332 THE MOUNTAINS OF CALIFOKNIA 



scapes as truly sublime and beautiful if only we 

 have a mind to think so and eyes to see as the 

 more ancient rocky Sierra beneath it, with its for 

 ests and waterfalls ; reminding us that, as there is a 

 lower world of caves, so, also, there is an upper 

 world of clouds. Huge, bossy cumuli developed 

 with astonishing rapidity from mere buds, swelling 

 with visible motion into colossal mountains, and 

 piling higher, higher, in long massive ranges, peak 

 beyond peak, dome over dome, with many a pic 

 turesque valley and shadowy cave between ; while 

 the dark firs and pines of the upper benches of the 

 Sierra were projected against their pearl bosses 

 with exquisite clearness of outline. These cloud 

 mountains vanished in the azure as quickly as they 

 were developed, leaving no detritus ; but they were 

 not a whit less real or interesting on this account. 

 The more enduring hills over which we rode were 

 vanishing as surely as they, only not so fast, a dif 

 ference which is great or small according to the 

 standpoint from which it is contemplated. 



At the bottom of every dell we found little home 

 steads embosomed in wild brush and vines wher 

 ever the recession of the hills left patches of arable 

 ground. These secluded flats are settled mostly by 

 Italians and Germans, who plant a few vegetables 

 and grape-vines at odd times, while their main 

 business is mining and prospecting. In spite of all 

 the natural beauty of these dell cabins, they can 

 hardly be called homes. They are only a better 

 kind of camp, gladly abandoned whenever the 

 hoped-for gold harvest has been gathered. There is 

 an air of profound unrest and melancholy about 



