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The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of California (c1870)

r r r Cover [image] r Title r Contents r Routes to the Yosemite Valley r General Information r The Yosemite Valley r The Mammoth Trees r The California Geysers r Lake Tahoe r Chart of the Yosemite Valley r Color Plates r r r

r r r r Clickable map of color platesr r r r r r

Bibliographical Information

r r Anonymous (probably William Nelson),r The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of Californiar (New York: T. Nelson and Sons, c1870).r Nelsons’ Pictorial Guide-books series.r No copyright.r LCCN 06010675.r 40+12 pages. Illustrated, map. 11 x 17 cm. Bound in blue board with black and gilt lettering.r Library of Congress call number F868.Y6 Y6.r

r Converted to HTML by Dan Anderson, May 2009,r from a copy scanned by Scott Tipton.r These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose,r provided this notice is left intact.r
r     —Dan Anderson, www.yosemite.ca.usr

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r Nelsons’ Pictorial Guide-Books.r

r THE YOSEMITE VALLEY,r
r ANDr
r THE MAMMOTH TREES AND GEYSERS OF CALIFORNIA.r

r T. NELSON AND SONS, 42 BLEECKER STREET, NEW YORK.r

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The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of California (c1870)

CONTENTS.

r r Routes to the Yosemite Valley:—r
r The Mariposa—The Coulterville—Hardin’s 7r r

r r General Information:—r
r Past and Present—Preparing for an Expedition—Atr Stockton— Hardin’s Route— Twelve Mile House—r Knight’s Ferry— Chinese Camp—“Keith’s Orchard andr Vineyard”—Stevens’ Bar Ferry—Kirkwood’s—Big Oakr Flat—Garotte—Sprague’s Ranch—The Carpenter Woodpecker—On the Route—The “Tuolumne South Grove”r of Mammoth Trees—Crane Flat—Tamarack Flat—Cascader Creek—Yosemite 8r r

r r The Yosemite Valley:—r
r Pohonó, or Bridal Veil Fall—Sentinel Rock—Hutchings’r Hotel—The Yosemite Falls—Lake Ah-wi-yah—r The Great North Dome—The South Dome—The Legendr of Tis-sa-ack and Tu-toch-ah-nu-lah 13r r

r r The Yosemite Valley (continued):—r
r Pohonó Fall—An Indian Superstition—The Pi-wy-aekr and Yo-wi-ye Falls—The Mountains—The Cap of Libertyr —The Three Brothers—The Sentinel Dome—Principalr Summits of the Nevada Range—Beauties and Characteristics of the Yosemite Valley—Table of Elevations in ther Valley—Of Waterfalls—Of Mountains 20r r

r r The Mammoth Trees:—r
r Route to Mariposa—Clark’s Ranch—The Big Trees ofr Mariposa—Satan’s Spear—Queen of the Forest—List ofr Trees—Enumeration and Description of Remarkabler r r r r Trees—The Frezno Grove—The ten Groves of Mammothr Trees hitherto discovered 26r r

r r The Mammoth Trees (continued):—r
r Description of the Calaveras Grove—The Mother of ther Forest—Disappointing Aspect of the Trees—Theirr Colossal Dimensions—About Names—The Father of ther Forest—The Old Maid and Old Bachelor—The Pride or the Forest—Story of the Discovery of this Grove—Ther Calaveras Caves 30r r

r r The California Geysers:—r
r Where Situated—A Remarkable Canyon—Sounds andr Stenches—The Devil’s Inkstand—The Devil’s Tea-kettler —The Witches’ Caldron—The Steamboat—Proserpine’sr Grotto 36r r

r r Lake Tahoe:—r
r How to reach it—Its Circumference—Its Loveliness ofr Character—Conclusion 38r r

r r Chart of the Yosemite Valley 6r r

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The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of California (c1870)

THE YOSEMITE VALLEY,r
r AND THE MAMMOTH TREES AND GEYSERS OF CALIFORNIA.

I.—ROUTES TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY.

r Ther traveller generally pursues his route, by Centralr Pacific Railroad, to San Francisco, and thence, afterr seeing all the interesting scenes and enjoying the generousr hospitality of the Golden Gate of the Pacific, as the greatr new city has been happily called, he returns to Stockton,r —92 miles.r

r From Stockton the three principal routes are:—r

r 1. The Mariposa.—The stages leave in the mr for Mariposa, 100 miles; passing French Camp; Snelling’s,r on the Merced River; Hornitas, where the travellerr can obtain a night’s rest. From Hornitas there are twor r sub-routes—one, viâ Bear Valley; the other direct tor Mariposa (population, nearly 2000); thence to Hatch’sr Saw Mill, 12 miles; and Clark’s Ranch, 25 miles (a trailr diverges from this paint to the Mariposa Grove of Bigr Trees). From Clark’s Ranch (where saddle-horses arer generally taken) to Inspiration Point, 15 miles (famousr for its magnificent view of the Yosemite Valley); Bridalr Veil Fall, 4 miles, Hutchings’ Hotel, in the valley, 152 1/2r miles from Stockton.r

r 2. The Coulterville, daily, on Sissons’ stage line: byr way of Farmington, 10 miles; Knight’s Ferry, on ther Stanislaus River, 37 miles; Crimea House, 48 miles;r Mount Pleasant, 50 miles; Chinese Camp, 51 miles. Onr r r r Shoop’s line: Jacksonville, 3 miles; Rattlesnake, 12r miles; Coulterville, 23 miles. Thence, with horses andr guides, Marble Springs and Bower Cave, 10 miles; Black’sr House, 6 miles; Crane Flat, 18 miles (a trail here leadsr if to the Tuolumne Grove of Big Trees). At 12 milesr from Hutchings’ Hotel we reach Valley View, so calledr because here we obtain the first view of the Yosemite.r

r 3. Hardin’s Route follows up Route 2 to Rattlesnake,r and thence by Shoop’s stage to Hodgeden’s, 20 miles fromr Yosemite, by way of Big Oak Flat, Garrote, and ther Tuolumne Grove of Big Trees. The traveller will taker one route out, and another back.r

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The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of California (c1870)

r II.—GENERAL INFORMATION.r

r Time was when, at New York, a visit to the Yosemiter Valley was classed in the same category as an expeditionr to the North Pole, and adventurous persons bent on attemptingr it were urged, before they left, to make theirr wills and settle their affairs. But in those days a terribler journey across the prairies, the rivers, the deserts, andr the mountains had really to be accomplished before ther r traveller entered upon the object of his enterprise. Now,r with the help of the Union Pacific and the Central Pacificr Railroads, we are bottled across the continent with ther utmost comfort, and at a considerable rate of speed, andr are carried to Stockton, the starting-point for the Bigr Tees and the wonders of Yosemite, in a peculiarly agreeabler manner. Consequently, the terrors of the expeditionr are considerably shorn. An atmosphere of romance,r nevertheless, surrounded it, and tourists returning fromr it spoke vaguely of obstacles encountered and difficultiesr and represented themselves as having a kindr of undefinable claim to the character of heroes. It cannotr be said that any more moderate views prevailed inr our guide books. Hence, friends gathering around asr recommended that we should invest in a particular kind ofr flannel clothing, and that our “female relatives”—fromr sweet seventeen up to mature fifty—should add tor their usual wardrobe the indispensable Bloomer costume.r So, too, a certain kind of bag was necessary, in which tor deposit the male attire, the ladies’ wardrobe, and ther Bloomer costume, when we had arrived at the boundaryr of the civilized world. Stages and other vehicles herer ceasing to exist, we should need to mount on horseback,r r r r slinging the said bags behind us without any fear of losingr them. We were told by some of our good-natured friendsr that it was madness to attempt such a journey with ladiesr in our party; others, better natured, kindly said thatr the ladies were quite as able to undertake it as ourselves.r Under these circumstances, we so for bowed to custom asr to make the usual preparations, and, in despite of ther scruples of the ladies, remembered the Bloomer costume.r

r Having completed these formidable arrangements, wer started for Stockton, which, some twenty years ago, wasr the great central point whence the miners made theirr way to the mines—that is, to wealth and prosperity, orr to ruin and premature or violent death. The town wasr once famous as “one of the dullest and most stupidr places” in all California. Its inhabitants don’t call itr dull, and we don’t affirm its stupidity. It is well built,r well governed, and the scenery around it would occupyr you pleasantly for a day or two.r

r From Stockton we set out, at length, on our journeyr to the Yosemite, selecting the shortest and easiest router —that of Hardin’s.r

r On this route our first stage is the Twelve Mile House,r where we breakfast and take horses. Thence we traverser r an undulating country, blooming with wild flowers, butr containing few shrubs or trees. At Twenty-five Miler House we again change horses; and about noon we reachr Knight’s Ferry, on the Stanislaus River, a pleasant settlement,r surrounded by farms and orchards, and renderedr doubly pleasant to the traveller as his dining station.r

r Crossing the Stanislaus Bridge, we wind to the left, overr an offshoot of the mass of trap called the Table Mountain,r so called because its summit seems to be comparativelyr level for about twelve to fifteen miles. Towardsr evening we arrive at Chinese Camp, where we spend ther night, satisfied that our day’s journey has been one ofr which we have a right to boast.r

