Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-09-15

u oxen standing before plow. Th
i will give some idea Of the clevatio
G at which we stood.
The little unpainted hotel in til
5 valley was within a mile and a ha
I Of us; it was nineteen or twent
I miles to follow the trail to tn
! same point. l said to the guide
Cant we get down at some point
and not have to endure so long
ride ~ He said there was a poin
about a mile from there at which
descent could be made, though h
had never tried it, but two or thre
had. So he went to the place. ]
is four thousand feet higher thar
the valley. The way looked smooth
though very steep. The guild,
said it was possible for us to q
down. Who could doubt it? Bu
he could not go with us. He mus
go on hunt next morning. Gen
Howard and wife were oftLe party
beside him were three more of us
three men and two women in all
SO we resolved to 90 down the
dreadful way. One Of the women
hesitated, and soon all but myself
had abandoned the enterprise. SO
they wished me success, and l be.
gan to descend alone, little think
ing what was before, 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
about, as thought, half way down.
The sun at first poured down on
me. Then the clouds came over
the valley. l then came to a preci.
pice and wall ofrock on both sides.
For a time l could see no way
down. crept about, with all cau-
ton, on hands and knees. / Ipeered
over frightful places. To turn
back l was ashamed. / let myself
down the rocks by the branches of
bushes. At one place l went down
the fall of a rock ten or twelve
feet At the top it was about two
feet broad, and as steep as a Gothic
roof A wall Of rock arose on my
right, and on my left chasm. At
about half way to the bottom the
rock became so narrow that there
was not room enough for my body
to lie upon it, and no place for my
fingers or toes to hold on. | was
in fix. 10 attempt to descend
further would be madness or death. !
With the greatest effort managed
to turn on my face in order to re
turn. In so doing my field, glass
got under my-breast on the rock,
my position dangerous ;
and it required all the strength l
had to remount the rock. felt
exhausted, and stretched myself in
a orevice and breathed and preached |
caution and GOODNESS to myself for
half an hour. Before this the rain
began to fall, the lightning flashed,
and the thunder reverberated in the
valley below me. 1t was one Of
,he widest and grandest scenes of
ny life, though | was not in the
pest condition for enjoying it, be-
ng water-soaked. / reached the
,alley after five O'clock, l was in
'ormed by the guides whom l met
n the little hotel at the foot of the
.liff, that l was the first traveller
hat ever entered the valley by that
way, alone. l know that the effort
vas the greatest physical exertion
# my life.
The Yosemite Valley is about
light miles long. The general
curse of the valley is nearly east
nd west. The width Of the level
ottom- land from one-half a mile
a mile. The two sides of the
alley are crooked and nearly par
llel to each other. They are of
ranite, varying in height from one
lousand two hundred to four
lousand seven hundred feet. Into
his valley there come laundering
even or eight cataracts. The Me
ld river, sixty feet wide, comes
ITO this valley at two leaps, one
f seven hundred and the other of |
lree hundred and firty feet. The {
osemite, just opposite, has fall l
f one thousand six hundred feet, S
nd then two or three more shorter '
les before it reaches the valley I
he valley is mostly in a wild, un-
nproved state. 1t is partly Gov Il
ed with forest of pines and oaks L
he valley is the home ofnumerous 0
,rts of birds not found up in the S
ountains. The place, in short,
one of natures chosen spots
9TH man and beast seem to love u
l was jogging along last evening, v
sundown, about two miles from +,
re, under the fall of the Captain, a
rec thousand three hundred feet +,
the perpendicular, when l came a
ddenly upon a huge cinnamon h
lored bear. We both seemed to ,.
Of one mind; neither of us had a
e slightest desire for further ac
aintance. f,
l have looked upon many grand
enes in many lands, but know Il
nothing equal, in all respects, to 81
c Yosemite and its surround g
gs.