166 



THE MOUNTAINS OF CALIFOENIA 



SILVER PINE 210 FEET HIGH. 



(THE FORM GROWING IN 



YOSEMITE VALLEY.) 



rocks at an elevation of 

 seven or eight thousand 

 feet, whose highest bran 

 ches scarce reach above 

 one's shoulders. 



I have oftentimes 

 feasted on the beauty of 

 these noble trees when 

 they were towering in 

 all their winter grandeur, 

 laden with snow one 

 mass of bloom; in sum 

 mer, too, when the brown, 

 staminate clusters hang 

 thick among the shim 

 mering needles, and the 

 big purple burs are ripen 

 ing in the mellow light ; 

 but it is during cloudless 

 wind-storms that these 

 colossal pines are most 

 impressively beautiful. 

 Then they bow like wil 

 lows, their leaves stream 

 ing forward all in one 

 direction, and, when the 

 sun shines upon them at 

 the required angle, entire 

 groves glow as if every 

 leafwereburnishedsilver. 

 The fall of tropic light on 

 the royal crown of a palm 

 is a truly glorious spec 

 tacle, the fervid sun-flood 



