Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/28



We will  now  turn  to  quite  a  different  scene Kound St.  Helena,  once  a  bellowing  crater,  and  the chimney of  infernal  furnace-fires,  the  earth's  crust softens, steams  with  internal  heat,  and  appears  with its comliness  marred  so  as  to  expose  the  mysteries  of unadorned  earth ;  for  terraqueous  nature,  as  well  as human  nature,  has  its  unseemly  side,  its  infirmities, and sinks  of  corruption. On one  side  of  St.  Helena are the  steaming  sulphuric  springs  and  boiling  mud  of Calistoga,  and  on  the  other  that  pit  of  Acheron,  the Geysers. Surely the  balance  of  power  must  be  pre- served, the heaven  of  California  must  have  its  hell; aye, let  nature  boast  her  abnormities,  nor  be  outdone by that  hungry  human  horde  which  rushed  in  hither and lined  the  streets  of  every  mining  camp  with  scores of hells.

Three miles  away  one  hears  the  puff  and  roar  as  of ocean  steamers,  and  sees  the  ascending  smoke  and steam. In the  approach  there  is  no  Point  of  Inspira- tion; but Hog's  Backs,  and  steep,  angular  glades, down which  Jehu  drives  with  such  headlong  speed  as makes  the  timid  passenger  to  shiver,  and  prepares  the tourist for  the  enjoyment  Plutonic  pleasures. To one gazing  from  the  mountain  brow  upon  this monstrosity of  nature,  God  is  not  in  all  his  thoughts, but Satan  and  his  hissing  emissaries ;  here  is  no new  heaven  and  earth,  but  a  nether  realm,  with  sty- gian odors  that  offend  the  nostrils.

He who  first  discovered  the  beauties  of  Yosemite was struck  speechless  as  at  the  portal  of  paradise. The hunter  Elliots,  who  in  1847  chased  a  bear  into the valley  of  the  Pluton,  spying  the  Devil's  canon turned and  fled,  and  on  reaching  his  companions  ex- claimed: "  Boys  I  I  have  found  hell  I  "

Around the  cool  deep  crystal  waters  of  Clear  Lake are numerous  soda  springs,  sulphur  banks,  and  borax deposits. Down the  western  slope  of  the  western  ridge that bounds  this  region,  in  the  heart  of  a  tangled  forest once we.l  stocked  with  game,  flows  the  Pluton  river,  a