark, and since ihen he has found M
elsht Ni.-cs south Of. those We are Ghous to
E'-. ~. 1vc nrc informed by Prof.. Olmstead
/ that scattered groves have been discovered
| growing in higher attitudes, rs you 20 south,
nearly down 10 Mexico. There l., therefore,
| no immediate danger Of the species Incoming
extinct, as was ut first feared, though the fires
Which often rage through the mountains have
With Mr.: Clark, u very Intelligent and capital
gentleman, for onr guide, we wind up the
sides Of the mountains tor six miles south
| oi his residence, some $500 feet, and
e,5c0 feet above the sea, where We
ind Yourselves among the objects Of our visit.
Ao. Que need point them out. Their c!una-
| mon colored bark and majestic trunks
crowned with bright green foliage, towering
iar above the huge pines and cedars by which
| they are surrounded, nj once divert the eye to
them as tho uudisputcd soverc1gns of the
vegetable kingdom. Their form is SO syu1-
| metrical and 10 most cases their dense conc
like crown Of foliage, commencing hundred
feet or more from the root, is 50 beautiful and
regular, that It, takes careful study for sey-
efal hours, ana even days, to appreciate the
magnitude and the glory Of these trees. Let
rs take some sober facts and figures to assist
US In forming correct iders in regard to them
There is . tree, the top Of which Is still green
been burned out by successive fires. Our
entire party Of =, fifteen on horseback
ride in and are sheltered beneath If, and there
IS room for at least three or four, while twice
% many unmounted men might recliue under
the centre of the, tree, where 1t Is not burned
high: enough to admit one on horseback.
We brought with US from San francisco
ball Of druggists twtnc, and with it let us
measure the dlamatef Just 0boye tho roots Of
this one, which perhaps has lain PROSTATE for
hundred years, for quite a large tree is
section Of it, and then some effort to Chamber
upon the top The bark, which on the living,
tree averages from eli shteen inches to two
feet thick, ts all burned oh, md yet the solid
trunk is twcnty.seven feet IN diameter.
Just above tho grould. It measures ninety
feet that Is the trec Is very nearly thist5 feet ii
diameter. Draw It around the tree as high IS
high you can reach. and still it measures
eighty-tire feet. There lies one Of medium
size not yet burned up as scores Of his follows
have been. Stretch tie cord from top to root.
It measures two hundred ond twenty-scyen
Ieet, anu We can, therefore, readily believe
that trees Of the 1argest size growing In iaFo-
r1fe localities reach height Of nearly four
hundred feet. Mr.: Clark informs Us that an
analysis Of the bark and sap Of the trro shows
tnat they contain larger percentage Of. tan.
nc aid thnn those ofany other tree; to which
Ae attributes their great tenucity oi life and
gigantic size. The cord BY which these u1ca-
snrements arc made and carefully marked
W We to mend eanso,'n. to b, bring % hone with
1egard to the sic Of these trees. Eut 1eTe
We nrc n the presence OF the grizzly giant
whose first limb, eighty feet above The ground.
~ proved by careful measurements, Is elx fset
IN diameter. The tree itself must be ut tllat
height from fifteen to twenty feet in diamet II.
tapering gradually aud beautifully up nom
tue base. The age of these trees las been
carefully estimated by men Of science, The
lowest result Is two and the highest about
three thousand years. Standing in their
presence, awe steals over the mind as one
thinks Of the vast ages that hare passed since
they were the young Of the forest. Then
David fed his fatherss docks aud Saul was
found among the prophets. When the Saviour
4~elt among men and gave bis lie far the re-
aenptlon Of our race, these trees
lowered up In solemn grardeur upon the
mountains. How many nations of men have
tn WhH1 !, md
asay forever, since tie reeds from which these
trees grew were planted here By the hand Of |
the Almighty! But why further pursue this |
sub}ecte We pass On, hoping again 10 sec
these trees, as We trust hundreds OF our read
e1s viii very soon after the Pacific railway Is
It may be worth while here to romark TINT
no range Of mountains, to our knowledge, Is
covered With SO varied and macnitcent trees
ns arc the Sierra Nevada. They do not benin
to show themselves till height OF seYeral |
thousand ret Is reaehed, and where other |
sie11as are crowned with the glories of the |
vegetable Kingdom. The cause must be
sought, IN cur Judgment, in the peculiar eli
mate OF California. The winds from the ynst,
Paeldc Ocean, rs they reach the Sierra Ne
Fatia mountains, arc doubtless 20 tempered
ana huen With TINT precise amount OF moL;-
ture essential to produce this great wealth and
beauty..arhorcal lite-the wonder alike Of ali
who slelt.
THE RETURN.
We need not speak particularly of our re-
turn to this city; On Monday evening: the
people Of Hornftos s'eoliared'' a1r. Colfax
md bis party, and would not permit them to
Pass On tin three Of them had paid the trib-
Yesterday, His Honor Mayor GRAY, Judco
Undcrhnl. and other gentlemen Of Stockton.
arrested atr. Speaker and the writer, and Il, |