In the Sierra 



as a pass by wild animals and the Indians 

 long before its discovery by white men in 

 the gold year of 1858, as is shown by old 

 trails which come together at the head of it. 

 The name may have been suggested by the 

 red color of the metamorphic slates in which 

 the canon abounds, or by the blood stains on 

 the rocks from the unfortunate animals that 

 were compelled to slide and shuffle over the 

 sharp-angled boulders. 



Early in the morning I tied my note-book 

 and some bread to my belt, and strode away 

 full of eager hope, feeling that I was going 

 to have a glorious revel. The glacier mead- 

 ows that lay along my way served to soothe 

 my morning speed, for the sod was full of 

 blue gentians and daisies, kalmia and dwarf 

 vaccinium, calling for recognition as old 

 friends, and I had to stop many times to 

 examine the shining rocks over which the 

 ancient glacier had passed with tremendous 

 pressure, polishing them so well that they re- 

 flected the sunlight like glass in some places, 



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