My First Summer 



weariness. Hereafter I '11 try to keep from 

 such extravagant, nerve-straining places. 

 Yet such a day is well worth venturing 

 for. My first view of the High Sierra, first 

 view looking down into Yosemite, the death 

 song of Yosemite Creek, and its flight over 

 the vast cliff", each one of these is of itself 

 enough for a great life-long landscape for- 

 tune a most memorable day of days 

 enjoyment enough to kill if that were pos- 

 sible. 



July 1 6. My enjoyments yesterday af- 

 ternoon, especially at the head of the fall, 

 were too great for good sleep. Kept start- 

 ing up last night in a nervous tremor, half 

 awake, fancying that the foundation of the 

 mountain we were camped on had given 

 way and was falling into Yosemite Valley. 

 In vain I roused myself to make a new be- 

 ginning for sound sleep. The nerve strain 

 had been too great, and again and again I 

 dreamed I was rushing through the air above 



a glorious avalanche of water and rocks. One 



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