r The next morning we are up betimes, and ride in merryr mood up hill and down hill, through leafy avenue, acrossr grassy glade—the whole landscape having an indescribabler air of freshness about it to the Tuolumne River, and ther mining settlement of Jacksonville. Beyond has a kindr of paradise that would have set some of the old-worldr poets raving—“Keith’s Orchard and Vineyard,” where,r as in Milton’s Garden of Eden, fruits of the greatestr variety and finest quality ripen for the benefit ofr humanity.r

r The Tuolumne River we cross at Stevens’ Bar Ferry,r and thence we wind up Mocassin Creek to “Newhall andr Culbertson’s Vineyard.” If we had not said so much inr praise of Keith’s, we would say it in honour of Newhallr and Culbertson. Drink their health, my friends, inr glass of white wine which beats “Catawba”!r

r We now begin our ascent of the mountain—an ascentr of 7000 feet. Sturdy pedestrians, with kindly feelingsr towards animals, will here trudge afoot; ladies can stillr keep to their conveyances.r

r We get an interval of rest at Kirkwood’s, while ther horses are watered, and the mails and passengers (thoser who don’t ride) are turned over to the stage for Coulterville.r Now we are off for Garrote, where we shall breakfast,r passing on our way “the sturdy branch-lopped andr root-cut veteran trunk of a noble and enormous oak, somer eleven feet in diameter, still standing on on right:” itr has given name to the locality, “Big Oak Flat.”r

r At Garrote we transfer our admiration to the excellentr and admirable attendance at Savory’s, or ther Washington Hotel.r

r On our way to Second Garrote (who gave these names,r we wonder?) we pass another delicious Eden-like orchardr r —Chaffey and Chamberlain’s—of which consider itr our duty to say that it is the last orchard on this side ofr the Yosemite Valley. We may, therefore, suggest ther necessity of laying in a supply.r

r After leaving Sprague’s Ranch behind us, we find ther landscape rapidly changing in character. It is evidentlyr laid out, so to speak, on a bolder scale—the hills arer replaced by mountains, the groves by forests, the calm andr gentle by the romantic and picturesque. As our friendr Hutchings tells us, in his vigorous way, an occasionalr deer will now shoot across our track, or covies of quail,r with their fine plumage and nodding “top-knots,” whirrr among the bushes. It we have any feeling for the magicr of sweet sounds, we shall listen delighted to the meadowr lark, the robin, and the oriole; and recollections of ourr childhood will come back with the low purring note ofr the dove. Instead of the eastern woodpecker “tappingr at the hollow beech tree,” the red-headed Californianr species, with whose wonderful ingenuity Wilson has mader us familiar,—El Carpintero, the Carpenter Woodpecker,*r —is hard at work boring holes in the bark of a larger r r r pine tree, and afterwards carefully plugging them upr with acorns, or examining them with a critical eye, tor see if his toil does credit to his taste. The reason forr this latter occupation is, according to Hutchings, still ar mystery to naturalists. As the greatest activity in ther storing was in the fall, and the inspection went on atr other seasons, it was for many years supposed that anr instinctive provision for a coming want was the cause.r But as this variety of woodpecker has seldom or neverr been area feeding on the acorn, or on the supposed insectr which it contained, some doubt has arisen as to ther satisfactory nature of its occupation.*r

r * Also known as the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.r

r * It is generally understood, however, that a maggot makesr its way into the acorn, and, in due time, is extracted by ther woodpecker to satisfy his appetite.r

r Resuming our journey, we pass, in due succession,r Hamilton’s, near Big Gap; Hardin’s Mill, 7 miles;r Hodgeden’s, 6 miles; Coburn’s, at Crane Flat, 5 miles;r and Tamarack Flat, 5 miles.r

r The entire road opens up to us a series of the mostr magnificent landscapes ever designed and executed by ther Divine Hand. Are you a votary to colour? Here your have it in all its rarest and richest hues—now light andr r r floating, now deep and intense—from azure to ultra-marine,r from pink to crimson, from the palest emeraldr blade to the deepest sea-green foliage. Are you a lover ofr form? Contemplate, then, its thousand varieties, fromr the utmost ruggedness of outline to the most delicate curver of grace—rounded, pyramidal, sharp, bold, soft, sublime.r In the ravine beneath you, the Tuolumne winds its silverr thread. On the cliffs above, the ancient forest trees rearr themselves like the pillars of a magnificent temple. Ther flanks of the valley are sometimes bare, but oftener clothedr with the most luxurious verdure. Far away against ther horizon, the mountains roll like billows, till they blendr in the distant sky. Near at hand, you catch the music ofr waters tumbling unseen from rock to rock.r

r Beyond Hardin’s we cross the south fork of the Tuolumne,r and climb to a well-wooded table-land, where variousr kinds of conifers attain to a remarkable height and girth.r

r Horace Greeley does justice to this superb forest-growth.r He considers that the one feature in. which ther Sierra Nevadas surpass other mountains is in their forests.r “ Look down,” he says, “from almost any of their peaks,r and your range of vision is filled, bounded, satisfied, byr what might be termed a tempest-tossed sea of evergreens,r r r filling every upland valley, covering every hill-side, crowningr every peak but the highest, with their unfading luxuriance.”r Many hundreds of pines are eight feet in diameter,r with cedars at least six feet; and these forest-giantsr extend for miles and miles in serried ranks almostr as close as those of a well-disciplined army. The summitr meadows, moreover, are adorned with a heavy fringe ofr balsam fir of all sizes, from those barely one foot high tor those hardly less than two hundred.r

r In fact, you must see this vast wilderness of colossalr trees before yon can rightly appreciate their imposingr and almost formidable aspect.r

r By diverging a mile or two from our route—which wer shall not do, though leaving other travellers their fallr liberty of choice—we may see the “Tuolumne South Grove”r of mammoth trees. The trees hero are of the some genusr (Wellingtonia or Sequoia gigantea) as those of Calaverasr and Mariposa. They are about thirty in number, andr some of them are fine specimens. Two, growing fromr the same root, and uniting a few feet above the base, arer called the “Siamese Twins.” They measure about 114r feet in circumference at the ground, the diameter, ofr course, being about 38 feet. The bark is 20 inches thick.r

r Crossing the grassy water-meadow of Crane Flat, wer keep to the north-east until we reach the summit of ther watershed that pours the Tuolumne in one direction andr the Merced, or “River of Mercy,” another. Wer pause, almost breathless with the wonder and beauty ofr the scene before he, full as it is of God’s grandest,r mightiest, and most surpassing handiwork, and, muter with astonishment, and lost in awe, begin the descentr into the Yosemite Valley. It is by no means a “facilisr descensus Averni,” for the road is difficult and nerve-testing,r and yet it is charming as a young man’s fancyr could wish it to be with over-arching trees and floweringr bushes.r

r At Tamarack Flat we all of as mount on horseback.r taking care that our saddles shall be well secured, andr enter upon the more difficult and dangerous part of ther downward track. Yet we hardly notice the danger, ourr eyes and attention are so arrested by the novelties whichr cluster everywhere about us.r

r A rough and rustic bridge takes us across Cascader Creek,—the said cascade wandering far away in a successionr of falls and whirlpools; never resting; never conqueredr by any obstacle; now white with foam; now darkr r r as night; now crooning a soft low tune; now seething andr hissing in sudden fury.r

r Then the guide bids as pause on a rocky projection,r called Prospect Point, whence we can see the Mercedr flashing in a craggy ravine beneath.r

r Down the swift declivity of the mountain we cautiouslyr and patiently make our way. The foot is reached, andr close below no are the foaming rapids of the river, andr on each bank the clustering firs and aspiring pines, loadingr the air with the fragrance of their leaves. Abover us, apparently at a tremendous elevation, the firmamentr glows like an immense sapphire; and before as extendsr in all its rare and undefinable magnificence, closed in byr vast precipitous walls of gleaming granite, thronged withr colossal pines, murmurous with the echoes of fallingr waters, the enchanted land of the New World—ther Valley of the Yosemite!*r

r *Pronounced Yo-sem'-i-tè.r

r Observe: the valley at present is accessible only byr two entrances—the one we have just taken; and ther other, immediately opposite the river, by way of Mariposa.r It is proposed to carry a railroad into the valley.r

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The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of California (c1870)

r III.—THE YOSEMITE VALLEY.

