Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/22



clinging to  crevice  and  shelving  rock,  are  tall  grace- ful ferns, with  branches  of  the  most  delicate  tracery, which from  their  dizzy  height  look  like  tiny  shrubs. United with  grandeur  are  sweet  freshness  and  melody ; mingling with  iris-hued  mists  is  the  fragrance  of flowers,  and  with  the  music  of  the  waters  the  songs of birds. Receiving and  giving  rest  to  the  troubled waters after  their  fearful  leap  is  still  the  Merced river, which  winds  tlirough  the  valley  in  sharp  angu- lar bends, strikino-  first  one  side  and  then  the  other. It IS  some  seventy  feet  in  width,  and  as  transpar- ent almost as  air;  indeed,  so  deceivingly  limpid  is it,  that  the  unwary  tourist  who  steps  into  it  is  soon beyond his  depth. So too  in  regard  to  everything  in and  around  this  region  of  vastness ;  dimensions  are so stupendous  that  judgment  is  confounded ;  the  in- experienced eye cannot  measure  them. Distance is cheated  of  its  effect;  until  perhaps,  one  toils  in  vain all day  to  accomplish  what  appears  to  be  no  difficult task, when  the  mistake  is  discovered  and  the  eye  is strained  no  longer.

Now and  then  a  huge  boulder,  breaking  from  its long resting-place,  comes  crashing  down  the  precipice, thundering in  loud  reverberations  throughout  the chasm. Sometimes in  spring  a  flood  bursts  on Yosemite,  when  there  is  a  tumult  of  waters,  and high carnival  is  held  in  the  valley. Scores of  newly- born streams  and  streamlets  fall  from  the  upper  end, and along  the  side  roar  a  hundred  cataracts  whose united voices  might  waken  Endymion. Pyramids of mist  stand  on  the  chasm  floor,  and  ribbons  of  white waters twenty  or  thirty  feet  apart  hang  against black walls,  or  fall  like  comet's  tails  side  by  side,  with jets shooting  out  from  either  side  like  arrows,  weaving gauzy lace-work  and  forging  fairy  chains.

In May  and  June  the  streams  are  flush,  and  the monotone of  falling  waters  is  broken  by  crash  and boom like  angry  surf  striking  the  shore ;  but  as  au- tumn approaches, the  roaring  cataracts    dwindle    to