A VISIT TO THE BIG TREES. 299 



its grounds, grew two of the giant trees. These, 

 named " The Sentinels," although by no means the 

 largest, are very handsome, and of sufficient magni- 

 tude to strike the stranger with astonishment, for 

 their height is over 300 feet, and the diameter about 

 20 feet. At S perry & Perry's hotel at Murphy's, 

 where we had dined, we had been informed that the 

 hotel at the Mammoth Tree Grove, also kept by 

 Sperry & Perry or Perry & Sperry, was closed for 

 the winter ; but Mr Sperry or Mr Perry (it is im- 

 possible to say which) lundly offered to accompany us 

 and open the house for our accommodation, and we 

 carried him along with us in our buggy. It was 

 sunset when we got in, and Sperry or Perry hastened 

 to prepare supper, whilst we had a look in the twi- 

 light at The Sentinels and the "Big Tree," so called 

 par excellence, although it is not the greatest amongst 

 the giants. Its huge trunk now lies mutilated on 

 the ground, having been felled a few years ago, as 

 we were told, to furnish material for walking-sticks, 

 which were eagerly bought by curiosity - hunters. 

 Five men were set to work on it, and it took them 

 twenty-five days to accomplish the task ! It was 

 hopeless to attempt to cut it down with axes, and it 

 was therefore bored with augurs, and the intermediate 

 spaces sawn through, and, finally, a wedge and bat- 

 tering-ram were required to effect the fall of the 

 severed trunk, which stood firmly perpendicular 

 when completely cut through. The stump meas- 