r “In grandeur, sublimity, and beauty, the Yosemite Valleyr stands alone. At the upper end there have been shakingsr and rendings, rocks thrown clown on either side, sometimesr as large as a great church, as if demons had been breaking upr and hurling the mountains at each other. The river dashesr and bounds among these fragments as if frightened and infuriated; and then half an hour’s ride brings you to the oaks,r and pines, and lawns, smooth as a garden, wild as nature, notr showing the mark of use, or anything to alter this park fromr what it was when the eye of man first looked into it.”—Dr.r Todd, The Sunset Land.r

r We now begin our exploration of the valley.r

r The first feature which impresses us is the Bridal Veilr Fall (the Pohonó, or “Spirit of the Evil Wind”), whichr descends from a height of about 940 feet. Pohonó is anr evil spirit of the Indian mythology. The tradition connectedr with this fall, and with the second peak of the summitr west of it, where you may trace the noble head andr features of a demi-god in profile, we shall hereafter relate.r

r The fall itself is the overflow of a stream which flowsr down a rugged canyon, some twelve or fifteen miles, beforer it lets itself down from the brink of the cliff in one unbrokenr r r sheet of silver, forty feet wide, upon a mass ofr gigantic boulders.r

r Its American name is rather happy. For to one viewingr it in profile, says Ludlow, its snowy sheet, broken intor the filmy silver lacework of airy spray, and falling entirelyr free of the brow of the precipice, might well seem the veilr worn by Earth at her “granite wedding,” millions, itr may be, millions of years ago.r

r On either side of Pohonó the sky-line of the precipicer is diversified in the boldest and most strikingr manner. The fall itself cleaves a deep chasm into ther crown of the battlement. To the south-west rises a boldr but unnamed rock, 3000 feet in height; and not farr distant is Sentinel Rock, a “solitary truncate pinnacle,”r towering to 3300 feet. Nearly opposite soar the threer ascending ridges of Eleachas, or the Three Brothers, ther highest attaining to the elevation of 3450 feet.r

r But we make our way, almost satiate with wonders,r to one of the three hotels to be found in the valley—r Black’s, Hutchings’, and Leidig’s, to name them in alphabeticalr order. The following morning we begin a systematic survey, which, at the least, will occupy us three,r but may well and satisfactorily be extended to seven days.r r Hutchings is our guide (there can be none better), and,r therefore, the first “object of interest”—to use a hackneyedr phrase—which calls for our attention, and, as ar matter of course, for our admiration, isr

THE YOSEMITE FALLS.

r Crossing the main stream, which is here about eightyr feet wide and five feet deep, we continue along ther northern bank, to avoid the marshy flats on the southern,r until we reach the ford, where we re-cross the river,r under an embowering canopy of oak, maple, and dogwoodr trees.r

r As the snow, under the summer sun, is rapidly melting,r we ford, not only the main channel, but severalr smaller streams. Within about a hundred and fifty yardsr of the fall our progress is interrupted by a succession ofr large boulders. Therefore we dismount, and, fasteningr our animals to the nearest saplings, push forward onr foot.r

r We now proceed to climb to the base, or, as nearly asr possible to the base, of the great Yosemite Falls, ther loftiest cascade or cataract in the world. There are, inr fact, two falls, of which the upper pours down a tremendousr r r sheet of silver for a depth of 1448 feet, and ther second plumps sheer down the precipice for 700 feet;r while, between the two, measuring about 400 feet, a seriesr of rapids form an appropriate connecting link. Thus ther total height of the “sheeted column’s perpendicular” isr 2548 feet. By some authorities, however, this total isr brought up to 2634 feet.r

r It is difficult to describe the power and majesty of ar gigantic waterfall. But the impression made on ther mind by the ceaseless rush—by the tumbling watersr perpetually flashing and gleaming, roaring andr murmuring—by the intuitive feeling that the motion before your has never paused since the creation, and will never pauser until Time shall cease to be,—is almost bewildering.r You find yourself at a loss to take in the separate details:r the huge wall of granite rising no massively before you;r the huge masses of multiform rocks strewn, and scattered,r and piled in every direction; the ferns, and wild flowers,r and lovely mosses which here and there relieve the harsherr features of Nature. All your soul is concentrated on ther vastness of the fall, which seems to fill up the entire picture, so that wherever you go you still seem to see ther deep glow of the waters, to catch the flash of their diamondr r spray, to hear the whirr and clash of their endlessr progress.r

r It is said that in the winter the spray from the greatr cataract freezes, and piles up and again freezes, untilr a hollow pillar is constructed some hundreds of feet inr height. Into that pillar the waters pour, and then reboundr like rainbow-coloured balls.r

r In the spring, the rush of the cataract and its thousandr voices seem for a moment to be arrested. You hastenr to the spot. The floods have undermined this gloriousr pillar, and made ready to topple it from its elevation.r The struggle is brief, but desperate. Suddenly the icer yields, and is shivered, and hurled into the air in ar thousand fragments, sparkling and shining with a lustrousr gleam, and then falling back into the stream, to ber carried away and seen no more.r

r The falls, let us add, seem, at their summit, to ber about three or four feet wide; but Mr. Hutchings, whor has ascended the mountain over which they take theirr headlong leap, declares they are fully forty feet.r

r They are not often visited in spring-time; but Mr.r Carleton Coffin asserts that then they are a hundredr times more majestic than in autumn. This we canr r r readily believe to be the effect of the sun melting ther snows. Evidences of the power of which we have spoken,r but which it is so difficult to realize, are afforded, as Mr.r Coffin points out, by the great boulders of granite aroundr us, larger than a thirty-ton locomotive, which, in yearsr remote, fell thundering down the dizzy height, snappingr the great trees as if they were reeds, and grinding andr pulverizing the rocks. Thus, says Mr. Coffin, the Almightyr bids the forces of nature grind the solid graniter into flour for human food—the “River of Mercy” carryingr it out upon the meadows, to be transmuted by goldenr sunlight and nightly dews into ripened wheat and purpling grapes.r

r LAKE AH-WI-YAH.r

r This is one of the loveliest localities in the valley. Your confront the great falls almost with a sense of apprehension and a feeling of undefinable awe: but you look uponr this crystal mirror with a sentiment of subdued admiration.r

r In its sheet of unrippled glass—especially at earlyr morning—it reflects the mountains, 4000 and 5000 feetr high, with such a wonderful clearness that yon can readilyr detect the furrows on their brows and the ledges andr r ravines in their rugged sides. It is not above a coupler of acres in extent, but this remarkable translucency givesr it a curious appearance of vastness. The bases ofr the mountains all around are fringed with noble trees,r which supply in their various foliage a delightful contrastr to the azure of the pool beneath. On the north-east a,r deep canyon, or gorge, opens wide, to permit the outflowr of the north branch of the “River of Mercy,” whichr supplies the lake.r

r To the north of the valley risesr

r THE GREAT NORTH DOME,r

r or To-coy-ae of the Indians, a mass of bold, bare granite,r with scarce a tree or shrub, rising to a height of 3725r feet. In its huge sides, which, for two thousand feet, arer absolutely perpendicular, a colossal arch has been createdr by the disruption, in all probability, of several sectionsr of the rock. Look with admiration at the “Royal Archr of To-coy-ae!” According to our guide, philosopher, andr friend, Mr. Hutchings, it has never been submitted tor exact geometrical measurement; but a well-trained eyer gives as its altitude, from the valley to the croon of ther arch, 1700 feet; its span, 2000 feet; its internal depth,r r r 90 feet. Kings and queens of the earth, here is a nobler council-chamber for ye!r

r To the south-cast of the Mirror Lake, or Lake Hiawatha,r as it is sometimes called, towers the majesticr bulk ofr

r THE SOUTH DOME,r

r or Mount Tis-sa-ack, which, though by some tremendousr convulsion it has been sorely reduced in elevation, andr neatly one half of borne down in a broken pile intor the depth of the subjacent valley, is still 4593 feet inr height.r

r The base is shrouded in the “hazy mystery” which,r more or less, surrounds everything in the Yosemiter Valley. “Numerous little white clouds, becoming detached from this misty curtain, are sailing (as we gaze)r up the mountain-side, dodging about among the projecting spurs, intruding their beautiful forms slowly into ther dark caverns, puffed out again in a hurry by the eddyingr winds which hold possession of these gloomy recesses,r and then resume their upward flight, each following ther other with the precision and regularity of a fleet ofr white-winged yachts rounding the flag-boat, and eachr eaten up by the sun with astonishing rapidity, as theyr r sail slowly past the angle of shadow thrown across ther lower half of the mountain. High above all this, inr the clear bright sunshine, towers the lofty summit,r every projection and indentation, weather and waterr stain, fern, vine, and lichen so clearly defined that oner can almost seem to touch its surface by merely extendingr the arm.”r

r The summit of this beautiful mountain has never yet,r we think, been touched by the foot of man. In ther Indian belief it is the borne of the good spirit of ther valley, the lovely Tis-sa-ack; and a fantastic legend isr connected with it which the traveller will doubtless ber pleased to hear. Different writers relate it somewhatr differently, but the following version seems to be tolerably accurate:—r

r THE LEGEND OP TIS-SA-ACK AND TU-TOCH-AH-NU-LAH.r

r [Editor’s note:r this “legend” “was almost certainly fabricated”r according to NPS Ethnologist Craig D. Bates.r —dea.]r

