The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-06

THE team will be here at 5 o'clock to-
morrow morning. and If you are not ready
to start at once, you will get left"
Five O'Clock r. said the younger brother
with the usual boyish sheer at the thought
of girls being on time. IF you give them
till you will have half an hour to wait"
We girls looked at each other and vowed
inwardly that If we had never been on time
before. and never would be again. the next
morning should see US waiting for the
wagon at the gate. Had we not been urged
to an energy rarely found in the weaker
sex so early in the day by the skeptical re-
marks of the boys. the prospect of drive
from Ukiah to Blue Lakes. in that pic-
turesque region we had heard described as
THE Switzerland of America" and which
we had hoped to visit some day in the dim
future, was sufficiently aluring to call us
up betimes.
1t was very high sprng-wagon with two
seats on which three could sit comfortably,
and with plenty of room left for the
baskets and a small person. SO. we
started off. merry party OF seven, and
had gone nearly mile before sunrise.
Any one who has never taken an early
ride in the country where pines and frs
and redwoods, with innumerable trees of
smaller growth. adorn the mountains.
where the roads wind around the sides Of
canyons hundreds of feet deep, crossing
the creeks that you have been watching
from above when the bottom OF the valley
Is reached, with hop fields and hay fields
and green meadows, fenced in by those
picturesque log fences covered with moss.
cannot fully appreciate to delights OF such
trip as this. The exbilaration Of such a
drive must be felt; 1t cannot be described.
,Uriah was not far behind us when we
discovered that one of our bottles had lost
It's cork. and a halt was called. The DAM
age was light but we united in emplying
the original package" so that no harm
might be done by leakage.
Presently we came to the new road
which climbs the side of the mountain al
steep grade. A short distance ahead were
two lumber-wagOns, so heavily loaded that
they had to stop about every fifty feet to
allow the horses to rest. The road was
not wide enough for US to pass, and we
we're obliged to take their dust. Mean
while the sun was beating down holly
from the heavens, and Upper Lake seemed
q thousand miles away AT last we got by,
and soon left even the sound OF their bells
behind.
Blue Lakes! AS you make the bend in
the road and catch first glimpse OF them
from the Interest, you understand at once
why that name is theirs. Sparkling in the
sunshine, where the wind rippes over,
but placid near the shores. and so blue!
almost like indigo.
The banks are very steep; In fact the
lakes are situated in deep valleys between
the noun tains. They are in reality only
two bodies of wafer instead of three.
narrow passage connecting the first and
second lakes. which together are over two
miles in length. Their greatest width is
about one mile. The third lake is short
as the others. Tall, sentinel-llke trees and
brush, grown over with wild grape and
other vines, cover the shores aud are
mrrOred in the deep waters.
The occasional Swiss cottages on the
further side increase the resemblance to
the country of which this region IS called
a miniature. It is indeed Slngularly like
Sw tZerland in the Jura mountains.
Were snowcaps anywhere visible Swiss
might consider himself among his own
beloved "crags and peaks"
Summer resorts have been built at each
of the lakes. on the small areas of level
land which seem so greatly IN contrast to
the steep banks around.
We eat lunch in the shade Of tall trees,
and never was food dispatched with greater
relish. Afterward we made some explOra-
tons on foot. stoned "water-dogs" in the
creeks and INDUCED in the real luxury Of a
row on the azure waters.
Then came the ride toward home, past
the lovely lakes, dark and mystical in the
subdued light. with long mountain shadows
falling over them. The Indian legends OF
the monsters that dwell in them were
told. and one could easily imagine genius
ruling here. but one that would be any
thing but terrible. It is true. however,
that the Indians will not wash their hands
IN the water. nor can they be tempted 20
sail on it. In us they inspired only CRATE
fulness. that such beauty is everlasting,
and delight that we had locked upon 1t.
IRENE F. TAYLOR.