

ESSAY UPON REDWOOD. 107 



rolling breezes waft the golden pollen or yellow-folded clouds 

 everywhere among the trees ; or, in this genus, as with firs 

 and pines, higher and spirited aloft the pollen clouds drift 

 along high up over common tree-tops. Nor have firs any 

 fruit save on their tip-tops : thus this sulphur-like dust is 

 often carried by storms afar, and precipitated by rains, mark- 

 ing the margin of pools, in footprints and ruts of roads, etc. 

 Hence, some legends of sulphur showers. 



Finally, in all due hom'age do we accord to this "Great 

 First Born of the Forest," not only priority in time, but in 

 degree of estimation as to quality, preeminence at nameless 

 points of view, as to state past, present and future (humanly 

 speaking), whether considered as to use, magnitude, dignity, 

 elegance or beauty ; yielding the palm of these Pacific forests 

 to this Sequoia, which is the " Great St. John Cedar" that 

 never grows old, never decays, nor is ever diseased, and for- 

 ever rallying in youthful vigor to repair storm-lost crowns ; 

 never known to die a natural death ; Sylvan types of the 

 immortals ! ; most natural visible emblem of loftiest celestial 

 love-perception, from the purest good ground of a virgin soil. 

 Begotten from above, and born on the mount, they do for- 

 ever chant the everlasting songs of their Zion, singing their 

 Seraph psalms and Selahs along the rolling ages. Towering 

 pillars, these, of Jehovah's first and last temples ! standing as 

 ever, still before the face of the great earthly Shekinah 

 symbol of symbols of his glorious presence for whatever 

 He fires or illumines, lofty or lowly, there is hallowed ground ! 



" Solemn domes ! within and far below 

 Like clouds at rest in an emerald sky ! " Shelley. 



