The Portland daily press., 1871-07-07

CALAvERAs COUNTY
25th June, 1871.
DEAR SIR: As we have extended cur re-
searches among the Big Trees farther than
most passing travellers are apt to do, an &C.
count OF our expedition may not be without
interest We take the trees on our way to
Yosemite 1.-THE authorized photography which
is more OF an undertaking and requires more
preparation than it would to return I, our
own home. From San Francisco to Stockton
by rail, 81 miles; from Stockton to Milton by
rail 2s miles, and from Milton to the Trees,
Do miles OF rough mountain roads in Con-
coro stage at first and wagon afterwards.
Inc drlVe alone takes from $40 A. M. till &
I. NJ and is very fatigung. But in this cool
iresh' mountain air one may get sound sleep
at an early hour, and little previous practice
in travelling enables one to endure a good
deal. We feel ourselves amply rewarded by
the intimate acquaintance we have formed
with several OF the Big Trees themselves, for
indeed they deserve better than to be disposed
of en- masse, and can be indvidualized almost
as successfully as men and women. The
NANNS ~ Wills PtoSC HuuDcIS ABOUT OF
these amiable and beautiful monsters, and we
have spent three days among them, offering
them an honest tribute of reverence. The
gentlemen of the party have verified many of
the measurements. One who has not seen
them can get no fair impression of their image
from even the most accurate description of
their huge proportions; for there is about
each OF them majesty and grandeur, and as
we have said, an individuality which defy fig
ures. There is as great difference between
the expression of the aged "Mother of the
Forest" who stands at the head OF the aven-
ue by which we approach her, and stretches
outher now-withered arms over her progeny
and "The Three Graces" who stand not far
away, as there is betweensthe ideas of august
motherhood and OF classic grace. But these
Big Trees are too well known to need
further mention, and we will give more time
to describing the less frequently visited South
Grove, which is some eight miles distant, and
is said to contain thirteen hundred of these
notable giants. There is but one method of
approaching their almost inaccessible noun
tain fastness, and that is on horseback, with
experienced horses, and under the care of
skilful guide. The path is what is called a
''trail," and though horses do go safely over
it, it often seems in looking forward to it or
back upon it, little better than the trail some
very small and fantastically-disposed serpent
may have left behind him. Our party of four
ladies and four gentlemen, started about
eight on tine beautiful morning of yesterday,
and following "the DOCTOR" our guide, p!ung-
ed at once into the forest and had climbed a
part OF the first ascent, when the horse of one
of the party,-an admirable horsemen by the
way-went through the performance techni.
cally denominated "bucking," and his rider
finding it impossible to retain his seat, resign
ed it with as much grace as circumstances
would permit; the horse plunging down the
hill on his fore legs with his heels in air. Two
of the ladies were close behind; one had time
to get out of the path, but the other only es-
capped the onslaught by jumping from the sad
die. Fortunately no one was hurt, and the
misadventure was soon remedied by sending
back for another horse and finding the saddl G
which had been thrown among the bushes by
the runaway animal. On we went, over hills
and valleys,-and hills and valleys in this
and descent or SO moderate in heights and
depths as our New England vales,-now in
deep forest shade, and now upon some barren
height. At times we seemed TO descend into
the bowels of the earth, to find at bottom a
ripping brook, and in two places river; and
then by an equally abrupt, precipitous ascent
to come again into the upper air. The small
er river and the brooks we forded; the larger
river was brawlng, tossing, rocky stream
which was spanned by what, in courtesy, we
will call bridge, but which consisted of 9
narrow pathway of loose logs meeting upon
broad rock in the middle, over the ups anG
downs of which the horse climbs with Sc
fles OF Jerks which give the riders head a
semi circular gymnastic exercise from the
horses neck to the horses tail and back
again in tolerably regular succession. Bat
all things can be endured by those who travel
for pleasure, and being suitably attired and
tolerably courageous, we push on for three
hours, and enjoy the glorious views both near
and distant, looking up with admiration at
the unclOuded magniicence of the heavens,
or smiling back upon the million flowers
which smile at us on every step CT our way.
Such lavish luxuiiance of blossoming as we
meet everywhere is immeasurable, and the
quantity is only equalled by the variety of the
flowers and their tints, by turns gorgeous and
delicate. We pass pine trees of immense size
which lift their heads to heaven from spires
straight as an arrows flight; cedars with rich,
shining branches; oaks with tendencies more
spreading than aspiring; and at last halt
at the empty cabin which has been built
at the entrance to the Grove. As the ladies
have essayed this trip as test of their capac-
ity for undertaking the well known fatigues
OF the Yosemite Valley, there ensues an ex-
change of congratulations in regard to their
manner of achieving their present amount of
success. Lunch was partaken of, and
lounges were improvised from the soft side of
| pine boards on which we rested for mo e
than an hour. Mounting again we
penetrated by an obscure trail into the inmost
recesses where dwell in grand seclusion these
mighty denizens of the primeval forest. Here
are the trees called CLEOPATRA" "The Lean
ing Tower" "David and Jonathan" "The
President" "New York." and SO on through
many more efforts of the imagination in no.
menclature. Ruth and N.,omi" are two es-
pecially graceful trees that grow so closely and
continuously in loving nearness, that from
base to topmost height of three hundred feet
not more Than yard of space separates
them. "Noahs Ark" is PROSTATE monster
with hollow trunk, through which we walk
| cd for more than hundred feet; across the
immense length of PROSTATE "Goah" nine
can march abreast. "The Great Eastern" has
lain so long that the top has fallen in, and
she looks like a huge boat waiting for an
ocean to float upon; in one still flourishing
tree, hollow at the roots, we rode into the so
caItad cabin whiah fnpDoc in oil hoe ~
age and fire attack their bases, and as our nine
horses stood side by side, there was room fol
nearly as many more beneath its shelter
| One grand old tree was said to be, perhap:
| through sudden courtesy of the guide to us
| "The State of Maine,' and we gave it affec
tiOnate greeting as we passed under its sol
elm, dark green foliage. Many and man,
4 more OF enormous growth we rode by, som,
lnll of life and strength, some dried of the
own sap, but clothed with vivid green of par
asitic moss, Others blasted by heavens light
nings lifting their blackened branches in mute
A protest to the sky.
II In intense contrast 10 the somewhat stern
H silence of these monarch trees which speak
| only when the strong winds call upon them
i are the tiny brightcolored flowers which
ll creep up to their roots and timidly Qniyer al
1 each passing breath. Some fowerets, mere
n atoms, as it were, have so gay taste tha,
] their little cups must needs wear two colors
\ and are half golden yellow, the other hal
\ snowy white. Larger blossoms emulate
H the rainbow hues, and climb to taller heights
i the small trees look up among the straight
Y columns of their grand relations, the ferr
leaves wave, the wild birds sing, the cloud
| gather into grayer light, and on over the long
/ slow, difficult trail which leads us homewart
we pass, weary, but glad that we have seen 81
much; and as the twilight comes on we pas
beneath The meeting tops of the over -archin!