around was very wild until we reached Inspiration
Point, whence there is a glorious view upon the
surrounding scenery : glaciers and snow-capped mountains
above ; in front, as far as the eye could reach, hills
and valleys alternately, covered with fresh spring
verdure, and here and there a patch of dark forest;
immediately helow, granite precipices of almost invisible
depth, intersected by a multitude of cascades, leaping
over enormous boulders. Such is the aspect from
above.
Half an hour’s canter along a gentle slope, covered
with maiden turf, brought me to the entrance of
the Yosemite Valley,—one of the prettiest freaks of
nature imaginable, and quite unlike anything to be
seen in the whole world.
The entire length of the valley is barely eight miles,
its breadth nowhere exceeding two miles, and, excepting
the one narrow entrance from the plain above, it is
entirely enclosed by walls of rock, their marble-like
crowns towering majestically into the air, taking
various fantastic shapes. Although but a narrow strip,
Yosemite is well wooded and watered; the rapid
Merced, a tributary of the San Joaquin, winds in zig-zag
fashion along its entire length, receiving no lack of
supply from the numerous waterfalls bearing divers
names. There is the Bridal Veil, 630 feet, not unlike
the Switzer Stauhbach; the Grizzly Bear, of 2,600
feet, broken into three separate cascades of 1,600, 600,
and 400 feet; whilst the Vernal and the Nevada, one
above the other, are tumbling down from a height of
1,000 feet. There was a steep ladder attached to
the rock, close to the latter falls, to enable travellers to
view them from above, and as I was ascending the same
through a cloud of spray to reach the granite basin, into
which dropped the upper cascade, and whence the other
took its final leap, a splendid rainbow was stretching
right across this foaming mass, completing a picture of
amazing beauty,
From the foot of the waterfall I walked to a small
lake of peculiar dark-green appearance, only 150 feet
in diameter, and after climbing over a chaotic mass of
enormous black boulders, owing their presence apparently
to volcanic action, I suddenly emerged upon the
beautiful Mirror lake, about a quarter of a mile across,
so clear that every detail of the surrounding rocks was
therein reflected. There were the Two Domes raising
their hoary heads 3,500 and 4,700 feet respectively, and
beyond, the Clouds’ Rest, the highest peak, towering
nearly 6,000 feet into the clear sky. The sun was
just setting on the upper portion of these lofty cliffs,
and its effect on the water was indescribably pic