;>'>* I n.' .-ip. ■-' < VC CC ' c ( C C C c- c < ccrc CCCo 'cccccccccc'^cr^i c<::c-^ <:< ^b:< cc c<^c ^ .;. c CC ' NOTE. The following paper was prepared for, and read before the Rhode Island Historical Society, at their Cabinet, December ITth, 1872. Many references and notes have been added to the original text. Since these pages were in type, the Supreme Com't of the United States has rendered their decision confirming the grant of the Yo-Seraite to the State of California as a national park, and thus it would seem all claims of private individuals are forever quieted. The paper is published at the request of many friends, and into their hands it is committed. J. E. L. February \st, 1873. THE YO-SEMITE. I am aware that my subject seems better fitted for a scien- tific society, than one, which, like onrs, seeks to preserve the recorded facts of the past. But we all love Nature and she addresses us in so varied moods that there is no one, who does not at some time find great pleasure in contemplating her developments. Nowhere probably upon the whole globe, has she given a more sul^lime and grand development, than in the valley, the surrounding hills and those magnificent waterfalls, which have taken the general name of Yo-Se3Iite. My task then shall be to tell }'ou, what I can, in the brief time allotted me, of the Yo-Semite, the history of its discovery and exploration, its scenery and its future development. I rthi also aware, how very far short of satisfaction to myself, as well as to you, I shall come in any attempt to describe the sublimity and grandeur of this scenery ; I can only indicate, leaving your imagination to paint a more per- fect picture, and trusting that you all may yet behold, as I have, those scenes with your own eyes, and drink in the inspi- ration — the voice of God speaking to us through Nature. The history of the Yo-Semite is, to a certain extent, the history of California, for in this, culminates all the glories of her magnificent scenery, and to preserve this place, where man is forbidden to build his cities or in great numbers to congregate, as a sacred park, she has always labored, aided as far as possible l>y the Nation in her Legislative Councils. The discovery of gold, gave to California a sudden and almost 4 THE YO-SEMITE. unprecedented popnlarity and hitlier Hocked people l)y the thousands to seek that ever hiring, l)ut ever vanishing phan- tom — a fortune. The facts conuected with the early settle- meuts upon the Paeitic coast of North America, the various expeditions, the development under Spanish rule, and the wresting of that section now comprising California from the Spaniards are familiar to you all.* The great extent of the State, its varied climates, the pau- city of settlements, and the vast regions even now compara- tively unexplored are not comprehended by us in the East, and are facts rarely known to others than those who have visited the " Golden State." In examining that much vexed question as to the origin of the name of the State, I chanced upon an earlier mention of the existence of gold in that section of country than I have ever before seen in print. So curious is the old narrative that I deem it worthy of a few Avords here. John A. Sutter will probably always be popularly consid- ered as the first discoverer of gold in California. True, he owned the rancho where it was found, but James W. Mar- shall, who was in his employ, was really the person. He picked up the first gold, satisfied himself of its purity, and then made it known to Sutter. The story of its fii-st discov- ery, the spread of the news, the armies of men Avho Hocked to the spot, and the vast Avealth Avhich has thus flowed to the Nation, all furnish material for an extended essay, but we must hasten. In June last I was in the pretty town of Golden, seventeen miles west of Denver, the capital of the territory of Colorado. The hofel-car, in Avhich we had been living for a week past, was draAvn up upon a siding. This was our home, and from here we set out upon our various excursions among the Kocky INIountains. AVe were brought otKcially into relations Avith Capt. Edward Berthoud, the Chief Engineer of the Colorado * See History of California. Robert Greenhow, Translator and Libra- rian to the Department of State, Washington ; also ]\Ienioirs Historical. &c., by same. 1810. THE YO-SEMITE. D Central Eailroad. A friendship sprang np between us and I soon found that Capt. Berthoud was a man learned in many things — as botany, geology and history, as well as engineer- ing. One day I happened to say to him that I was going ov^er that often considered question of the derivation of the word California,* and then it was tliat he told me, that he had in his possession an old book which contained an early mention of the existence of gold in California and proposed to show it to me on the morrow. Capt. Berthoudf is a French- man, and brought the book with him, many