r In a far distant age, the valley which eve now name ther Valley of the Yosemite was the home of the children ofr the sun. They lived there peacefully under the guardianshipr of their chief, Tu-toch-ah-nu-lah, who dweltr upon the huge rock that still bears his name. With ar glance of his eye he saw all that his people were doing.r r r Swifter on foot than the elk, he herded the wild deerr as if they were sheep. He roused the bear from hisr mountain-cave that the young people might hunt him.r From the nest of the mountain height he prayed to ther Great Spirit, and the soft rains descended upon the cornr in the valley. The smoke of his pipe curled up into ther air, and the warm sunshine streamed through it, andr ripened the golden crops for the women to gather themr in. When he laughed, the river rippled with smiles;r when he sighed, the murmurous pines repeated ther plaint. When he spoke, the voice of the cataract wasr hashed into silence; when his shout of triumph aroser over the bear he bad slain, it was repeated by every echo,r and rolled like a thunder-peal from one mountain to another.r His foam was straight as an arrow, and elasticr as a bow. His foot outstripped the red deer, and ther glance of his eye was like the lightning flash.r

r But one morning, when hunting, a bright vision dawnedr upon him of a lovely maiden sitting alone on the veryr summit of the South Dome. Unlike the nymphs of hisr tribe, she was not wreathed in tresses black as night, norr was the glean of darkness in her eyes; but down herr back fell the long golden hair like a stream of sunshine.r r Her brow was pale with the beauty of the moonlight;r dear eyes were blue sa the mountains in the hour of twilight. Her little feet shone like the snow-crests on ther pine-woods of the winter; she had small cloud-like wingsr drooping from her marble shoulders; her voice murmured sweetly and softly, like the tones of the night-birdr of the forest.r

r “Tu-toch-ah-nu-lah!” she whispered, and was goner From crag to crag, over gorge and chasm, rushed ther impetuous chief in pursuit of the aërial beauty; but, lo!r her snow-white wings had conveyed her to the unknownr land, and Tu-toch-ah-nu-lah saw her no more.r

r Day after day did the young chief wonder among ther mountains seeking after the beautiful one he had lost.r Day after day did he lay sweet acorns and fragrant wildr flowers upon her dome. Once his our caught her footstep,r light as the fall of a snowflake on a river. Oncer he caught a glimpse of her form, and a tender glance fromr her radiant eyes. But be was voiceless before her; norr eves did her sweet tones fall upon his expectant ear. Sor passionate was his love for Tis-sa-ack, so absorbed was her in his dreams and thoughts of the beautiful maiden, thatr he forgot his people; and the rains ceased to descend,r r r and the valley became athirst, and the crops witheredr where they stood; the beautiful flowers bent their headsr and died; the winds lost their power, and ceased to coolr the valley; the waters passed away, and the green leavesr faded into brown. Nothing of this was seen by Tu-toch-ah-nu-lah,r for his eyes were wholly fixed on the vision ofr the mountains. But Tis-sa-ack saw it, and saw withr sorrow; and kneeling on the gray rock of the dome, sher prayed to the Great Spirit that he would again give tor the people the bright flowers and delicate grasses, ther leafy trees, and the nodding acorns.r

r Then, in a moment, the great dome on which she kneltr was cloven asunder, and through the gorge thus openedr rushed the melting snows from the Sierra Nevada ther wide channel of the River of Mercy. And the rocks thatr simultaneously fell from the mountain banked up sor much of the waters as were sufficient to fill the Mirrorr Lake. Then indeed, the scene was changed. The birdsr wetted their rings in the rills and pools, and burst intor joyful song; the grasses spread stealthily over the gladdenedr soil; the flowers received a new life, which theyr penned out in grateful fragrance; the golden corn sprung upr in its abundance, and the merry wind aroused a thousandr r slumbering echoes. But in the convulsion which hadr inaugurated this transformation, the maiden had disappearedr for ever. And for ever the half-dome bears herr mime, in grateful recognition of her love for the Indianr people Tis-sa-ack. Every morning and evening the sunr lifts from or lays his rosy mantle upon the summit; andr all around the margin of the lake bloom myriads of whiter violets, the memorials of the snow reaches dropped fromr Tis-sa-ack’s wings as she flew away.r

r When Tu-toch-ah-nu-lah discovered that she would ber seen no more, he abandoned his rocky fastness; and,r with a bold hand, carving the outline of his head andr form on the face of the rock that still bears his name, ar thousand feet above the valley, he went in search of ther lost one. On reaching the other side of the beautifulr ravine, a feeling of deep melancholy fell upon him.r Unwilling to quit it, he sat down, gazing far away towardsr the sunset, whither, as he believed, his Tis-sa-ack hadr bent her flight.r

r And as he sat, his grief weighed heavily on his heart,r and he ceased to have motion or life in his blood. Slowlyr he changed into slope; and the voiceless, breathless,r lifeless figure may still be seen by every visitor to ther r r Yosemite, looking afar off to the land of the sunset, inr wistful inquiry for the loved and lost.r

r

r So runs the legend.*r

r * See Dr. Todd, “Sunset Land;” Ludlow,. “Heart of ther Continent;” andr Hutchings, “Scenes of Wonder in California.“r

r IV.—THE YOSEMITE VALLEY—continued.r

r ITS FALLS AND MOUNTAINS.r

r THE POHONÓ FALL.r

r The next point to which the admiring, wondering,r open-eyed and open-eared visitor betakes himself is ther Pohonó, or Bridal Veil Fall. This is passed by thoser who enter the valley either from Coulterville or Mariposa,r and has already been noticed by us. In visitingr it from any of the hotels, we keep down the south sider of the valley. On our left rises the lonely Sentinel Rock,r on whose crest so often blazed the watch-fires of the Indians.r Beyond we come to a succession of curious peaks,r r very picturesque and suggestive in their outline. Theser are the Cathedral Rocks and the Cathedral Spires—r names which no imaginative traveller will consider appropriate.r

r Its addition to what we have already said about ther feathery, luminous, lace-like fall, we take leave to borrowr from Mr. Hutchings an allusion to the Indian superstitionr respecting it:—r

r “Pohonó,” he says, “from whom the stream and ther waterfall received their musical Indian name, is an evilr spirit, whose bread, is a blighting and fatal wind, andr consequently is to be dreaded and shunned. On thisr account, whenever from necessity the Indians have tor pass it, a feeling of distress steals over them, and theyr fear it as much as the wandering Arab does the simoomsr of the African desert: they hurry past it at the height ofr their speed. To point to the waterfall, as they travelr through the valley, is in their minds to induce certainr death. No bribe could be offered large enough tor tempt them to sleep neat it. It is, in truth, theirr belief that they hear the voices of those who have beenr drowned in the stream perpetually warning them to shunr Pohonó.”r r r r

r THE PI-WY-AUK OR (VERNAL) YO-WI-YE (ORr NEVADA) FALLS.r

r To visit these beautiful and justly-famed falls we mustr take quite an opposite direction to any we have yet followed. On leaving the hotel we turn to the right, andr ascend the valley, which widens as we advance, and isr brightened by noble oak trees, standing alone or in clumpsr at irregular intervals.r

r The precipitous wall of granite on our right, 3740 feetr high, is silvered by a number of tiny rills that glide orr leap down its face. At one point the jutting rocks uniter no as to suggest a faint resemblance to a hospice; andr this, with a recollection of the Alps, has been namedr Mount St. Bernard. But, in fact, the outlines of ther peaks are so very varied that a lively imagination can easilyr suggest a hundred quaint resemblances; and these resemblancesr are more or less conspicuous as we look upon themr in shadow or in sunshine, at dawn or purple twilight.r

r On our right we pass the Royal Arches, Washingtonr Tower, the North acid South Domes, and more picturesquer and magnificent objects than we have time or space tor enumerate. Let the traveller beware of fatiguing himselfr r with admiration, or when he reaches the falls he willr have spent his enthusiasm, and be forced to contemplater them (if he can) with indifference. Admiration! Why,r who can have a sufficient supply to bestow, not only onr rocks and rills, hat on all the lofty and noble trees aroundr us—pine, cedar, spruce, black oak, and dogwood; or onr all the flowering shrubs and fragrant flowers, from ther white azalea and the aromatic laurel to the modest primrose and larkspur?r

r The “Vernal” Fall, as it is unmeaningly named—thatr is, the Pi-wy-ack—lies upwards of two miles fromr the hotel. The view of this beautiful cataract obtainable from below, where it mingles with the river in ar noisy, boiling, foaming whirlpool, is very fine; but ther view from above is infinitely finer. The ascent is made byr means of the Ladders (charge for ascending and descending,r 75 cents); and the prospect we see may be describedr somewhat as follows. Here what is called the Middler Fall of the river, after thundering through a ruggedr gorge, springs from the ledge of the precipice in one unbroken leap of 350 feet in depth and 60 feet in width.r Think, 0 reader, of the sublime spectacle hidden inr these figures!—a wall, and yet a moving wall, of apparentr r r silver, lit up with diamond and ruby flashes, and 350 feetr in height!r

r

r r r

r Climbing between stunted pines and huge boulders forr about half a site, we arrive at the base of the Yo-wi-ye,r or Nevada Fall, which, if inferior in beauty to the Pi-wy-ack,r has, at all events, a greater volume of water. Itsr r height is 700 feet. It falls from a precipice whose higherr portion is singularly smooth and perpendicular. Thenr it is deflected by an unseen ledge in a slantwise direction,r and at an angle of about 30°; the effect of the suddenr deviation being to expand it, “like a half-opened fan,”r to the width of 200 feet. The spectacle, consequently, isr not only sublime and imposing, but exquisitely beautiful;r and all the more so from the contrast of the shining,r shifting, foaming waters, to the rugged framework ofr granite in which they are set like a picture.r

