44 WILD FLOWERS OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 



beyond description. On comes the river until it reaches the 

 edge of the precipice, then it becomes a raging, roaring mass, 

 sending thousands of glistening diamonds into the beautiful veil 

 of soft mist below. 



Our guide reminds us it is time to start ; we mount our 

 horses and turn with regret from the beautiful sight. The path 

 now becomes more narrow, the turns sharper and more difficult. 

 On one side the mountain, on the other, and within a few inches, 

 a chasm over two thousand feet deep. We are silent, not a word 

 is spoken until the English lady exclaims to her husband, who is 

 just behind her, " Oh, John! take me off or I shall drop my 

 head." 



" Keep your seat, madam," shouts the guide " in a moment 

 we shall be on Glacier Point ; " and so we were. Suddenly 

 the path widens, and we find ourselves on a beautiful plateau, 

 with a forest of trees in front of us, at the edge of which stands a 

 pretty little hotel. 



After a good luncheon, I start out with the guide to find the 

 much-coveted snow plant. After riding through the wood for a 

 mile or so, we find three fine specimens. The snow was just 

 disappearing from the ground around them, and they looked like 

 little monuments of red ice glistening in the sunshine. It is 

 their own natural glisten that makes them so wondrously beau- 

 tiful. The color and drawing of my sketch is correctly given ; 

 but for the "glisten," think of it as a mold of red ice, this shape 

 and color, with the bright sunshine upon it, and you have some 

 idea of the wonderful flower. 