years ago, to this country. It belonged to his father before him, and is a rare volume. It is not contained in any liljrary in this cit}^ and up to this writing I have been unable to find anywhere another copy. I give you first the title of the book and then the extract verhatim, which contains the curious record. " A voyage round the world by the way of the Great South Sea. Performed in the years 1719-20-21-22 in the Speedwell of London, of 24 guns and 100 men (under His Majefty's Commiffion to cruife on the Spaniards in the late war with the Spanifh Crown) till fhe was call away on the Ifland of Juan Fernandez in May 1720; and afterwards continu'd in the Recovery, the Jefus Maria, and Sacra Familia, &c. By Capt. George Shelvocke, Commander of the Speedwell, Recovery &c. in this expedition. MDCCXXVI. No complaint can be found with this title on the score of wanting explicitness. Nowadays we always try to have our book titles tell as little as possible of what is within — a sort of mania for mystification, but in former times, when print- ing was far more tedious, and reading by far less generally practised, they used to print titles so that one knew what the book treated upon and need not be put to so unpleasant a task as reading several chapters to learn what the title should have been. But to the words of the old book ; * See " Annals of San Francisco," &c. Soule, N. Y,, 1855, page 23. t Berthoud Pass, in the Eocky Mountains, Avas named after him. G THE YO-SEMITE, " As to the bounds and extent of California our Geographers have never yet been able to determine either by their own obfervations or information from others, whether it is an ifland, or a part of the Con- tinent of North America." The record then ijoes on to state that they wonld not try to determine the fact, bnt if they did, it " would be perhaps more a fatisfaction to the curious, than any real advantage to us ; fince it would be much the fame to us whether it be an Ifland, or a part of the Continent, if we had any advantageous views of making any fettlements there." The record then continues : "The Eailern coaft of that part of California, which I had a fight of, appears to be mountaineous, barren, and fandy and very like fome parts of Peru ; but neverthelefs the foil about Puerto Seguro, and (very likely in moll of the vallies) is a rich black mould, which as you turn it frefh up to the fun appears as if intermingled with gold-duil, fome of which we endeavor'd to wafli and purify from the dirt ; but tho' we were a little prejudic'd againil the thoughts that it would be poffible that this metal fhould be so promifcuoufly and univerfally min- gled with common earth, yet we endeavor'd to cl^anfe and wafh the earth from fome of it, and the more wc did, the more it appear'd like gold ; but in order to be further fatisfied, I brought away fome of it which we loft in our confufions in China But be that as it will, it is very probable that this country abounds in metals of all forts, though the inhabitants had no utensils or ornaments of any metal whatfover, which is no wonder, fince they are fo perfectly ignorant in all arts." Tliose "confusions in China" of wliich our author speaks, may have saved for us the State, for had tlic "gold-dust" reached England, her people would have found their Avay over the oceans to this far-otF land, driven out the Spaniards and natives and made a history for our consideration — the life of a State for our contemplation. But it was for Ameri- cans in later days to found a State, and advance it to jiros- perity and stability. It was for Americans to explore the mountain fastnesses and acquaint us with their grand and THE YO-SEMITE. 7 awful scenery, and it was to be the crowning gloiy of Ameri- cans to lay down a track over tlie rugged Sierras and drive over it the iron-horse, dragging precious freiglits — a traclv wliich should be a link in the iron bands which now hold the two oceans together. In the development of this State, and the exploration of the mountain-wilds, that famous valley was discovered, of which I shall speak. Let us first describe in general terms the immediate country, and then trace the history of its dis- covery. That range of mountains known as "Sierra Nevada" is limited to California, and extends from Mt. Shasta in the north to Tejon pass in the south, a length as estimated of 550 miles. Beyond Mt. Shasta this range with greatly diminished elevations stretches away through Oregon and Washington Territory imder the name of the "Cascade Range," while from Tejon pass they become assimilated with the Coast Range geographically, but still to the geologist the two ranges retain their respective characteristics. Eighty miles is given as the average width of this moun- tain range, whose western slope by a gradual descent finds its level on the shores of the Pacific, while the eastern is more abrupt, rising from the great basin up to the lofty peaks,, within a space of a few miles. Deep gorges have been ploughed through this range, which are denominated "passes." I will give you the elevation of some of the principal of these passes : Mono, - _ . 