XXvi ETUNOGRAPHIC SKETOe. 



the hig'hest peaks confirm the eruptive orij^in of these mountains. The pure 

 azure sky and the perpetual silence of nature reigning- in these uplands add 

 impressions of grandeur which it is impossible to describe. The sense of 

 the beautiful has no gratification in the austere forms of these mountains, 

 but the blue and limpid waters of the lakes, their numerous islands, and 

 the lovely green of the shores, delight it in the highest degree. 



The other eminences perceptible on the horizon lack the boldness of 

 outline seen upon the main ridge, and with their dusky timbers deeply 

 contrast with it. They seem monotonous and commonplace, and people, 

 easily impressed by colors will call them somber. The open country, whether 

 marshes, plains, clearings, meadows, or bare hills, presents an extremely 

 bleak aspect, especially when under the influence of a hot summer sun. 

 Its unvarying yellowish hue, produced by the faded condition of the coarse 

 grasses, renders it monotonous. 



Tlie solitude and serenity of these places exercise a quieting influence 

 upon the visitor accustomed to the noisy scenes of our towns and cities. 

 Noiselessly the brooks and streams pursue their way through the purifying 

 volcanic sands; the murmur of the waves and the play of the water-birds, 

 interrupted at times by the cry of a solitary bird, are the only noises to 

 break the silence. Bej^ond the few settlements of the Indian and away 

 from the post-road, scarcely any ti'ace of the hand of man i-eminds us of the 

 existence of human beings. There Nature alone speaks to us, and those 

 who are able to read history in the formations disclosed before him in the 

 steeper ledges of this solitary corner of the globe will find ample satisfaction 

 in their study. 



The Klamath plateau, though productive in game, fish, and sundry 

 kinds of vegetable food, could never become such a great central resort of 

 Indian populations as the banks of Columbia River. The causes for this 

 lie in its secluded position and chiefly in its climate, which is one of abrupt 

 changes. The dryness of the atmosphere maintains a clear sky, which ren- 

 ders the summer days intensely hot; the sun's rays become intolerable in the 

 middle of the day at places where they are reflected by a sand}', alkaline, 

 or rocky soil and not moderated by passing breezes. Rains and hailstorms 

 are of rare occurrence, and gathering thunder clouds often dissolve or "blo»v 



