Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-25

with those Of a returning OF passing flock /
OF BLACK swans, Viii add Co the concert. In
q moment OF silence one may be startled
by the hooking laughter Of the jsekass, or
the melancholy mo-pOke' OF the bird Of
that name The dead Of night is not so
still as the universal hush OF the burning
noon. Az the afternoon grows we half re-
lacsantiy continue cur way. Leaving the
magrolias behind us we pass through
a PERFECT YERE PARADISE,
Nothing meeting the eye but tall tree ferns
above and inuunerable ferns proper Of all
sizes beneath. TIE orchids here are also
very plentiful, and a beautiful creeper,
whose paGs / cannot at present recall.
Shortly afterwards we emerge from this
intricate scrub and enter "a abrupt belt OF
gums, passing through which we come
upon g slcping plain Of very green erase,
considering she late season. The slgh5 ls
now vsry beautiful one. We stand upon
a kind Of plateau, and can see Tor miles
northeast, east and south Below Us Is
deep gully, dense with tree ferns. Rising
from tnis 6 monot0nous wall IF sassairas.
white gum, stringy barr, etc, rises sheer
back TIL 5E Tlerges IN an olive wave that
perpetuAtes Itself ~ endless rolling ranges,
getting bluer and blusr as they sweep into
the distance, until their purple luea break
agsins. the solemn summit Of Mount KOS
ciusko in the east, and in the southeast
against that great succession Of towering
peaks which guard the sources Of the Muir
ray river. Mount B0gong heayes his
rounded shoulders apparently close at hand
and shat most beautiful Of hills, Mount
Feathertop IS. 300 fsetl rises in silent
grandeur into the serene southern skies
Like d twin brother the rugged mass Of
Mount Hotham (6, 100 feet towers along
side This Ben n us of Australia So IN
tousely clear ia toe atmosphere that the
tree-clsd slopes Of Mount Feathertop are
as distinctly visible as though but raiie
or two away. The whole scene
is EcoNcE1vADLr BEAUTIFUL,
Aud one never 30 be forgotten. as the
ait, moon wears on it becomes still more
30, for that magical blue thar ahraulg so
many Of the hill districts OF Australia in
It's soft loyeliness Just before the close ~
the day, begins to st5sl forth from app8-
rertly 5he iarthe5t eastern ranges, and falls
ike a transparent vail over mountain and
hight and drovBY slope. Only those who
have seen in the mountainous districts this
inelfzbly delicate and tender blue can know
what a magical effect 1t has, even or those
range covered with nothing but the SOM
Der olive OF blue-gum foliage. Il has
strange dreamiuess OF unreali5y about it,
and seems to spirItualzz every object it
enfolds. As The sun Gets beyond tne TN
seen Buffalo mountains in the west, its last
rays light up the sides Of Mount Bogong
With a rich magnifi.snce Of color, and Of
sudden, as it were, che beautiful peak Of
teather.Op flashes into extraordinary brill
lance, while its topmost nights glow as
with fiery Ind molten gold. For few
moments the hills and ranges seem to be
drawing towards us, so extraordinary ere
the atmospheric effects. I had one regret
that J had not Witnessed this magnificent
scene FROM THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT FEATH-
ERrOP
Or Hotham. Such scene has BEEN else.
where eloquently described, and I cannot
refrain from quoting from the Government
report the passage IN question: As we
made the ascent towards Mount Hothsn
our attention was attracted at first by the
rocks and the vegetation.
% the right appeared Q mountain rich in
bossy sculptures that attracted all eyes. It
gloWed in the sun with all sAe brightness
OF the emerald, and over it-as IL seemed
like waves-hashed ever and anon pale
tints Of carmine and purple, In hollows
on Its tanks lay in patches heritage of a
vivid green, showing where the snow bad
inst dissppeared-cradles of young glaciers
that can never mature. The high Bogoug
plains separated from US by deep cIasms
and wide valleys, out OF which arose zcl,-
taTy peaks and broken ridges, seemed, as
we ga2ed on them, 70 be sleeping; the
slopes were scored, but rot deeply, the
even line Of the plain was not broken, and
she light OF the sun fell on them softly, not
making deep shadows and showing zbarp
contrasts, and in those parts where the do.
nuding forces had worked fantastic ho.Iows
and carved long straight lines for the dis
charge Of melted SHOWS.
TIE BoGoNG PLAINS WERE SLEEPING
In the folds Of pearl-gray and paie-pur.
pie mists thai encompassed them; and
these misbs hid from us Mount Kosciusko.
Forest Elill, the Pilot and the lofty ranges
lying TO the eastward. Towards the south.
Tabletop, with his Gaping of volcanic
rcck. stood ia the center Of an amphithea-
ter, and Mount st. Bernard and the Twins
showed their peaks on the west. Rising
10 a greater hight We beheld, on the north
and northeast, all the lofty eminences
/ whose springs feed the Murray and we
stopped here, satisfied that Nature could
/ afford no grander spectacle. The
magnificent mountains, whose crests seemed
+ to lift themselves IS we assembled, appeared
( from this point, tier upon tier, far into the
blue distance. The deep gorges, almost
/ lost III haze az we gazed down wards, showed
/ through the haze something's their gloomy
| recesses.' Before turning orr horses heads
. towards the southwest where, q few miles
! further on, lay our haltiHg-place, we took
/ enc farewell look az the beautiful pano-
rams spread out before us-a sight worth
having come a long way for. The sun had
/ set, ana the splend5r had gone with it
but instead. calm, solemn beauty ovsr-
spread every object. The deep blue was
deepening into purple, and all at once It
seemed as If a camp had been lighted in the
! sky, as Sirius famed through the darkeu-
1 ing dusk Chambera's Journal.
- -.
a REMINDER.
That reminds me lr 3. story .-