10,765 feet above the sea. Sonora, - - - 10,115 Carson. - - - 8,759 Yuba Gap, - - - 6,642 Donner, - - - 7,056 Through this last named the "Central Pacific" finds its way over the ever snow-clad hills. The peaks just around these passes are very lofty, as for instance — o THE YO-SE3IITE. 3It. Wliitiipy, - - 15,000 feet above the sea. lied Slate Kuck, - - 13,400 Dana, - - - 13,227 Castle Peak. . _ - 12 500 Wooil's Peak, - - 10.552 ** " Pyramid Peak, - - - 10,120 I state these elevations that you may compare tlicm with our highest Xew Eiighind mountain — AVashington — which is 0,426 feet above the ocean. From tliis comparison you per- ceive how much grander must be these granite hills. The Sieiras arc so high that they have up their sides well marked belts of vegetation. Around the foot hills we tind the oak and pines {Piniis mbiniana, Qiiercus Sonomensis) as those most characteristic. The next the pitch and sugar pines, the spruce and cedar, (Pimi.s 2X>nderosa, Phius Lamherliana, Libocedrus decur- rens, Abies Douglasii), &c., &c. Next the firs — Plcea grandis and P. amabilis, and also the Piniis contorta. In the highest belt, the end of all vegetation, we have the Pinus Jiexilis and the l*/nas artstata. All these trees arc by far larger and taller than those which compose our forests, and besides these we have those several groups of the "big trees" as they arc called, which rival the world for size. Their botanical name is Sequoia gigantea, a twin-sister of the red- wood Sequoia seinpervirens, which abounds in the Truckee region of the Sierras. In vegetation, then, this region is not wanting, but really surpasses the Avorld.* Besides the passes which I have mentioned, there are great depressions and fissures in these mountains, some of which arc no doubt the result of glacial action, while others show great volcanic upheavals. Within this mountain range is located the Yo-Semite Valley. After tlie first excitement of gold-hunting was over, those who had settled in the State turned their attention to the pur- NoTE. — See elevations as given by Prof. J. D. Whitney, " The Govevu- ment Siu'veys, «S:c., &c. * The Eucalyptus of Australia is taller. THE YO-SEMITE. » suit of farming, always called ranching in California. A farmer is a rancher — his farm is a ranch, or properly a rancho. They toolv up their lands in the great valleys called San Joaquin and Sacramento, along the banks of the Merced, the Tuolumne and the Frezno. Above the foot hills arc many mountain meadows — little dish like valleys, with snow-capped mountains all around them. In these little sheltered spots the ffrass grov^^s rank and o-reen, offering scrateful feed for the flocks and herds which are driven up from the valleys during the summer months. As early as 1850 many sturdy pioneers had taken up their ranchos, and were driving their cattle and sheep up the mountain-sides to pasture. Their great trouble was from the Indians, who, scattered about among the moun- tains, committed great depredations upon the stock. The people were so much annoyed that at last they formed them- selves into a sort of military company — a guard for common safety. A common danger always raises in us a feeling for mutual defence, and its development is that in us which we call mili- tary spirit. These are the conditions of revolution. Thus has often began a revolt — the result of which has been a people's freedom — a tyrant's dethronement. Here were wrono-s to be risrhted. True the Indians had long held the lands, true the whites were pressing hard upon them, but this does not give any plea of right for the Indians to steal and murder. I believe the whites had the right — a sacred right — to rise up against this oppression, and the question of success and power is not a concomitant of the right. According to the doctrine laid down by Froude in his recent brilliant lectures, if the Indians had proven themselves the more powerful, then it would have been right for the Indians to continue their oppression, to steal the flocks and herds, for they knew not money, and to force the whites into paying tribute to their uncivilized customs. Does not the mere statement of a case serve sufficiently to disapprove such a doctrine? But to our narrative. 