Wichita eagle., 1889-10-27
THE MocKING BIRDS OF YOSEMITE
Festhered Songsters That Possess Many
Charming Characteristics.

Festhered songsters That Possess Many
Charming Characteristics.
Especial Correspondence
SAN FRANCISCO Oct. l0.-Few Of those
who have sojourned even quite long time in
Yosemite valley are aware that it is filed
with myriads Of mocking birds, the other
sights and sounds overpOwering all else, and
besides, the birds make their haunts as far as
possible from the places where the travellers
go. The writer Of this was in that wonderful
valley at the same time that Professor W hit
ney and his family visited 1t, and to visit
them came the late Galel Clarke, who was so
well known as boCanist and geologist, and
also as owner Of the Mariposa house, just on
the summit of the immense mountains that
lie on the Mariposa side OF the valley. With
him was Mr.. Muir, who is also known as one
Of the most learned biologists who study on
that great enigma, Californian geology.
One afternoon Mr.. Clarke invited us to
make a quiet party and ride down to the
Bridal Veil fall, where he would treat US to
such a concert as we had never heard We
rode, and, after picking our way among enor-
nous powders, some of them as large as
houses, that had fallen from time to time
from the cliffs above us, and riding under
the shade of trees that lifted their proud tops
full three hundred feet above the valley, and
yet seemed like saplings compared to the
giant mountains sl1irting the beautiful Mer
ced, whose clear waters glided by swiftly yet
SO still that they gave sound to break the
silence that only echoed to the melancholy
sigh Of the pines above us, W. reached the
point he wished.
The road was really but a blind trail where
ones horse had TO push his way through the
dense chapparel, which was in turn over
grown with wild honeysuckle and such
luxuriance Of other flowers that the air was
heavy with their fragrance. Nothing could
be seen On the side of the river where we
were but the thick verdure and great bowl
ders among the trees, but on the other side
Ell Captain reared his gray head against tho
arching sky proud and grim.
Soon Mr.. Clarke marshaled US all in one
immovable column in a small clear space,
and turned our faces toward the east. We
had heard the rush of waters, the roaring of
the cataract growing louder and louder as
we approached, but as in this great valley
surprise follows surprise and wonder comes
on the heel Of wonder until we had become
too bewildered with it all TO understand, but
here before us was the Bridal Veil fall, pour
ing down into its rocky basin with O roar as
if a thousand cannons. The stream that fell
from that sublime cliff was thin and trans
parent, and looked little thing from that
awful height, seen through this natural rift
in the trees which made fitting frame for
SO grand picture.
The laundering of the water into that
seething caldron ceased, and we looked to
had r,,o vii, hod
that floating, misty veil aside and dashed the
bright drops against the mighty sides of the
mountain, where it nourished millions Of
beautiful flowers, and the misty veil swayed
and swept i'll q rainbow arch far aside, and
silence reigned unbroken for one moment,
and then burst forth the song Of the hooking
birds in the trees, the bushes, the air, until
the whole forest pulsated in unison with their
song.
Millions of brown coated birds there were
everywhere, until the whole Of our very ma
lures seemed permeated with their music
Sometimes low and sweet, again sad and
plaintive, and then full, rich and triumphant
like a paan Of joy and gladness, while we
looked at each other in wondering silence.
Just as it seemed that the melody was unsup-
portably sweet, and that our hearts could not
contain more without the relief of tears or
shouts, the wind died away and the water
again struck with an aweSome roar into its
rocky hollow with a force that made the earth
tremble, and was again dashed to furious foam
and the song of the hooking birds hushed.
Thus it goes on ever and ever, alternately,
and has for ages, the song Of the birds and
the thunderous reverberation of the cataract.
MARIE DALHoUSK.