r We are weary of description, or we would tell you ofr another fall—Tu-lool-we-ack—in the South Canyon gorge,r which is 600 feet high, and “a very pretty thing, sirs,r as it stands!” Just go and look at it for yourself, myr friend. It drops down into a kind of semicircular basin,r whose rocky sides are as near perpendicular as may be.r

r The view of the South Dome from the recesses of ther South Canyon is one of those sights which no man forgets, however long he may live. It fills you with anr overpowering sense of tine grandeur of Nature—of ther tremendous power of Nature’s Creator, who net in motionr the resistless agencies that have wrought out these featuresr of majesty and awful sublimity.r

r THE MOUNTAINS.r

r Of the noble summits—so varied in their configuration,r no similar in their grandeur—that close in the Yosemiter Valley, but few have been ascended; and to ourselves,r who abominate the vulgarization of Nature, this seems ar special matter for thankfulness. At the north side ofr the Nevada Fall, however, a mass of rock, 2000 feetr above the foot of the cataract, and differently entitledr Mount Given, Bellows Butte, Mount Francis, Mountr Frederick, and the like, by the fancy of successiver visitors—more properly and significantly ther Cap of Liberty—can be conquered by the profane foot of manr without any great difficulty. The prospect—at all events,r from the south-eastern angle— is very impressive, andr includes the winding course of the Merced, and the tremendous headlong plunge of the Nevada, the majestic Yosemite Falls, the Sentinel Dome, the Mount Starr King, ther regal South Dome, and a legion of other lofty peaks.r

r Not less magnificent is the picture revealed from ther summit ridge of the Three Brothers; but still more magnificentr is that which the bold spirit enjoys who rises tor the level of the crest of Mount Beatitude.r

r For from this noble elevation (2900 feet) we obtain ar complete, unbroken view of the valley and its inclosingr peaks. Like a ribbon of silver, the Merced winds its wayr among the dark-leafed trees. The kinglike head ofr Tu-toch-ah-nu-lah fives our gaze. Then we turn to ther grand summits of the South Dome and the Clouds’r Rest, and the billowy masses seem to roll far awayr into an ocean of dint azure, relieved by snow—tippedr waves. In the foreground, on the left, the Ribbonr Fall descends in water and diamond spray front a heightr of 3300 feet; on the right we may once more admirer the beautiful Pohonó, or Bridal Veil Fall, with the peakr of the Three Graces (3600 feet) towering in the background.r

r The Sentinel Dome is also easy of ascent; and is worthr ascending, not only because it commands a fine prospectr of the valley—with South Dome conspicuous over everyr other feature—the North Dome, Clouds’ Rest, Cap of Liberty,r Mount Starr King, the Yosemite Falls, ther Nevada Fall, the Vernal Fall, and the Cataract of the Merced,r but because its panorama includes a prolongedr extent of the Sierra Nevada. Its principal summits arer the following:—r

r The valleys of the San Joaquin and Sacramento, andr the Coast Mange, near the Golden Gate, are also visible.r

r The elevation of the Yosemite Valley above the sea,r according to the Geological Survey, is 4060 feet. In ther middle of summer, therefore, the heat is never overpowering;r in winter, snow falls to a depth of from twor to five feet. The valley is about seven miles long, andr from half a mile to one and a quarter miles wide. It liesr about due south-west to north-east. The total area isr 8480 acres. The granite walls on either side rise fromr 4000 to 6000 feet in height.r

r Our account of this Eden land will close, with ourr readers’ permission, in some words of honest enthusiasm,r partly borrowed from Charles Brace’s “New West.”r

r There are excursions enough, as he says, to occupy ther traveller—especially if he carry a sketch-book—for weeksr among the beautiful scenes of the valley. Mount yourr horse early in the morning—or, still better, trust to yourr r own legs—and stroll up and down the marvellous canyon,r enjoying the various novel scenes that open up at everyr step. To lie down in sight of one of the Great Falls is ar sufficient summer-day’s wort: for any reasonable man;r and when he is weary of well-doing in this direction, letr him ride to Inspiration Point, on the Mariposa trail, andr gain such a view of the valley as is nowhere else attainable.r

r In Mr. Brace’s opinion, the wonderful thing about ther canyon, which will hereafter attract many an invalidr from distant lands, is its divine atmosphere. The climater is so mild and invigorating that nothing can surpass it.r Breathing the air of the Yosemite, a new hope and strengthr are infused into your life. The charm of the wonderfulr valley is its cheerfulness and joy. Even the awe-inspiringr grandeur and majesty of its features do not overwhelmr the sense of its exquisite beauty, its wonderful delicacy,r its rich colour, and intense vitality.r

r “As I recall,” says our friend, “those rides in ther fresh morning or dewy noon, that scene of unequalledr grandeur and beauty is for ever stamped upon my memory,r to remain when all other scenes of earth have passed fromr remembrance: the pearly-gray and purple precipices,r awful in mass, far above one, with deep shadows on theirr r r rugged surfaces—dark lines of gigantic archways or fantasticr figures drawn clearly upon them—the bright whiter water dashing over the distant gray tops seen against ther dark blue of the unfathomable shy—the heavy shadowsr over the valley from the mighty peaks—the windingr stream and peaceful greensward with gay wild flowersr below—the snow- summits of the Sierras far away—andr the eternal voice of many waters wherever you walk orr rest. Thi, is the Yosemite in memory.”r

r And this it is which, long as life shall last, will ber indelibly impressed on our heart and imagination—woods,r and mountains, and leaping waterfalls.r

r TABLE OF ELEVATIONS AT YOSEMITE VALLEY.*r

r * Based upon the table in Hutchings’ “Scenes of Wonder in California.”r

r r Next: Mammoth Trees •r Contentsr • Previous: General Informationr r

r

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r http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/nelson/yosemite_valley.htmlr

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r Yosemite > Library >r The Yosemite Valley >r The Mammoth Trees >r

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The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of California (c1870)

r V.—THE MAMMOTH TREES.r

r The Mammoth Trees of Mariposa and Frezno were discoveredr by Mr. Hogg, a hunter, about the beginning ofr August 1855. In the ensuing October Mr. Clayton, ar civil engineer, met with other trees of the same class onr the Frezno river. Other groups have been discovered atr various dates; but none are so celebrated as those ofr Calaveras, which we shall hereafter describe, and next tor which rank those of Mariposa in point of height, girth,r and general sublimity.r

r The first point to make for is Clark’s Ranch, aboutr halfway between Mariposa and the Yosemite, wherer you will obtain the services of an efficient and obligingr guide. The trail runs through a pleasant country, but,r as it climbs a long ascent, is very wearisome.r

r We are, however, fully repaid for our fatigue when wer enter the forest-shades, and catch glimpses of dim mysteriousr vistas, piercing an apparently boundless obscurity.r The trunks of the trees are of a loftiness and a diameterr that, at first, are singularly impressive, and awaken inr you a very lively sentiment of wonder; but something ofr this feeling passes away as you turn from one giant tor another, and find in each very similar characteristics.r

r The trees of which we are speaking belong to the Taxodium family,r and to the genus known by ourselves asr Sequoia gigantea, by our English cousins as Wellingtonia gigantea.r r The origin of these names we shall hereafterr relate.r

r One of the most curious stems—it is little more—isr named “Satan’s Spear,” allusion to Milton’sr description of the weapon wielded by the fallen archangel in hisr battle with the hosts of heaven. Its circumference is 78r feet.r

r You are next taken to see a huge trunk, with ar shattered top, that bears some resemblance to a ruinedr turret; it is 70 feet in circumference, and known as ther “Giant’s Tower.”r

r The two double trees beyond are the “Twin Sisters;”r and close together stand another couple—one scarred, andr gnarled, and rugged; the other, smooth, straight andr leafy—which have been not inaptly christened the “Twinr Sisters.”r

r Across the ravine near “Satan’s Spear,” following Mr.r Hutchings’ direction, we came to several noble trees onr the side and summit of the mountainous ridge. One,r with a circumference of 60 feet, and a dome of dense darkr green foliage, is called “The Queen of the Forest.” Andr above it stands “The Artist’s Encampment,” 77 feet inr circumference; but so large a portion of its trunk hasr r decayed, or been burned by the Indians up to a height ofr 30 feet, as considerably to lessen its dimensions.r

r We subjoin a table of the size and number of the principalr trees in the Mariposa Grave, as ascertained by Mr. Clarkr and Colonel Warren. It does not quite coincide withr Professor Whitney’s statement, that the total number is 365r of a diameter exceeding one foot, and 125 trees over 40 feetr in circumference, but is believed to be more accurate:—r r

r The foregoing table, however, doe not comprise ther whole group, which includes between 480 and 500, andr covers from two to three hundred acres. There are aboutr 300 sequoias.r

r Mr. Clark and Colonel Warren named some of the morer workable of these mammoth trees, sad the travellerr may amuse himself by endeavouring to identify them:—r