2 10 THE YO-SEMITE. As a natuml result, then, of this common danger, there was formed a military company. It was composed of the hardy ranchers and sturdy miners from the near-by diggings, who avowed their purpose to l)c either to drive the Indians from the country or themselves die in the attempt. In the country round were many tribes — the Mouos, the Merceds, the Yo-Semites, and others,* the latter probably not a distinct tribe, but composed of defcatetl parties from several tribes who had taken refuge in the great valley. These gave the settlers the most trouble and against them their power Avas chiefly used. Skirmishing and fighting became general along this part of the Sierras. The whites would drive the Indians far up into the mountains, but they would always lose track of them, the Indians taking refuge in some fastness the entrance to Avhich they could not discover. Thus for some time went on these skirmishes between the parties contending for the mastery. The whites became more emboldened and pushing further into the mountains discovered that the retreat into which the Indians took themselves, was a vast gorge, a sight of which they obtained from a near-by peak. Those who had seen this place of retreat told wonderful stories about it, upon their return to the plains. Undoubtedly this was the first time white men had ever o])tained even a glimpse of this wonder- ful scenery, and it is not surprising that those who composed the company, should have given such a description of the oforire as should have led others to desire to see it. This was late in the sunmier of 1850. During the rainy or winter season the ranchers talked over the discovery, and talking only magnified the stories, which spread into the mining camps, and at night around the camp-fires many Avcrc the wonderful tales related and many were the plans formed for exploring that " mountain retreat " the next season. A gi'cat excitement was raised in the settlements around, so that when * Cliook-chan-cie, Po-to-en-cie, Noot-cho, Po-ho-ne-chee, Ilo-na-ehee, Chow-chilla. THE YO-SEMITE. 11 spring came, it was no difficult task for Capt. Bolingto orga- nize his company of picked men, to make an expedition into the momitains both for the purpose of exploring the " valley or gorge," and to exterminate the Indians, that they would not trouble them during the coming planting time. March, 1851, saw the company fully organized and equipped and read}' to start. They called to their aid Te-nei-ya, an old chief, who had always been friendly to the whites. Even among Indians there are always some, of such good parts, that they make for themselves friends. Te -nei-ya led the band of explorers, and knowing the trail, a few days' march brought them into that valley, which we now know as "Yo-Semite." Imagination can only paint the scene, as those hardy ranchers, led by the old and friendly Te-nei-ya, stood upon the edge of the mountains which form the sides of this wonderful valley. They must have stood awe-stricken and mute. The romantic wildness and sublime grandeur of the scene spread out before them must have over- powered them, even though made of "stern stuff." It is related that at one time Te-nei-ya failed the whites, and they called to their aid another friendly Indian, Cow- chit-ty by name, who led them on and has to this day remained true to the whites. This last named Indian I had the pleas- ure of seeing. On our way to the valley we had proceeded as far as Clark and Moore's where we were to stay over Sunday. It ^w as a pleasant June day, and after lunch we were all sitting upon the piazza listening to Mr. Clark, as he told us of the incidents of his earl}' life in these mountains. The sound of a rider was heard, and looking up, we saw galloping into the yard an old Indian, with a white silk handkerchief about his head, panta- loons of great size and white as snow, in a striped shirt, a flannel blouse, and without shoes. The horse which he rode was a real mustang and his saddle was of Mexican make. Dismounting, he walked with uncertain step directly towards us, and greeted INIr. Clark, who addressed him as Capt. John, with grave yet hearty look and speech. 12 THE YO-SEMITE. This Avas the oiice powerful chief of the powerful Frczuos, and he to whom the whites once looked for a safe conduct amoniist the dan^^crous fastnesses of those sfreat mountains which towered around us, with their snow-capped peaks. Mr. Clark with some difficulty and by using some Spanish, some Indian, and a little English, made the old chief under- stand that I lived " six moons " away, or a distance equal to about three thousand miles, and near that " other ocean." The old man with a face full of animation raised himself up, and exclaimed in his broken English, "Whew ! too much}' far, old Injun !" No indeed ! he nor any of his tribe will ever see that " other ocean " of which the soothsayers have often told them around the council fires. These tribes are fast passing away and they wmU be soon numbered with their brothers of the Atlantic, wdiile the tribes in the grejit middle ground will survive but a few years longer, the calamities which have overtaken the red men, dwellers by either ocean. It is related that the Indians were terribly disheartened by this to them " unceremonious invasion," and after a little skirmishing made peace w^ith the men who had found the way into this retreat which had for so lonsr been their secure hiding-place. The story of the visit of the Indian chief, Jose Jerez, a name more Spanish than Indian, under chai-ge of James D. Savage, to San Francisco, the oflfensc given the chief, and the manner in which he and his people avenged it, is told quite graphically by ISIr. Ilutchings.