The New York herald., 1877-10-13

mountain character, the highest mountain marked
wi.h snow patches, and Tho streams coming from the
while a. night water freezes In the buckets, and no
reasonable amount OF covering viii keep one warm.
There Is an abundance OF pine wood for res and tho
mountain passes are excellent for the animals
ur MOUNT wAsHBrHS.
The next day 10 consumed IN slowly travelling up
Mount Washburn, the last 900 iee Of ascent on loot
rms Is the summit so graphically described by Lord
Dunraven In his most excellent book recently pub
shed under the Title OF the "Grezt DIVIDE" Only his
Lordship assumed Mount waahburn 20 be the apex or
this contineD which II Is not but from Mount Wash
burn Is plainly seen, as a map one's feet, tho
whole OF the National PARK and tho mountains TO the
south oi the Yellowstone Lake. whence now tho
waVrs, east, west. north and south THIS Is demon
ttrated ~ Captain Balow's map, but takes IRON The
narration OF Dunraven not particle OF interest, for
any man standing on Mount washburn fcels though
sublime With tho iaoor OF reaching It once l con
tenl do NOT propose 70 try again
Descending Noun. washbarn. oy a tra,l through
woods ono emerges into the meadows or springs out
Of which Cascade Creek takes ts water, and following
10 near IT'S mouth, you camp andwai the Great
Falls and the head OF the Yellowstone canyon. In
grandeur, majesty coloring &C., these, probably,
Capitol good but painting unequal TO
the subject fhoy must DO seep TO be appreciated
aud ict
General Roe an1AI found juttng rock, about a
mile below the Seron Fails, IRON which a perfect view
IS had OF the Seron Falls and tue canyon. Tho upper
The canyon is described as 1000 feet II IS
not two thousand immediately below tie Falls
put lower Gown, LOT canyon tulEty
long, and. where breaks through tho range abreast
Of Washourn, may be 20eO feet. Just below the
seron Fails think 200 fest would be nearer the
exact measurement; but II forms an actual canyon,
the sides being almost vertical and venturIng TO
attempt descent II IS not SO UGH tho form Of this
canyon though fRntastic IA tho extreme, that cced
my admiration, but tho coloring The soft rock
through whicn the waters have cut u way OF tho
most delicate colors-ouh. gray and red-ali so per-
iectly blended as to make picture OF exquisite nnsh
Tho falls and canyon OF the Yellowstone viii remain
10 tho end Of umo objects OF natural be1nty ana gran
IN mr. tn ef flo4 tttnn I'm
TIM hot SPRINGS.
Up 10 this time We had geyscrs hot
ialls We came to sulphur Mountain. : bare. naked,
r-puisye h not OF large extent ut the base OF which
wsre hot bubbing springs With all tho pond crisp with
sulphur nnu six niles irom there up, or south, close
TO the Yellowstone, we reached and catnped ~ Mud
Springs. These also are hot, most OF them mLddy
Water siushcd around as in a boiling pot Some we're
muddy water and others thick mud, pnning up Just
Ike vast pot OF mush. Below Tho ius ino Yellow
stone is rapid bold current OF water so full OF real
specified trout, weighing from SIX ounces and
haii pounds, that, IN tho language OF settler IL Is
no ".rck at all TO catch tnem.h They will bns a, IN
abound here; bat above the falls tue river Is
quiet iowns between low, grassy banks.
naa IN the nA eo aus Lake. sso s: Dssnna w,ss
real specified trout Below the falls these trout are
splendid eating, but above, by reason Of the hot
OBNOXIOUS by reason thereof, though men pretend 10
distinguish the good from the bad by the color Of tho
spots. have no hesitation In pronouncing the Yci-
lowsone IRON the Big Horn TO the source the dnest
trout ashing stream On Garth.
From the Mud springs the trail is due wcsI and
crosses the mountain range which separates the yell
lowstone from tue Madison, both tributaries
Missouri descends tins tributary TO tho fork of
the Madison, and here Is the Lower geyser Basin.
would requrea volume to describe these geysers in
detail. II must suficc tor 70 say that the
Lower Gcvser Basin presents series OF hot spruys
basins OF water coming up from below hot enough
scad your hand boil ham, eggs or anything else,
clear as crystal, with Dusins every conceivable
shape, from the size OF gull 10 actual akcs LOO
yards across. In waking among and around these
one feels that In moment he may break through ami
be lost IN q species OF hell.
