Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/24



which tumbles  the  Merced,  here  a  fleecy  mass  of  foam. Down the  canon  to  the  left  flows  the  Yenaga,  and down the  one  to  the  right  the  Illilouette. Here, at the  upper  end  of  the  valley  proper,  where  the  river branches with  the  branchino;  chasm,  in  the  outer  anole of Yenaga  canon,  we  find  the  Washington  Column, and the  Koyal  Arches,  and  back  of  these  the  North Dome, a  rounded  mass  of  overlapping,  concentric, granite plates. On the  opposite  side  of  Yenaga  canon are the  Half  Dome  and  Cloud's  Rest,  and  in  the  canon, Mirror lake.

Ascending the  Merced  through  the  middle  canon, besides two  miles  of  cascades  in  which  the  river  de- scends over two  thousand  feet,  we  find  two  magnificent falls, surrounded  by  the  grandest  scenery, — Vernal fall, which  makes  up  in  volume  and  impressive  beauty what it  lacks  in  height,  and  the  Nevada  fall,  with  the Cap of  Liberty  near  it. The Illilouette  branch  of  the Merced also  has  a  beautiful  fall.

Thus, amid  sentinels  of  granite,  and  mighty  battle- ments, and musical  cascades,  and  roaring  cataracts, with its  verdure-clad  floor,  and  its  time-worn  walls curtained in  orlistenino;  g^ossamer,  cold  in  its  colors though they  be  of  dazzling  brightness,  wrapped  in veils  of  silvery  mist  round  which  in  drapery  of  pris- matic hues Iris  dances,  or  illuminated  with  airy clouds of  frozen  spray,  Yosemite  sits  enthroned. Above and  be3^ond,  cold,  silent,  and  white,  stretches the great  range  on  whose  summit  lies  the  snow  that, melting, tunes  the  viols  of  a  hundred  cataracts. A fitting play-ground  for  the  state,  truly! A wonder worthy of  California ! Travel the  world  over  and  you will find  no  counterpart;  there  is  no  wonder  like  our wonder. Even a  Yosemite  rivulet  may  boast  its sheer half-mile  of  precipice. All here  is  grand  and unique ;  all  of  characteristic  bigness  except  water,  but Californians were  never  specially  partial  to  water!

I say  Yosemite  has  no  counterpart — I  should  rather