* To the incidents connected with this affair, he gives, I apprehend, too much prominence in the train of circumstances Avhicli led to the discovery of the valley. As the Indians kept their peace, there was no occasion for the whites to push so far into the mountains, and for some year or more, little was done towards exploring further this * See " Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California," &c. J. M. Hutchings, of Yo-Semile, 1870. N. Y. THE YO-SEMITE. 13 valley. But little seems to have been said about the place outside of the country immediatel}^ around. To the renewed excitement in the finding of gold all seem to have turned their attention, and for a time to have forgotten the wonder- ful scenery. The killing of two miners in or near the valley in the sum- mer oi 1852, led to the fitting out of a second expedition. This time the miners from the Mariposa country furnished the men, and they styled themselves the "Mariposa Battal- ion." They pushed into the valley, attacked the Indians without mercy, killed many, and the rest drove out. These took refuge with the Monos, avIio dwelt by the hike of the same name upon the Eastern side of the Sierras. We are told the tril)es afterwards fought among themselves, and that the Monos almost entirely exterminated the tribe called "Yo- Semites." Upon the return of the soldiers, each had his story to tell, some of which obtained quite a circulation through the State, but were, I am told, generally discredited, being looked upon as the "yarns of a traveller." They were not given to exag- geration if they were as moderate in all their estimates, as in giving the height of the Yo-Semite Fall which they repoi-ted as being " more than a thousand feet high," and of the moun- tain peaks they gave their height at about half their real altitude. To find a good reason for the tardiness w^ith which the stories of the towering cliffs, the magnificent waterfalls, the great trees and the wonderful scenery of this valley, s^jread through the State and found their way into the eastern press is difiicult. I can only explain it in the extraordinary excite- ment which existed about gold, the restlessness of the people^ who rushed from place to place as the news of newly-found " diggings " reached them, and the general distrust with which all the more sober part of the people there, and all Eastern men, accepted the stories which were told " of ( Adifornia." At all events several years passed away before much was known of the Yo-Semite, 14 THE YO-SEMITE. What little had become known with any accuracy was coniniunicatcd by Dr. L. II. Bunnell, who had been a mem- ber of that celebrated " oMariposa Battalion." He had looked upon the scenery with ai-tist-eye, and was a true lover of Nature. He was a gentleman of extended knowledge and agreeable parts, and wimiing the confidence of the Indians who accompanied them, and whom they met, he obtained from them, all the information which he could, respecting names of the waterfalls, the mountains and the valley itself. To him, probably, is due the name given to the valley. His accounts of Avhat he had seen gi-aduall^' attracted attention, and few names arc so closely connected Avith the history of this "wonderful valley" as that of Bunnell's. In 1855 Mr. J. M. Ilutchings, with a small party, made the first excursion into the vallc}-. He was led to the place hy the stories of the Avonderful scenery which had reached him, and to obtain material for his series of papers illustrating the scenery of California. A second party of sixteen persons from the town of ISIariposa made a visit the same year to the valley. The reports made by these tourists and the descrip- tions which now found their way into the press, made the year 185G memorable in opening the travel to the Yo-Semite. A trail was cut on the Mariposa side and it may be said that by the next year pleasure travel was fairly began. Of course these early visitors were forced to carry with them a full set of camp equipage, and the condition of the roads and the trails up the mountains made the journey one of hardship and in many places very dangerous. As tourists began to turn their steps towards the valley, persons, Avhose aim was "to turn a penny" into their pockets, began to try to meet the wants of these travellers. In the autumn of 1856 the first house was built, and was for many years known as the "Lower Hotel." The building is still standing and forms a part of the hotel now known as the "New Sentinel," and kept by Mr. Black. In the spring of 1857 one Hite erected a canvas house some half a mile further up the valley THE YO-SEMITE. 