The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-08-25

the worth OF the dollar you pay for a meal.
Three miles further and we stand on the
verge OF Inspiration Point, looking into that
stupendous gallery of fine arts where ma
sonry, architecture, sculpture, and painting
are ali from the hands of the Great Master
We hasten down the steep rough trail to
reach Bridal Veil Fall at O'Clock, while the
ralnbows are on it. l shall ever hold in
charmed memory my impressions of this
yelled bride, crowned with diamonds that
reflected the lingering sunlight in rainbow
tints, upon her soft fieecy robes that sway
and fiutter in the wind, lending
that cspricious beauty that must
have suggested to the Indians the name
Pohono Esprit of the evil wind). Though
we would love to linger, daylight is fading,
and we pass on to view Cathedral Rocks,
embracing the colossal dome and twin
spires, huge columns with heavy cornice,
wind statues in gro.esque inches gloomy
corridors that might lead to inquisitorial
caves, confessional recesses occupied by
kneeling suppliant, and robed priest, unique
and cowled monk, with the retinue of i'm
ages, and pariphernalia grouped to suit your
own imaginings; all tinged with molten
glory or touched by twilight shades
We were demoralized with fatigue
that night, having been eleven
satisfied that the Yosemite tourist must be
able bodied. However, a days rest COM
pletely restored us, giving us, beside, the
advantage of cleaning much OF the history
of the valley since its discovery in 1852 by
Capt. Boiling, who, at the head of a band of
men in pursuit of herd of horses stolen by
the Indians, suddenly found himself on the
verge of a sheer precipics overlooking this
wonderful canon. The cottage in which we
roomed stands before the Yosemite
Iall, the loftiest cataract on the
globe, half mile high and one foot more,
| nf nj,
1 ing through rent in the deep
blue canopy of heaven. Whilst
sitting on the porch gazing
fall, swaying from side to side in measured
vibrations, lady, who brought her knitting
work, inquired, how L was pleased with
the valley!" The spell was broken. / could
not answer her question, but said, how is it
that you take all this so coolly when the rest
OF US are fairly beside ourselves? She re-
piled,
OH! YOU CAN GET USED ToIT.
L have spent six weeks at time the past
three summers here" am sure that moth
ing could ever divert my attention from such
surroundings. But presently we strolled up
to the foot of the fall, and met there a
gentleman whose acquaintance we
had previously made; who, carelessly
walking over the fragments of rock that
/ thickly paved the ground, cast his eve and
hand, simultaneously on the same spot. and
bringing up the latter full of stones, display
ed the finest specimen ofgold quartz we had
ever seen; Instantly the excitement Of '47
was eclipsed. and all heads were bowed to
the shrine of mammon. But, what was our
chagrin, when a twinkle in the perpetrators
! eve exposed to us the fact that this was
merely play upon our credulity, the speci-
men being souvenir of rich mine far dis
tant; and, where now was our boosted love
of natures charms? Early in the morning
July 4, brim full of Independence, we grace
fully mounted our spirited mustangs,
II refer to departed spirits) and began to
celebrate, telling the guide that he must
show us sleeper trails than we had yet trav-
ersed, if he expected TO witness any dra-
matte display from the ladies of this party.
Being assured that our experiences that day
would gladly satisfy us, we started in just
east of Cathedral Rocks, climbing up zigzag,
making slow but sure Roadway toward the
distant height, till we came directly in front
of Sentinel Rock, that looms up like a gil
gantic signal station 5000 feet above our
heads, and still below us was the valley,
where We were pointed to mass of debris
that had cleaved from the very pin
nacle of this giddy tower three days
before, and striking the terraced
base, had torn up shrub and tree, and
borne them on in its course. Looking upon
this devastation and the portentous crag
above, we sought comfort in that oft quoted
passage substituting word), Sufficient
unto the moment is the evil thereof" We
halted at Union Point for cursory views,
and it was something sublimely awful to
look down that almost vertical slope
whittier we had come. At many points a
single misstep of our cautious beasts would
have plunged us headlong hundreds Of feet
down, and we could understand how a
timid person might become almost a petrifi-
cation from physical fear. Dis
mounting at Glacier Point, we made a
general survey Of all around and beneath
US; and, what of comprehensive grandeur
and loneliness, can not be seen from this
lookout, may not mortal crave. Every
lofty dome, and tower, royal arch, and mas
sive column, with Mirror lake, Yosemite,
Vernal, and Nevada falls, are distinctly Wis
sible. Two hours later we waded through
snow six feet deep, and sat upon the chair
shaped pine tree on the very summit OF
SENTINEL DOME,
s. $50 feet skyward, our thoughts like a
winged bird, reveling in space as serene as
limitless, a fitting commemoration OF
nations liberty. Retracing our steps at
midday, we suddenly dropped from
the sublime, to enjoy a little season
of snow battling, reminding Us patheticalIy
of "Auld- Lang-Syne." This dome is back OF
Glacier Point, so that proceeding to the east,
we visited the last named precipiee- The
name signifies, The Great Rock of the Elk"
and there is story that during one of the
expeditions of troops into the valley, In
search of che Indians, the soldiers undertook
to climb this rock, when the hunted red men
suddenly appeared upon its summit. and
began to roll large boulders, that came down
with terrific speed, and laundering noise,
frightening the pale-faces, who fled with
head-long haste, but the destructive missiles,
smote many of them with instant death.
Higher and still higher we climb tor an
other mile, and then bracing back in the
saddle. at an angle of forty-five degrees, and
swaying with the motion of our horses, the
descent is safely made, and we pass through
| it of wild encbantment, Astounding in fis-
sures, romantic caverns, and the finest of
Il x.<.l I>x- . to