The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-15
A Short Gut into the Yosemite
Valley.

An Ohio clergyman, the Rev. Mr.. Peate
has been travelling across the continent, and
he gives this account of & short cut down into
the Yosemite Valley
Finding the guide thoroughly acquainted
with the country, we engaged him to take us
the next morning to mountain-top called
the Centinal Dome, eight thousand three
hundred feet above the sea. The view from
it is grand beyond description. From thence
we went about q mile from Glacier Point, and
had our first view of the valley from a per-
pendicular cliff three thousand seven hun
dred and five feet above the plain below. 1
never before had such mixed feeling of awe,
sublmity, power, and my own lttleness. I
was afraid to trust myself to look over-there
seemed to be an awful and mysterious at
traction. The abyss was drawing and charm
ing me. And yet little, pale, nervous
looking woman of the party crept out, and
for long time looked over, until we urged
her to come away. | then ventured to creep
out and looked down. 1t was less than mile
to the cliff on the opposite side of the valley;
midway / saw what seemed to be garden, in
which l saw two small, whitish-looking OBJ
iects. / could not make out what they were
until looked at them through my feld-gass,
when | found them to be yoke of oxen
standing before plough. This will give
some idea of the elevation at which we stood.
The little unpainted hotel in the valley was
within a mile and half of us; it was nineteen
or twenty to follow the trail to the same
point.
81 said to the guide, Cant we get down at
some point, and not have to endure 30 long a
ride p He said there was point about a
mile from there at which descent could be
made, though he had never tried it, but two
or three had So he went to the place. 1t is
four thousand feet higher than the valley.
The way looked smooth, though very steep.
| The guide said it was possible for us to go
down. Who could doubt it i? But he could
not go with us. He must go on hunt next
morning. General Howard and wife we're of
the party; besides him were three more of us,
three men and two women in all. So we re-
solved to go down the dreadful way.
zone of the women hesitated and soon all
but myself abandoned the enterprise. So
they wished me success, and began the de-
scent alone, little thinking what was before
me, but in full confidence that in an hour
would be in the valley 1t was half-past one.
/ went down rapidly, as the first part of the
way was easy. At the end of an hour found
myself, as thought, halfway down. The sun
at first poured down on me. Then the clouds
came over the valley. L then came to pre-
cipice and walls of rock on both sides. For
time could see no way down. crept about
with all caution on hands and knees.
peered over frightful places To turn bacl
1 was ashamed. let myself down the rocks
by the branches of bushes. At one place
went down the fall of rock ten or twelv,
feet. AT the top it was about two feet broad
and as steep as gothic roof. A wall of rocl
rose on my right, and on my left chasm
At about halfway to the bottom the rock be
came so narrow that there was not spao,
enough for my body to lie upon, and no plac,
for my fingers or toes to hold on.
81 was in fix. To attempt to descend
further would be madness and death. With
the greatest effort / managed to turn on m,
face to return. In so doing my field-glas
got under my breast on the rock making Ii,
position dangerous; and it required all tn
strength l had to remount the rock fel
exhausted, and stretched myself in a crevice
and breathed and preached caution and cool
ness to myself for half an hour. Before thi
the rain began to fall, the lightning flashed
and the thunder reverberated in the vale,
below me. 1t was one of the widest AM
grandest scenes of my life, though was no
in the best condition for enjoying il, bein
thoroughly water-soaked.
II reached the valley after 3 o'clock wa
informed by the guides whom ] met in tn
little hotel at the foot of the cliff that 1 wa
} the first traveller that ever entered the vale
by that way alone. L know that the effor
was the greatest physical exertion of my life.