The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-26

and the leaders spring forward, while tue
b,ake suaps cautiously as II about TO give
way. d Amt II grands Amt that rain
bow magnificent,
q Ycs.yery fine,o echo the.terri6ed pas
seuvers, while they look In an auogeiner
l,fferent direction and cling closer TO their
seafs. At the same time wishing themselves q
thousand miles away, zap In q balloon, or
some other equally safe place compared 20
their apparently precarous position.
Al last the fearful ride Is ended ana the
valley Is reached In safety. Then you TOOK
IN Of those towering mountains ana smile
Al, your fear, and wish there was tunnei
bored through them so you could go out
on level ground. A ride OF few miles up
the valley. along the banks OF The clear
MERGED river, and the end OF the journey Is
reached at Bsrnard's Hotel. AT this place
Is obtained
the BEST VIEW OF THE VALLEY.
In front Glacier Point towers 1920 feet
above the canyon, while In the rear 81 the
hotel, aud less than half a mile distant. roar
the Yosemite Falls, which tumble In the
widest and most fantastic manner $500
feet from the summit OF the mountain. TO
the left, at the upper end OF the valley, can
be seen the North and South Domes, one
4. 200 feet and the other 600 feet In height,
and both perfect domes In appearance.
South of the domes the Liberty Cap rears Its
shining top, and the beautiful Nevada and
yernai Falls rush over the cliffs, enc fall-
ing GOO and TIE other 400 feet. To the right
Of the hotel can be plainly seen Sentinel
Rock and Dome, the Cathedral Spires, III
CAPTAIN, Inspiration Point, and the Three
Brothers, all mountain peaks over 1900 feet
above the valley. After resting over night
the traveller is driven early the next morn.
ing TO the Mirror Lake, at the upper end oil
The valley. Here he sees the sun rise IN The
clear waters OF the beautiful lake, and OBJ
serves the surrounding cliffs and noun
taius perfectly reproduced. A very pecu-
liar phenomenon is here seen--that OF
doube-mirror view, In which the
trees on the mountain sides are re-
reflected in such way that they appear
in their natural upright positions in the
water instead OF being inverted. This al.
WAYS excites a great deal OF astoDishment
on the part OF visitors. but is, in fact, per-
fectly natural occurrence, caused by the To-
cation OF the lake between the mountain.
walls, whose tops, from the valley, seem
almost Joined together. Returning from
the lake, sure-footed mustangs are provided,
and the tourist undertakes the ascent OF the
mountain by one OF the narrow mountain
trails. Generally the traveller is taken to
Glacier Point, thence to Sentinel Dome,
thence back TO the hotel by way Of the
NEVADA AND vERNAL FALLS.
The trip is long one, being over eighteen
miles around, and requiring the greater
part OF the day; butt possesses this adyan.
tage By taking it one is enabled to see all
the pricipal points OF interest In the Vailey
i'm one day-a consideration that weighs a
great deal with most travellers. Leaving
the hotel with an experienced mountain
guide i'm the lead and the tourists ranged IN
Single file behind, the mustangs Immediately
strike the trail and slowly wind up the steep
mountain side. For three long hours they
keep climbing up. up, up, until one Is forcl'
bIy reminded Of that well-known SUM-
hymn, "Clmbing up lions
Hill; climbing, climbing, climbing up
Zion's HILL" the hill. like the song, SEEM
ing to have no end. At times thsm ustangs
turn sharp corners, which hang over appall-
inc precipces, where asingle misstep would
be instant death. Then the trail enters the
thickets, where perfect security seems to
reign; but the precipice is still there, and
were q mustang TO slide oil the traveller
would 60 down thousands Of feet. At last
Glacier Peint is reached, and you look over
a sheer cliff 1920 feet to the valley
below. An iron rail protects the sight
seer, and the grand view OF the
whole valley may be enjoyed without
the slightest fear. "You see that
rock running out there" said our trUsty
old guide, John Hamilton. "Well, last
summer had one OF them feInale-sufirage
women up here and she determined 10 set
out thar and hang her feet over the valley.
We'll, / urged her not to do it, but she'd
lust set her heart on it and she went. And
thar she sot with her feet dangln' over and
clappin' her hands and shoutin' like little
child, while stood shiverin' and shiv-
erin for fear she'd fall, and when she did
Git on solid ground agin l couldn't help
cussin' and ctissiu' the luck that didn't send
her over" From Glacier Point
THE TRAIL LEADS TO
Sentinel Dome, thence around the edge OF
the mountains to the Nevada Falls, thence
down the mountains 10 the Vernal Falls.
Both these falls are very beautiful, one be-
ing 600 feet In height and the other 400 feet.
The tourist rides almost under them on his
fearless mustang-So close that he is sprin.
Killed. with their spray. From the Vernal
Fails the trail leads right down the noun.
tain sides, the precipice being 50 steep that
the trail is built like a terrace, winding
back and forth, but all the time going down.
down TO the bottom of the valley. At dark
the hotel is reached, and good supper
and refreshing nights rest prepare the
tourist for his ride out OF the valley the
next day. Early the next morning the
traveller is On his way again, this time with
the Calayeras Big Trees as the objective
point. The road is by way Of Priests Chi.
nese Camp, Sonora, and Murphy's Camp
and the best part OF two days is occupied
in making the journey. Still, there Is much
of interest on the way, and one does not
tire in the least. The stage passes through
country once famous for It's placer
diggings. and now well known for its
hydraulic and quartz mining. During
the Journey the stage passes within 9
half mile Of the wonderful natural bridge:
Of California, and the traveller is given an
opportunity to see this great curiosity. The
largest OF the two bridges is 240 feet long
and 10 feet broad in the widest place. A
small mountain stream rushes under the
bridge, ana the traveller can follow Its
course through the dark passage. The roof
Of the passage is beautifully ornamented
with stalactites, while the sides are OF the
hardest and smootbest marble. These
bridges were discovered as far back as 1850,
but owing TO
THEIR REMOTE LOCATION
have received but little attention from The
travelling public. Now that the Big Oak
Fiat stage route approaches so near to them
they will probably be visited by many hun.
dreds OF tourists. The CaIayeras is the
largest grove OF big trees in the State
containing in all over 500 trees Of immense
proportions, some being more than 35 feel