15 than ilie first mentioned. In the spring of 1858 was erected the building which now forms "Hutchings' Hotel." Messrs. Hite and Beardsley were the owners, and for a season they kept it as a lioteL It was continued by different parties, Peck, Longhurst and others till 1864, when Mr. Hutchings assumed the business which has since been continued by him with a sharp eye to the " financial gains." The Lower Hotel was kept successively by John Reed in 1857, by one Cun- ningham from 1858 to 1861. In 1863 G. F. Leidig took it and kept it till 1870. In 1871 Leidig erected a new hotel an eighth of a mile further down than his old house, which he is no^v keeping. In 1857 there was erected a small building t© be used as a store-house above the site of the present Hutchings Hotel. All these save the Leidig's new hotel, which I have mentioned, were rude structures made from rough boards, without plas- tering and with partitions made of cloth. Everything at this time had to be brought upon the backs of mules or horses from fifty to sixty miles and over the roughest of rough mountain trails. In 1871 ]Mr. John Smith erected a building in which he opened a saloon, bath rooms, a barber's shop, &c., for the accommodation of guests. This year Mr. Hutchings added a new building to his hotel which is used as a dormitory. Several small unfinished buildings are scattered througli the valley, used for various purposes, as photographic galleries, telegraph ofiice, a store, &c. The houses and buildings of J. C. Lamon are situated at the upper end of the valley. These comprise the buildings so far erected in the valley, and all of them are rude structures, serving only for a poor pro- tection against storms. The first white man who took up his residence in the valley was Mr. J. C. Lamon. From his oavu lips I learned the fol- lowing facts of his life. He was led to the valley from hear- ing the wonderful stories about it. He was at work in the mines in the Mariposa country at the time, and after thinking 16 THE YO-SEMITE. the matter over he resolved to make a visit into the valley. Ill 1851) he made his tir-st journey into the Yo-Scmite. He says he was perfectly enraptured by the place and his first impulses were to make his home here. He staid during the summer and made some considerable progress in exploring different parts of the valley and the country immediately around it. He fixes the day that he reached the vallc}- as either the 18th or 20th of April, 1859. The next year he returned to the valley with the full determination to make it his home and began to clear up a piece of land, erect a log cabin, set out trees, &c. In the winter he lived among the "various towns down among the foot-hills, as Mariposa, Coul- terville, and various mining camps. He returned the next season and having got his house into complete order, he has since resided in tlie valley, Avinter as well as summer. For several years he spent the long winter alone in this vast soli- tude, with little of animate life around him. Even the Indians seek other places to pass the winter — the l)irds tly away to the lower valleys — the deer go down nearer the dwelling places of man. What thoughts must arise in one thus dwelling alone with nature ! He told me that the scenery was so grand, so ever-changing that he could not feel lone- some. Occasionally as he would think of himself alone in this valley, with impassable barriers of snow l)etween him and the settlements, he would offer up a prayer that he might be protected against sickness and suffering, for with health he found ample resources of happiness. For two years he had an occasional companion in the person of Henry Wilmer. As you come doAvn the jNIariposa trail, just as you reach the level of the valley, you pass a large tree, around the trunk of which you see some rough boards standing W:th inclined sides. You examine the rude strueturc and find that the boards cover a great opening in the tree which fire had made and that the space within scarcely allows a man to lie with extended liml)s. Your guide tells you that the her- mit lived here and that he died in the valley and is buried THE YO-SEMITE. 17 near the banks of the swift flowing Merced. This is all he 'can tell you; of his name, his history, his motives, he can tell you nothing. Mr. Lamon furnished me with the facts. Poor Wilmer, as he affectionately called him, was from New York. There terrible and unrelenting adversities and domestic troubles coming upon him, he sought in the great mountain solitude escape from his cares. He lived in this rudely constructed shelter and spent his time in fishing and hunting. All the solicitations of Mr. Lamon that he come and share his cabin with him were politely refused, for, said ]Mr. Lamon, " Wilmer shew his good bringing up, and I think he was born a gentleman." At long intervals he would come over and spend a day at the cabin and then tell Lamon of his past life. Letters would reach him from his friends and then he