r A group of four splendid trees, 250 feet high, and fullyr 83 feet in girth, were christened the “Four Pillars.”r

r Two gigantic trees, 7 and 77 feet in circumference, receivedr the names of “Washington” and “Lafayette.”r

r Another group, from their excelling beauty, were calledr “The Graces;” and a tree, 300 feet high, and 80 feet isr girth, suggested the poetical title of “The Lone Giant.”r

r One monster tree that had fallen, and been burnedr r hollow, had recently proved large enough to accommodater a party of cavaliers, who rode through it, as they mightr have ridden through a tunnel 153 feet in length.r

r The mightiest tree of the group, however, now liesr upon the ground, and, fallen as it lies, is a wonder still;r it is charred and blackened, and time has stripped it ofr its heavy bark. Yet “across the butt of the tree, as it layr upturned, it measured 35 feet without its bark; therer can be no question that in its vigour, with its bark on,r it was 40 feet in diameter, or 120 feet in circumference.r Only about 150 feet of the trunk remains, yet the cavityr where it fell is still a large hallow beyond the portionr burned oil, and, upon pacing it, measuring from ther root 120 paces; and estimating the branches, this treer must have been 400 feet high.”r

r Crossing a ridge to the south-westward of the larger grove is another small one, the South Grove, containingr many splendid specimens; among others, a gnarled andr maimed veteran, 90 feet circumference, and a trunkr prone upon the ground, 204 feet in length, which hasr been christened, by a lady, “King Arthur, the Prostrater Monarch.” Another hoar, weather-beaten, and fire-scarredr bulk, still 90 feet in girth, though the bark isr r r r almost entirely gone, bears the name of the “Grizzledr Giant.”r

r THE FREZNO GROVE.r

r Following to some extent the course of the Big Creek,r and keeping in a direction due south, we arrive, after ar journey of from six to seven miles, at the Frezno group,r consisting of about five hundred trees of the Taxodiumr family, on about as many acres of undulating forest-land.r Here the two largest measure 81 feet each in circumference,r rising from the ground as straight and smooth asr pillars. The others, not less remarkable for their pillar-liker appearance, are from 51 to 75 feet in circumference.r Other species of trees seem in these localities to attainr a remarkable development, owing, we suspect, to ther geological character of the soil. At all events, Mr.r Hutchings saw some very large sugar pines (Pinus Lambertiana)r among them, and so did we; but he measuredr them, and we did not; being content, like Virgil’sr enemies (sic vos, non vobis), to accept the labours ofr others. One lying on the ground is 29 1/2 feet in circumference,r and 237 feet in length; a splendid specimen of ar conifer! We saw numbers on our route, however, withr a diameter of from 7 to 10 feet.r

r The groves of these remarkable trees discovered up tor the present time are ten:—r

r 1. The Calaveras, containing about one hundred trees;r

r 2. The great South Grove, including one thousandr three hundred and eighty;r

r 3. The South Tuolumne Grove, thirty-one;r

r 4. One unnamed, south of the watershed of ther Tuolumne and Merced Rivers, below Crane Flat, forty-two;r

r 5. The Mariposa Groves, three hundred and sixty-five;r

r 6. The Frezno, about five hundred;r

r 7. The San Joaquin (12 miles east of Frezno), sevenr hundred;r

r 8. The Kings and Kaweah River, “a belt of bigr trees extending for some ten miles,” supposed to containr thousands;r

r 9. The North Tule River; andr

r 10. The South Tule River, upon whose banks trees arer scattered over several square miles. These last-namedr groves were discovered by M. D’Heureuse, of ther Geological Survey, in 1867.*r

r *Hutchings, “Scenes of Wonder in California.”r

r The three commonly visited, however, are the Mariposa and Frezno, of which we have spoken; and ther Calaveras, of which we are about to speak.r

r In no other part of the world, we believe, do ther sequoias flourish on so colossal a scale. There is anotherr species, Sequoia sempervirens, popularly known as ther “Red Wood,” which also attains a height of 300 feet.r

r VI.—THE MAMMOTH TREES—continued.r

r AT CALAVERAS.r

r [Route.—By stage from Stockton to Murphy’s Camp, ar day’s journey. Then, next morning, by conveyance to ther Grove, returning in the afternoon about 2 o’clock.r

r N.B.—It is unnecessary for the traveller who has visitedr Mariposa, to visit Calaveras, or vice versâ—the Mammothr Trees everywhere presenting the same characteristics.r

r The Calaveras Grove of Big Trees was the first discovered,r and is, to our mind, the most beautiful. It liesr in lat. 30° N., and long. 120° 10' W., at an elevationr above the sea-level of 4370 feet.r

r Here, within an area of fifty acres, we find oner hundred and three trees of stately proportions, twentyr of them exceeding 75 feet in circumference; and yetr these are mere saplings, not half arrived at the maturityr of treehood! Your guide will point you out ar stump which affords sufficient space for a good-sizedr public meeting; and on whose surface—so runs ther record—thirty-two persons danced four sets of cotillionsr at one time, without coming into chance collision.r This stump measures 25 feet across, withoutr the bark. It occupied the labour of five men forr twenty-two days to fell it, and this work was accomplished,r not with axe or saw, but by boring it offr with pump augers. A small—what do we say?—a larger pavilion has been erected upon this stump, and we canr assure the reader it will comfortably shelter him and allr his party, unless he goes attended by a retinue like ther President’s!r

r The largest tree now standing has been named—fromr its immense size, the two breast-like protuberances, orr mammae, on one side, and the number of small trees of ar similar species growing in its vicinity—the “Mother ofr the Forest.” That it is one of the “big facts” of California,r r r may be gathered from the followingr measurements:—*r

r * The bark of this tree was removed to England, and putr up in the Crystal Palace, as a visible representation of ar mammoth tree. Unfortunately for the Londoners, it was destroyedr by fire in 1866.r

r And here let ns remark that we. would fain have saidr something and original about the Calaveras Grove.r But we find it impossible. It is a gathering of ther hugest, but not the most picturesque, trees in the world.r We would not give up our cedars or pines, or maples orr chestnuts, for a whole forest of them. Their foliager grows at too great an elevation to lend the tree any conspicuousr actor ante and what you really see is, trunkr after trunk of a surprising height, running up for twor hundred feet or more without the relief of a singler branch. We prefer, for beauty and majesty, the sugarr pines that cluster round about them, and which, on ther r whole, are of similar gigantic dimensions, but possess ar decidedly greater romanticity of appearance.r

r In fact, as Dr. Todd has honestly said,—and wer shelter ourselves under his mantle,—on your introductionr to the mammoth trees you are, at first, disappointed:r the trees do not look as you expected; theyr are not as large; “they look as if somebody hadr stripped off their clothing, and left them in their night-dress.”r Dr. Todd’s mode of realizing the stature ofr these giants we have not adopted, but we can recommendr it to others.r

r “The height of enjoyment,” he says, “is to lie downr on your back in the twilight of evening or under ther full moon, and look up, say ten feet at a look, tillr the eye has travelled all the way up to the top—overr three hundred feet. We forget, too, when looking at ar tree thirty feet in diameter, and wonder why it is notr larger, that a pine tree with us, which is five feet inr diameter, is a monster. I never saw but one of thatr size at the North. Let us now walk into the grove: ther first impression you receive is, that these giants must ber very old; how old you cannot possibly say. By countingr the concentric circles in the tree, some will count thirteenr r r hundred, and some near three thousand, ...... making ther tree as many years old. For my own part, though Ir have heard it complained that they are four thousandr years old, yet I should not be willing to certify for morer than half that age. You are struck unpleasantly thatr the names of men, such as modern generals and colonels,r should be screwed to trees that have been living andr bearing the storms of earth centuries before these menr were ever heard of. Why should such names as ‘Phil Sheridan’r be attached to a tree that perhaps saw lightr before the star arose over Bethlehem, or Titus besiegedr Jerusalem? But there they are, and you may speak tor ‘George Washington,’ ‘Abraham Lincoln,’ ‘Daniel Webster,’ ‘W. H. Seward,’ ‘Andrew Johnson,’ and a host ofr other names; or, if you want to address whole states,r there is the ‘Granite State,’ ‘Vermont,’ ‘Old Dominion,’r ‘Old Kentucky,’ and many others.”r

r In this last matter we don’t agree with our friendr the doctor. If it is necessary to distinguish the treesr by separate names, we do not see why we should notr take them from contemporary history our own country,r as well as go back to “Titus” and “Jerusalem.” Ther only rule we are inclined to enforce is, that no grotesquer r or absurd designations be allowed—nothing inconsistentr with the dignity and colossal bearing of the giants ofr Calaveras.*r

r *A lady of our party—Mrs. William Nelson, the wife ofr Mr. W. Nelson, of the well-known British publishing firmr of Thomas Nelson and Sons—was allowed by the proprietorr of these trees to name one of them, after the city of her residence,r “Auld Reekie,”—that is, Edinburgh, the capital ofr Scotland. And we have that lady’s authority, and ther authority of her friends, to say that they enjoyed their tripr across the continent immensely, and will always entertain ar kindly recollection of American hospitality.r

