Sept. 12, 1872] 



NATURE 



397 



A GIGANTIC " PLEASURING GROUND": THE 

 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK OF THE 

 UNITED STATES 



'T^HE Americans do their pleasuring as gigantically 

 J- as they do everything el=c. Tliis is the first and 

 strongest impression made upon one by an Act of Con- 

 gress of March 1872, to which we alluded in a recent 

 number of Nature, enacting that a district about half 

 the size of Wales, and 1,000 square miles larger than the 

 largest Swiss Canton, be "dedicated and set apart as a 

 public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and 

 enjoyment of the people." It is forbidden that anyone 

 shall hereafter settle upon or enclose any part of the im- 

 mense area thus set apart, and only such buildings can be 

 erected upon it as the Secretary of the Interior, who has 

 the exclusive control of this " park " (what an inadequate 



name !), may deem conducive to the accomniodation and 

 comfort of the visitors. 



The estimated extent of the district thus set apart is 

 3i57S square miles, and coincides to a large extent with 

 the area contained between the i loth and 1 1 ith degree of 

 W. long., and the 44th and 45th parallels of N. lat. The 

 southern boundary, however, is about eight miles farther 

 north than and parallel with the 44th degree, and about 

 seven miles westward of and parallel with the liith de- 

 gree, the whole district forming very nearly a square, and 

 looking on the map like a huge slice out of one of the 

 most mountainous parts of Switzerland ; one of the 

 heights. Mount Washburne, is 10,575 feet above sea level. 

 Even the lowest pait toward the south, containing the 

 basin of Yellowstone Lake (330 square miles), "one of the 

 most beautiful lakes of the world," is about 7,000 feet 

 above the sea. Besides the huge mountains that form 

 the most prominent features of this pleasure ground, the 



Fig. I.— Natural Walls m YelloA'stone Park. 



beautiful lake just'mentioned, and a large part of the upper 

 courses of the picturesque Yellowstone and other rivers, the 

 district embraces some of the most remarkable natural 

 phenomena that are to be seen in any part of the 

 world — wonderful falls, multitudes of hot springs, steam 

 springs, mud geysers, mud puffs, water geysers, some of 

 them rising to a height of 200 feet, and other objects of 

 interest. This whole region was in comparatively modern 

 geological times the scene of wonderful volcanic activity. 

 The hot springs, geysers, &c., represent the last stages, 

 the vents or escape pipes, of these remarkable vol- 

 canic manifestations. All these hot springs are adorned 

 with decorations more beautiful than human art ever con- 

 ceived, and which have required thousands of years for 

 the cunning hand of Nature to form. The geysers of Ice- 

 land sink into insignificance in comparison with the hot 

 springs of the Yellowstone and Fire-hole basin. No por- 



' tion of this tract could ever be made available for mining 

 or agricultural purposes. The mountains that wall it in 

 on every side form one of the most remarkable watersheds 

 on the continent. From whatever point of view we survey 

 this remarkable region, it is unsurpassed in interest, and the 

 Act is one that should cause universal satisfaction through- 

 cut the States. " This noble deed," I\Ir. F. V. Hayden 

 truly says, " may be regarded as a tribute from our legis- 

 lators to science, and the gratitude of the nation, and of 

 men of science in all parts of the world, is due to them for 

 this munificent donation.' 



Several exploring parties have lately visited the district, 

 and from an account of one of these, under Mr. F. V. 

 Hayden, U.S. Geologist, to whose courtesy we are in- 

 debted for the accompanying woodcuts, we condense the 

 following description of some of the most remarkable 

 phenomena to be witnessed. 