would become very low-spirited, " and act like a madman." He grew more and more dejected and sad, ceased to find any oblivion in his fishing-rod and rifle, and often told Lamon that he had fully resolved to take his own life. Lamon had not seen him for a longer time thau usual ; the Indians as they came to the cabin said, "White man gone, we no see him ;" and so Lamon started for the rude shelter with a sad heart. Sure enough, there was no one there and nothing to tell where Wilmer had gone. Next day while searching the river, he found the body thrown upon its rocky bank. Thus ended the life of James Wilmer, whose grave made that day was the first for a white man in that weird solitude. There is, however, a tradition that the two miners killed in 1852 were buried at the foot of the Bridal Veil Fall, but I could not learn that this was well authenticated. All that is now left to tell of Wilmer is the rude hut which he adapted after the fire had almost formed it. Mr. Lamon is the only person who knew Wilmer, and the sturdy moun- taineer tells you the simple story with such feeling, as comes from a sympathetic heart. There is another man to whom justice must be done, for in speaking of those who have labored to open the Yo-Semite 18 THE YO-SEMITE. to the world, Galen Clark must never be omitted. jSIr. Clark formerly lived in New York eity ; the gold exeitement took him to California in 1853, and varied circumstances led him to the Mariposa country. He was engaired in l)uilding a race to carry water to the " diggings " when the company for which he was at work failed. Finding himself thus situated in 1855, he located in the mountains on the hanks of the south fork of the Merced, and upon the trail to the Yo-Semite. He opened a liotel which was a canvas tent, afterwards built a log-cabin, then a frame house, and now has several buildiuirs and one of the most hospitable homes which I found in all the country. Mr. Clark has done great service in exploring the mountains and locating and enumerating the groves of big trees. At l^resent the wagon road ends and the trail Ijcgins at his rancho, on the journey to the valley, and from here also the trip to the ^Mariposa grove of big trees is made. ]Mr. Clark is a man of great intelligence, a true lover of nature, very plain and simple in his habits, and to this day preserves the custom of nightly lighting a camp-tire before his door. Although well advanced in years he is still "hale and hearty" and car- ries as true a shot as in his younger days. In the country round he has a good name, and the Indians speak of him as "Father Clark." Thus is told the story of the discovery and exploration of the Yo-Semite, and the settlements made therein. But little so far has l)een done to mar the valley, the few buildings which have been erected are so sliij-ht in their structure that they seem built only for the day. I come now to speak of the scenery in and around the Yo-Semite. It is with caution that I shall do it, ever mind- ful of the exaggerated stories which have found their way into the press. I shall give you nothing from hearsay, and shall only describe what I myself have seen. Where 1 give you measurements of altitudes I shall take the last report of the surveys under charge of Prof. J. 1). Whitney, State Geoloijist. THE YO-SEMITE. 19 I am aware also that even the best authenticated measure- ments of the mouutahis, the water-falls, and the " Big Trees " will be received by the popular mind reluctantly, for all their preconceived notions are associated with the hills just about them. Again, what we know of such objects is by comparison ; we associate a tall tree always with a low one, a high moun- tain with a hill. So it is, when you are set down in one of these great forests of the Sierras, where all the trees are larger by far than in New England, we lose sight for the moment of their greater size. Bring to 3^our aid a cord, which you can stretch around the tree and then lay down by the outstretched line a foot-rule, and you will perceive the size by comparison. Again, standing upon one side of the valley and lookuig across to a granite mountain face, sharply and smoothly cut, and it seems not very high, but go to the foot of that rock and look up its face and its thousands of feet are perceived. Be assured then that I shall not over-state anything, and if it should seem quite impossible to imagine even, such grand developments of Nature, when compared with our New Eng- land scenery, believe that although she has been lavish to us, she chose another spot as the arena of her grandest displays. A little to the south of east is the direction in which the Yo-Semite lies from San Francisco, and at a distance in an air line of one hundred and fifty-five miles, but more than two hundred and fifty miles must be travelled to reach the valley. There are many routes advertised, but really they reduce themselves to two, for yon must enter the valley