r One curious thing connected with them is the smallnessr of the cones which produce them. They are nor larger than a hen’s egg, and the seed is a mere speck—r about one-twelfth the weight of an apple-seed!r

r But we must resume our description:—Near ther “Mother of the Forest” lies prone the “Father of the Forest,”r less fortunate in his fate than his veneratedr consort. He lies half-embedded in the soil, but grandr is his decay, and obviously worthy of the title givenr him. In circumference at the roots, he measures 110r feet. His trunk is 200 feet long before he throws off ar r r r single branch, and throughout the whole of this lengthr the trunk is hollow, forming a kind of tunnel or corridor,r wherein a man can walk erect. At a height of 300 feetr from the roots, and at the point where it was rent inr twain by falling against another huge tree, it measuresr 18 feet in circumference.r

r Now let no direct our attention to a graceful pair,r which, from their seemingly affectionate approximationr to one another, are appropriately known as “The Husband and Wife.”r Their dimensions are nearly equal:r about 60 feet in circumference at the base, and, inr height, about 250 feet.r

r The “Hermit “rises alone in individual grandeur; itsr tall and shapely trunk mounting upward, by sure degreesr but slow, to an elevation of 318, and a circumference ofr 60 feet.r

r Another giant has been designated “Hercules; “itsr girth is 95, and its height, 312 feet.*r

r * On the trunk is cut the name of “G. M. Wooster, Juner 1850,” who was present with the pasty of Mr. Whitehead,r when the latter accidentally discovered these lords of ther forest.r

r Then there is another, the “Burnt Tree,” which liesr r on the ground, and has been hollowed out by repeatedr burnings. At least you can ride into it sixty feet onr horseback. It is calculated that its height, when standing,r must have been 330 feet; its circumference, 97 feet.r

r A bowed, broken, and sad-looking tree is the “Old Maid”r of this family of Anakim: 261 feet high, and 59r feet in circumference. And it has a suitable companionr in a rugged and scarred old trunk, the “Old Bachelor,”r 298 feet high, and about 21 feet in diameter.r

r The “Siamese Twins” rise from the ground in a singler stem; but, at an elevation of about 40 feet, divides intor two separate trees, and attains an altitude of 300 feet.r

r But one of the most beautiful of the forest-giants is,r as Mr. Hutchings points out, the “Pride of the Forest.”r It is exceedingly well-shaped, straight as a mast, and solidr as granite: 275 feet high, and 60 feet in circumference.r

r We must not overlook the picturesque couple of ther “Mother and Son: the latter, 302 feet, has not attained,r as yet, the maternal stature, 315 feet. Taking themr together, their circumference is 93 feet.r

r The “Guardian” is a noble-looking tree, 312 feetr high, by 81 feet in circumference. Somewhat inferior inr elevation, but of more picturesque character, is ther r r “ Beauty of the Forest,” whose graceful head rises to ther height of 307 feet, while measuring round the trunkr 65 feet.r

r There is also the “Horseback Ride,” a hollow trunk,r 100 feet long, which affords a sheltered arcade forr equestrian display. Another hollow tree, but stillr erect, has been called “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” andr accommodates in its interior twenty-five persons comfortably.r It is 305 feet high, and 91 feet in circumference.r

r The “Two Guardsmen” stand by the roadside, and atr the entrance of the clearing. They are 300 feet high, andr while one is 65, the other is 69 feet in circumference.r

r The “Three Graces” is one of the most attractiver groups in the whole grove. In height they are nearlyr equal (295 feet); and they measure, jointly, 92 feet inr circumference, at their base.r

r It was long supposed that each concentric circle of anyr one of these sequoias, or about two inches in diameter,r represented the growth of one year; and as nearly threer thousand concentric circles, it was supposed, might ber counted in the trunks of the fallen trees, the conclusionr seemed inevitable, that they were in existence threer thousand years ago—or nearly twelve hundred yearsr r before the birth of our Saviour—in the very pride of prosperityr of the mysterious Egyptian empire. But more carefulr researches have demonstrated the number of concentricr rings to be exaggerated, and the actual age of these treesr is now stated at eleven hundred years.r

r Let us add, as every traveller cannot fail to see, thatr among the giants of the grove are scattered a multituder of young giants, not more perhaps than two hundred tor four hundred years old. These, if no catastrophe intervene,r will, in eight or ten hundred years, become worthyr successors of the present race. The catastrophe most tor be feared is a forest-fire; and we trust that due precautionsr will be taken to prevent a calamity which would ber irreparable, and which. the whole civilized world wouldr regret.r

r Now for the story of the discovery of the Calaverasr Grove.r

r As we have seen, its giant trees were first sighted byr Wooster, Whitehead, and their party, in 1850. At least, itr is said so; but we have never heard that they made theirr discovery known. In 1852 they were again discovered,r or re-discovered, by a man employed as a hunter, for ther purpose of keeping a body of miners supplied with freshr r r meat from the large quantities of game frequenting thatr district of California. One day, while ice pursuit of ar bear he had wounded, he suddenly found himself in sightr of these colossal trees; and the spectacle no filled himr with astonishment that he forgot all about the bear.r

r Returning to the miners’ camp, he related what he hadr seen; but his comrades laughed at the idea of trees threer hundred feet high; and ridiculed his enthusiasm in ther approved manner.r

r At the time lie said no more; but, a few days afterwards,r he reappeared in camp with the news that her had slain an enormous bear, and that he required ther assistance of some of the men to bring it in.r

r A party was sent with trim for this purpose. Theyr toiled on for miles, until they felt inclined to denouncer the bear as the unnecessary cause of a laborious journey.r All at once, however, the mammoth trees burst uponr their sight, and the hunter confessed that his “enormousr bear” was a fiction, intended to bring them to the grove,r and by so doing to prevail over their incredulity.r

r In due time, an article appeared in the North American Reviewr describing the now Californian “sensation.”r It attracted little attention in this country; but, whenr r republished in an English magazine, stirred up ther interest of the most distinguished botanists in the Old Country,r and Dr. Lindley named the species Wellingtonia gigantea.r When this became known in the States, ourr savants grew indignant that an American tree shouldr be named after an English hero. A warm discussionr ensued. It came, however, to a satisfactory result—thusr the English, might, if they liked, retain the appellationr of Wellingtonia gigantea; but that orthodox Americansr would adopt the name of all Indian chief, Sequoia.r

r Let us add, in conclusion, that the traveller should gor on from the Grove to the Calaveras Caves (14 m. west),r situated on M‘Kenny’s Humbug, a tributary of the Calaveras River.r They were discovered in 1850. Throughr a narrow passage we cater the Council Chamber, 60 feetr by 20 feet; thence we pass on to view the huge mass ofr stalactites, appropriately called the Cataract. Anotherr apartment, with a lofty opening in the centre of the roof,r called the Cathedral. There are also the Bishop’s Palace,r the Musical Hall, and a perfect fairy scene ofr wonder—the Bridal Chamber. This is decorated, mostr gorgeously and capriciously, with pillars and curtainsr r r and carved work of the finest description. When lightedr up, the scene produces an impression on the imaginationr which is not easily described, and, assuredly, is not soonr forgotten.r

r There is a very comfortable and commodious hotelr situated near the entrance to this great cavern.*r

r *The Hotel was erected, in 1853, by Messrs. Magee andr Angel, at the cost of about $4500.r

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r VII.—THE CALIFORNIA GEYSERS.r

r The reader must be pleased to suppose that he and wer have returned to San Francisco, and are now intent uponr a new expedition to the celebrated Geyser Springs ofr California.r

r We go by steamer to a place called Vallejo (25 miles),*r lying very near the town of Benicia, famous for its productionr of the pugilistic hero, the “Benicia Boy.”r Thence we take the cars up the Napa Valley, which inr loveliness, though not in grandeur, may compete with ther Yosemite. Its length is estimated at 30 miles, and itsr width at 5 miles. The hills on either side are of picturesquer outline and most luxuriantly wooded, while ther vale itself is a specimen of what cultivation can effectr under a genial climate and upon a fruitful soil.r

r * At Vallejo, the tourist, if so inclined, may take the Napar Valley Railroad; or may drive, ride, or pedestrianize, as her feels inclined.r

r At the end of this enchanted garden we reach Callistoga,r where we pass the night; and next morning, at sixr o’clock, we enter an open stage, and entrust ourselves tor the care of the illustrious Californian “whip,” Friendr Foss. On this occasion, he certainly displayed the utmostr skill and coolness. He started with six horses atr full gallop, and this gallop was kept up as long as ther condition of the road would permit. As, on our approachr to the Geysers, we ascended a mountain nearly 4000 feetr r r high, the pace maintained was truly wonderful. Atr length, after a splendid drive through a fine country, wer pulled up at Geyser Hotel; rested and refreshed ourselves;r and pushed forward into the Geyser Canyon.r

r The traveller at first becomes aware of an extraordinaryr rush and roar, like the escape of steam from a hundredr locomotive boilers. Next, his organ of smell is seriously titillated by a very strong stench of sulphur; andr next he feels a remarkably uncomfortable degree of heatr in the soil over which he laboriously limps.r

