The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-04-06

rent, hurrying down declivities, spinning
around abrupt angles, and dashing itsel
into foam at every turn. Standing in tn
depths of this gigantic canyon a man il
but flea. To miss his footing and b.
sucked to death by a whirlpool would b.
to perish among what seem the thunder
and the sombre and stupendous formation
of original chaos.
The scenery above the Elephants Back
through which the Yellowstone has thu
carved its way, is tame and pastoral
Flowing over a sandy bed, with gently
sloping and well-wooded banks, the river
is broad, smooth stream. In the peace
full valley which sleeps between the distant
mountains, is space enough for farms and
thriving hamlets.
The monotony of the expanse is relieved
however, some miles farther on, by the
largest group of sulphur and mud spring.
on the south side of the Yellowstone. The
group is distinguished as the Seven Hills,
and covers an area half mile square,
Several mounds of silicious deposits from
extinct springs, varying in height from
fifty to hundred and fifty feet, have Civ
en- it this name. These show that the pre-
sent active springs represent only the last
stages of what must have been in the past
a magnificent phenomenon. The existing
springs are either boiling, mud, or quie,
springs. On the west side one spring pro.
duces sound like that of locomotive
The principal boiling spring is near the
base of the hills, and sends up column OF
water two feet. The mud springs emit
thud-like noises every second, with impul.
ses at long intervals that throw up the mud
several feet. The sounds and sights here
make nature queer company. She speaks
with extraordinary voices.
Sixteen miles above the upper fall of the
Yellowstone and eight miles above the
Seven Hills, is the Yellowstone Lake
This beautiful sheet, which lies among the
snow-peaks of the highest mountain, $500
feet above the sea, is about twenty-five
miles long from north to south, and has an
average width of fifteen miles from east to
west. The river enters it on the south and
finds an outlet at the northern end. The
lake is very irregular in outline. Several
high promontories project from the south
ern and western shores, greatly diminish
ing its apparent size, but adding to it's
beauty. Heavy masses of timber cover the
shores quite down to the waters edge,
leaving here and there, however, lovely
beaches bordsred with grassy slopes, odor-
GUS with flowers. In the deep embayments
sit myriads of ducks and other wild fowl,
and the waters furnish several fine varieties
of fish. The mountain rim of the lake rises
from 1900 to 1000 feet above its surface,
and, except in two directions is unbroken.
To the west and southwest are breaks in
the chain, though one of which appear the
outlines of a conspicuous conical peak, 49,
500 feet in height. In the mountain sys-
tenn which surrounds the lake are born the
tributaries almost the principal sources)
of three of the largest rivers on the CONT
nent. Four of the most important tribu-
taries Of the Missouri, namely, the Big
Horn, the Yellowstone, the Madison, and
the Gallatin-have their springs here
Flowing first north, then east, they strike
the Missouri, which in its turn flows south
easterly to the Mississippi Valley, where its
waters are blended with the stately stream
that empties its tides at last, $500 miles
below, into tine Gulf of Mexico. The Snake
River, whose sources are actually interlaced
with those of the Madison and the Yellow
stone, turns westward, and traverses nearly
thousand miles of territory before it joins
the Columbia on its way to the Pacific
Ocean. Again, the Green River, rising
but few miles from the sources of the
others, seeks the Colorado of the West,
which, after innumerable windings through
deserts, and roaring passage of hundreds
of miles in the abysses of canyons surpass-
ing even those of the Yellowstone in gran
deur, depth, and gloom, reaches the Gulf
of California. Penetrating to the lofty
recesses where these springs arise, the ex-
plorer stands, as it were, astride of the
grandest watershed in the world. A peb-
BILE dropped into one spring touches
water. nerve of the Pacific; pebble cast
into another touches similar nerve of the
Atlantic Ocean. 1t is thought to cause
the wings of the spirit of a man IN such
place to expand like an eagles.
We now pass into region south Of the
Yellowstone Lake, which is more unique,
and in some respects more impressive, than
any OF the others. This is the Fire-hole
Basin, the seat of the greatest known gey-
sers, and the scene of other natural curios-
tiles, to describe which, geographically
and in detail, would be impossible in pop
ular letter. Some modern Bunyan might
adopt the approach to the Fire-hole as the
scene of the " Pilgrims Progress"
The Fire-hole River is branch Of the
Madison, and the course from Yellowstone
Lake leads westerly through a broken
country, whore are encountered from time
to time innumerable indications of the hot
springs which are tho heralds of the true
geysers. The Fire-hole Basin is entered
from the north, and there and in the viein-
ity appears bewildering succession of
wonders.
The two geysers first encountered are
called ths Sentinels. One is in constant
agitation, its waters revolving horizontally
with great violence and occasionally up
ward twenty feet. Near a plateau con-
tanning some fifteen or twenty hot springs
are situated the Fan Geysers, whose waters
spread out in the shape Of a fan. The walls
and arches of the Grotto-an exceedingly
INTRICATE and fantastic formation of rock
and spring deposits, from the summit of
which a geyser plays to the height of sixty
feet, and from whose numerous apertures
below the water issues with the play Of
fountain-have a splendid effect. Near the
Grottc IS remarkable group of geysers,
of which one, called the Giant, throws q
column Of water fifteen feet in :siameter to
measured altitude Of I56 feet. This dis
play is continued for an hour and half, and
50 immense is the quantity of water dis