THE SCOUTING GEYsgRs
Six miles higher up the West Madison II the Upper
Geyser Basin The spoutng goyser he real object and
surpass my ability the compass OF letter. They
have been dcscrbcd BY Llouteuant Duane, Hayden,
Strong Lord Dunran and many othcrs The maps by
Major Ludlow, OF the snginesrs, locate tho several
gvysers accurately. We reached tno Upper Geyscr
Basin vt twelve NJ one day and remained lhero TIL
lour I. u of tho next During that time wo the
old 'Faithiul' perform At intervals varying from
sxty-two minutes TO eighty minulex The inter
vals vary, but tho performance only vaiics with
the wnd aud sun. the cone, hill, u OF soft,
dccaying lime. bui immediately about the hole, which
Is irregular, about Six feet across, tho ncrusaoh
handsome, SO that ono can look In safety when the
geyser is ut rest SO regular its periods OF
tivty that wo could foreteil As movements within
low minutes. Sometimes we stood cnous III to
feel tho hos spray ut others wo camp about
threo huuurci yards away. Each eruption was simi-
and then would arise column OF hot wafer, steam
Ing ana smoking 10 tho height Of one hundred aud
twenty-five or one hundred and thirty feet the stream
gong hundred or more feet higher, according
State OF the wind IL was dIIcuit 10 say where tho
water ended steam began, and this IN ust De the
reason Why different observers havo repre-
sented different results The whole perform unce
lasts about nve minutes, when the column ol water
gradually sinks anu tho spring assumes It's normal
state Of rest. This IS but one OF some twenty oil tho
active geysers OF this basin. For Tho time
mained we were lucky, Tor We saw tho Beo Hive
uoyss IN eIupsion. aue Lowu anu uro.to were re-
peatediy In agitation, though their jets did not rse
more than twenty ieet We did not the Giant or
the Grand In eruption, but they seemed busy enough
IN bubbps and boiling one 10 airly bewldered by The
variety, extent and actviy ol taese boiling and bub
bling columns oil hot watcr. They do not seem TO
to De volcanic but rather tho rcsut OF tho
action underneath, which produces heat gasses,
which sivc iorce ana activity 10 these gcysers Ex
formally they are not ss beautiful the formation OF
IN the hand and saklng when dry. The specimens
gathered by the curious aud carried OF amount to
nothing The real tnins IS tho quantity, variety and
forms Of action OF these gcyscrs
In our resurn TRIP again visited points OF most
Interest," and some new ones And on approaching
our wagons at tho mouth Of Garduers Rivor, VIC TOOK
the mammoth sprlug called Soda Mountain. This
also the result OF not spfiDg geyser action but
not comparable with the Upper Geyser Basin We got
back ,esterday, bringing back avery horse ana mulc
In good condition. fhs reason was our party
small, aud we carried nsthny but The smallest poss
no suporftuities. The whole distance travelled was
about three hurdred miles, and the time fifteen days.
would give these data about the time needed
these great natural curiosities The trip IL u
hard one aud cannot be softenod
CONDITION THE PARK
The United States have reserved th parx but have
spent hot dollar in lis care. The paths In
dian trails 10 some places bad bad be. There
Is Ltio game IN the par KNOW We saw Two bears two
elks AMI about dozen deer and anelopes, bot Killed.
none. A few sage chickens and abundance OF dish
completed al We got 10 supply our wants. The whole
PARK high beaithy, with abundance of good grass
AMI water at this season Tho general ecvalon above
the sea Is from seven thousand TO twelve thousand
iest aud IN winter must be simply uninnabtaUlo and
We found good weather and were
higny favored in every respect. In some parts the
mosquito and hurae ny active, but not Us
bad described uclore We started. We saw
no signs Of Indians. and fcIt mouent u
sense oil danger more than we do here. some four
or i've parties swarmej to tho park from curiosity but
now the tra Is very slack Two small parties ui ct-
zens were IN the PARK with u.s. and our return wo
met sums others, but all small.
This 10 sunday, real day vi rest, and have cndeav
orcd 10 give the VIDE ana rapid sketch Ia hopes
count Tor fifteen days absence duty at this pc
iiod oi military ACTIVITY but have faith that there
are plenty OF good officers duty their posts TO do
all tnat Is demanded oi tue army. now propose TO
go TO work TO study closer the present and
luture prospects oil Montana bourng GU the great
military problem, all Of which viii be duly reported.
Win greut respect, &c., w. T. SHERMAN
ffYrH LITTER.
HELENA. NJ. T., Wednesday, August 90, 1877.
DEAR Sis--l wrole you last the lgtD INST nj Fort
Ellis, since which time | have been on the 70 ana
un In l,o