r He now finds himself in front of a small boiling streamr of alum; and at no great distance flows another of nitricr acid, or it may be of Epsom salts, soda, sulphuric acid,r or ammonia: for this canyon seems to be the greatr laboratory of Nature, where she keeps her inexhaustibler supply of “chemicals.” A deep opening, marked by ar column of steam and filled with a volume of liquid blackr as ink, is called the “Devil’s Inkstand.” Further onr lies the “Witches’ Caldron,” a pool of 3 feet in diameter,r but so deep that it has never been fathomed. Here your may enjoy the unromantic but useful experiment of boilingr some eggs in three minutes. But the scene is scarcelyr fitted for it. The caldron is a well deep in the precipitousr r side of a mountain; and the liquid with which it is filledr being black and sulphurous, it seems fit to reserve it forr some more appropriate feat than boiling eggs!r

r There are upwards of a thousand jets of steam constantly escaping in this canyon, which—with its noises,r its stenches, and its mists and its intense heat—may notr unfairly be regarded as a ravine let loose, in some mysterious way, from the infernal regions.r

r To the left is the “Steamboat,” where, high abover your head, springs the roaring, hissing steam, untilr every nerve in your body is jarred and net shivering.r Another, sounding like the whirring machinery of a millr in motion, has very fitly been called the “Devil’s Grist-Mill.” The same ubiquitous personage has, at anotherr part of the canyon, his “Tea-Kettle.” The “brew” isr not one which mortals are likely to have a fancy for; andr if you thrust your stick into it, it snarls and sputters liker a huge cat when a strange dog enters her presence.r

r Singular to say, the brook which traverses the canyonr is cool and clear at its source, and for some distance intor the canyon; but as the numerous springs pour into it,r its temperature rises, and its purity is sullied. It flowsr into the Pluton River.r

r The canyon is full of interesting features. For instance,r a little way up, you can find out a deep andr shadowy pool, which engulfs the united waters of ther springs above it, and these, growing cool in their progress,r while retaining their medicinal properties, the basin becomesr a bath fit for a Ninon L’Enclos—in fact, for anyr beauty that ever was or will be memorable.r

r Keep in the same direction, and you will light uponr “Proserpine’s Grotto,” where the beauty might attirer and compose herself after her bath. It is surrounded byr rugged rocks of the most fantastic outline, and by treesr which entangle their branches no as to form a pleasantr “contiguity of shade.” And through this shade manyr fanciful glimpses can be caught of the gorge as it narrowsr far away into an apparent fissure, and seems to terminater in the very blue of heaven; while waterfalls flash downr the rugged sides, like sudden gleams of a silver wing.r

r Some people have said, exclaims our Hutchings indignantly,r that Californian scenery is monotonous, thatr her mountains are all alike, and that her skies repeatr each other from day to day! We can confidently assertr that nothing; more signally false was ever said, for Californiar is emphatically the “land of contrasts.” As forr r its skies, see them at dawn, at noon, and at eve, or whenr they are decorated with night’s glorious jewellery ofr worlds, and judge for yourself whether poet’s imaginationr ever conceived a spectacle more various, more splendid, and more magnificent!r r r
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The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of California (c1870)

r VIII.—LAKE TAHOE.r

r As we take this to be the most beautiful of the Californianr lakes, we shall particularly direct the stranger’sr attention to it. We cannot say that it lies exactly in ther route of the tourist who “does” Yosemite, the Big Trees,r and the Geysers; and then “makes tracks” for Oregon,r or hurries homeward to New York or Boston. However,r he who has an eye and a heart for Nature in herr tranquil loveliness will hasten thither; and if he can decider upon no other course, will run by rail to Truckeer City, and thence take Campbell and Burke’s stage to ther Lake, a journey of 64 miles.r

r The road is excellent, and follows the north bank of ther river Truckee, under the shade of melancholy boughs, orr r r in the open sunshine, where the woods are broken up byr breadths of rich meadow-laud.r

r According to the State Survey, the lake lies in twor states and five counties. That is a statistical division.r The boundary line between California and Nevadar runs north and south, right across the lake, until itr reaches it certain point therein. where it changes to ar course 17° east of south. Hence it comes to pass thatr the counties of El Dorado and Placer (California), Washoo,r Ormsby, and Douglas (Nevada), can all claim a share ofr the translucent waters of Lake Tahoe.r

r Physically speaking, the lake occupies the level of ar rich valley of the Sierra Nevada, at the eastern base ofr its central ridge, a few miles north of the main trail tor Carson Valley. It lies at an elevation of seine 5500 feetr above the sea-level, and about 1500 feet above Carsonr Valley, foam which it is separated by a backbone of mountainr about three to four miles wide.r

r The extreme southern latitude of the lake is 35° 57'.r It is bisected, or nearly so, by the 120th meridian ofr towest longitude; the western section belonging to California,r the eastern to Nevada. It measures 22 miles inr length, and 10 miles in breadth. The mountains encirclingr r it vary in elevation from 1000 to 3000 and evenr 4000 feet in height, and are chiefly composed of weather-wornr white granite, occasionally assuming the finestr curves and sweepings. The shore is formed almost entirelyr of dazzlingly white granite sand. The slopes runningr up from this shore are clothed with densest piner wood; the waters of the lake are darkly, deeply, beautifullyr blue. Hence the reader may judge what a charmingr fantastic spectacle is made up with this combination ofr ultramarine and dark purple, and glowing white andr emerald green.r

r In making the circuit of the lake—a sapphire in orr silver setting—you meet with the following points ofr interest:—the Cave, in the hill-side, overhanging ther waters at a height of 100 feet; the Hot Springs, justr across the Nevada border; Cornelian Bay, an exquisiter curve in the coast, where the water is of wonderful limpidity;r Tahoe City, on the west side, where there arer hotels, stores, and livery stables: Sugar Pine Point, ar mountain spur covered with riotous of pine-wood; Emerald Bay,r a kind of creek or inlet, two miles long, andr broadening from 400 yards at the month to two miles atr the upper extremity; and Lake Valley Creek, fed byr r r mountain torrents and springs, and in its turn feedingr Lake Tahoe.r

r So much for this very picturesque and charming lake. Ar glimpse of such a gem, of such a thing of beauty, is positivelyr refreshing to a weary imagination, and revives andr renovates it; but to ascertain all its beauties the travellerr should take up his sojourn in Tahoe City, and daily sailr in and about-the exquisite shores. Then, having filledr r his sketch-book, he may resort to rod and line; and whenr tired of catching trout, may shoulder his rifle, awayr among the mountain-woods, and satisfy himself withr quail and grouse. Believe our words, O stranger! Ifr you don’t see Tahoe, you will just miss one of the prettiestr sights in this part of the continent. But we haver a better opinion of you, and can rely that you will actr according to our instructions.r

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The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of California (c1870)

r OUTLINE MAP OF ROUTES TO YOSEMITE AND THE MAMMOTH TREE GROVES.r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r OUTLINE MAP OF ROUTES TO YOSEMITE AND THE MAMMOTH TREE GROVES.r r

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The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of California (c1870)

Color Plates

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r THE THREE GRACES.r r (Calaveras Grove.)r r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r The GRIZZLED GIANT.r r (Mariposa Grove.)r r 33 FEET DIAMr r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r HOUSE ON STUMP OF BIG TREE.r r (Calaveras Grove.)r r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r HOTEL, CALAVERAS GROVE.r r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r BIG TREE (PRIDE OF THE FOREST.)r r (Calaveras Grove.)r r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r VIEW FROM GLACIER POINT.r r Looking towards the Vernal & Nevada Water Falls.)r r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r The BRIDAL VEIL FALL.r r (Yo-semite Valley.)r r 940 FEETr r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r The YO-SEMITE FALLS.r r (2634 FEET)r r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r THE YO-SEMITE VALLEY.r r (From the Mariposa Trail.)r r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r THE THREE BROTHERS.r r (Yo-semite Valley.)r r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r VERNAL FALL.r r (Yo-semite Valley.)r r

r r r r r [click to enlarge]r r THE NORTH & SOUTH DOMESr r (Yo-semite Valley.)r r

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The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of California (c1870)

r r r Cover [image] r Title r Contents r Routes to the Yosemite Valley r General Information r The Yosemite Valley r The Mammoth Trees r The California Geysers r Lake Tahoe r Chart of the Yosemite Valley r Color Plates r r r

r r r r Clickable map of color platesr r r r r r

Bibliographical Information

r r Anonymous (probably William Nelson),r The Yosemite Valley, and the Mammoth Trees and Geysers of Californiar (New York: T. Nelson and Sons, c1870).r Nelsons’ Pictorial Guide-books series.r No copyright.r LCCN 06010675.r 40+12 pages. Illustrated, map. 11 x 17 cm. Bound in blue board with black and gilt lettering.r Library of Congress call number F868.Y6 Y6.r

r Converted to HTML by Dan Anderson, May 2009,r from a copy scanned by Scott Tipton.r These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose,r provided this notice is left intact.r
r     —Dan Anderson, www.yosemite.ca.usr

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