Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/33



made all  the  more  luxuriant  and  charming  by  the warmth of  tliese  infernal  fires ;  and  to  complete  the picture, at  sunrise  a  weird  rainbow,  refracted  from sulphuric vapor,  hovers  in  clear  prismatic  hues  over the canon,  and  loses  itself  in  the  glistening  emerald  at either  end. Turn then  away,  happy  in  the  thought that nature  inflicts  on  man  few  such  insio-hts  into  her sorceries, but  rather  veils  in  beauty  the  mysterious chemical processes  of  her  laboratory.

The great  sink  in  the  Coast  Range,  which  lies  before us near  the  border  of  the  ocean,  and  into  which  the waters of  the  entire  valley  are  drained,  is  another marvel of  nature,  though  utilized  and  made  common by man. But for  the  Golden  Gate  fissure  or  cleft, which abruptly  cuts  in  two  the  continuous  coast  line, large areas  in  the  interior  would  be  perpetually  under water. Were the  channel  throuoh  this  bluff-bound gateway less  deep,  so  that  the  ocean's  ebb  and  flow should not  be  felt  within,  San  Francisco  bay  would be a  lake. But better  far  as  it  is,  a  lake-like  and  well- nigh land-locked  harbor,  larger  than  Rio  de  Janeiro, and fairer  than  Naples;  with  all  the  glowing  haze and delicious  sweetness  of  the  famous  Neapolitan  air, but without  its  subtle  softness  and  enervating lano-uor.

Mount some  warm  misty  morning  to  the  top  of Yerba  Buena  island,  which  stands  midway  between the cove  to  which  it  gave  its  name  and  Oakland point, and  the  prospect  thence  will  scarcely  fail  to kindle  the  eye,  to  swell  the  heart,  and  awaken  long- ings for other  scenes. From this  island's  base  spreads out a  mimic  ocean,  shaped  like  an  arrow-point,  sixty miles in  length  by  four  or  five  in  width,  whose  radiant waters flhig  blick  the  rays  of  the  morning  sun,  or ripple  under  the  influence  of  wind  and  tide,  and  from whose borders,  wavy  hills  roll  up,  smooth  and  round as the  bust  of  Canova's  Venus,  or  dimpled  like  a merry  school-girl's  face. These, interspersed  with  gen-