either upon the side towards Mariposa, or on the side towards Coulterville. From the first named place the wagon road terminates at Clark's rancho and thence by saddle train into the valley. On the other side the wagon road extends to the top of the mountain, to a place called Gentry's, and thence by a steep trail down its side. But the best and most simple direction to be given to the tourist is to go into the valley on one side and out upon the other, for at every step new scen- ery is brought into view. 20 THE YO-SEMITE. Wc will follow the trail from Clark's, whose raiicho lies upon the South Fork of the Merced, and which is crossed at this point by a bridge. The trail follows along a ridge rising higher and higher at every advance, now ascending rapidly and now winding through a mountain meadow. A few miles on we reach a great meadow, famed in the country round and which lies at an elevation of 7,100 feet, and a little further on we pass the highest point on the trail, 7,400 feet above the sea. The great banks of snow over which I rode in June, and the structure of the trees and plants all told of the great altitude. The Plnus contorta stru":<;led against the ice and snows, and the firs scattered about with their green, although scanty, foliage, contrasted pleasingly with the l)arren soil and snow drifts. Some twenty miles of horse- back ride from Clark's brings us to that famous spot called Inspiration Point, and Avhere is obtained the first view of the valley. Let me try to give you some idea of the view from this point. We are at the edge of the valley on a huge rock which juts out into it. To the west the valle}^ seems to close up just beyond where we stand, to the east we have a view which is unsur- passed for beauty and grandeur. The rarity of the air and its dryness extends our range of vision over a great space. We arrived there just as the sun was sinking behind the great mountains, casting lingering rays through the valley, reflecting itself in the river and gilding the far-off peaks. Just in front of us over a mountain, loAver than where we stood, tumbled a stream, and, falling, broke into white foam, M'hich floated aAvay in mist. This fall the Indians called Po-ho-iio, or the "Night Wind," l)ut which has received the popular name of "Bridal Veil." Its height from the valley level to the edge of the mountain is 900 feet. It is fed from the melting snows, forming a river which flows through a depression or canon, tumbling over the sharp wall into the valley, and by some lialf a dozen brooks finds its way into the Merced. From our situation it has a pretty rather than sublime efllbct, the very opposite of Niagara. After we THE YO-SEMITE. 21 entered the valley a few of us made our way up near the foot of this fall, and then the noise from the foaming water and the swaying of the tall trees gave us that effect Avhich led the Indians to see in this place the spirit of the night wind, or Po-ho-no. Far below us the level of the valley is seen, but so far that the great trees seem like shrubs and the river which winds along looks like a brook. To our left across the valley rises the form of that great mountain called El Capitan, by the Indians Tu-tock-a-mu-la, or the great chief. The popular name is an attempt at affectation and is neither English nor Spanish. This is a great granite mountain which seems to jut out into the valley, rising from its level almost perpen- dicularly 3,300 feet. It is an imposing sight and its size is only fully appreciated by riding around its face, and climbing upon the talus at its foot and then looking up its smoothly cut side. At some distance up the valley the avails seem to close together. On the right we have those three great rocks which lie one upon the other, and which the Indians called Pom-pom-pa-sus, or mountains playing at leap-frog. They are called the " Three Brothers " by us. Beyond these we have that great and perfect dome like mountain which has received the name of North Dome, and which rises 3,568 feet above the valle3^ This is one of those dome shaped masses of rock which Prof. "Whitney tells us is not uncom- mon in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where they are devel- oped on a grander scale than in any other, granite region with which geologists are familiar. On our left we have South or Half Dome, which is the loftiest and most imposing mass of rock which belongs to the Yo-Semite. It rises to a height of 4,737 feet above the valley and stands out a great sentinel overlooking all. Beyond these we have the snowy mountains rising up grandly against the sky, Cloud's Rest, Mt. Starr King, and the peaks of the Obelisk group of granite hills. These last named mountains are from thirty to sixty-five miles from where wc are standing. With all that I have thus 22 THE YO-SEMITE. liiistily (loseribcd in view, with tho cnrtli around us, clothed in niMoiiJHccnt mountain flowers, with the trees tall and