TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 29 
energetic spouts of 25 or 30 feet -in every direction, are very pleasing, and its 
borders abound in the pretty geyserite pebbles, some smooth, others ornamented, 
and others again resembling a rose-bud, with closely-folded leaves. 
Recrossing to the west side of the river, a close examination was made of the “Castle:” it has 
quite a lofty mound, broad, handsomely terraced,and profusely decorated with scal- 
loped pools and little upright pinnacles and towers. It plays with great frequency, 
though not to a height exceeding perhaps 40 feet ; still its very frequent flow and almost constant 
escape of large quantities of steam, with its striking-looking and highly-ornamented crater, con- 
stitute it properly a geyser of the first class. This, too, showed, and even in a greater degree than 
others, how greatly protection against vandalism is needed. From every part of the “Castle” 
pieces had been chopped, loosening quantities of the rock and threatening to ruin the construe- 
tion. Two women, with tucked-up skirts and rubber shoes, armed, one with an ax, the other with 
a spade, were climbing about. Should this continue for another year or two, the beauty of form 
and outline of the geyser-craters would be destroyed. It should be remembered 
that these craters were constructed with the greatest: slowness by almost imper- 
ceptible additions, which can only be made by a discharge from the geyser; while the material, 
though hard, is very brittle and easily knocked to pieces. We got back to camp just in time to 
prevent the fall of an uplifted ax, which a woman was evidently about to bring straight down on 
the summit of the “Bee Hive”, whose modest crater forms so strong a contrast to the grandeur of 
its play. Our shouts fortunately reached her just in time, and subsequent remonstrance induced 
her at any rate to postpone the attack. 
Another party of four men came over in the afternoon from the lake. Including my party, 
there were now some thirty visitors in the basin. 
August 24.—Broke camp for the return to Ellis. I should have liked to return by way of the 
Madison Valley for the purpose of examining that route, which at present is the 
only practicable one for wagons into the park; but I had reason to believe that 
the Missouri River navigation would probably close about September 20, and the long journey of 
three hundred and seventy-five miles back to Carroll had yet to be made, and a few days’ delay at: 
Ellis, in order to refit and procure fresh transportation, to be allowed for. We took the back trail 
to the Lower Basin, examining en route the Fan, Riverside, and Sentinel Geysers. The day was 
cold, dark, and wet, the air chill and raw. Below the Upper Basin we met three men going to the 
geysers, each of whom, I supposed, would carry off 20 pounds of specimens and destroy 500. The 
trail between the two basins is about the worst in the park, and stands in urgent — qyain from Upper 
need of improvement, which could readily be effected, and without the use of ‘Lower Basin. 
skilled labor. Timber, fallen and standing, could easily be chopped and thrown aside, and the 
marshy places in great part avoided by making the trail on- higher ground along the foot-hills. 
Jrossing the Lower Basin, which the rain had made wiry, and passing our former camp, we 
continued up the valley of the Hast Fork, the principal features of which are alkaline marsh, 
dead timber, and little or no grass, the surrounding hills being equally uninteresting to the rapid 
traveler. 
I was desirous, on the score of time, to také the trail direct from the East Fork to Gardiner’s 
River Springs, but a brief examination convinced me that nothing would be gained, Trail back to the 
as it was obstructed with fallen timber. The ascent out-of the Madison Valley 5 
to the divide was laboriously made, the rise being fully 1,000 feet, and the back trail down the 
Yellowstone slope pursued. The Sulphur Springs, three in number, were briefly examined en route. 
They exhibit considerable activity, though evidently waning in force. The jets of vapor deposit 
small cones of nearly pure sulphur. 
Emerging from the timber, and soon after reaching the head of Alum Creek, we left the trail 
going on to the Mud Geyser, and inclining to the left crossed a range of prairie-hills, and followed 
down the left bank of Alum Creek until the main trail down the Yellowstone was reached. This 
was pursued for two or three miles farther, and camp made in a drenching rain on a small creek, 
which we named “Jay Creek,” and near the point where the two trails from Cascade Creek had united 
coming up. We had traveled for eleven hours and made about thirty-six miles. 
G 
The ‘Saw Mill”. 
The ‘Castle. 
Geyser craters. 
The return to Ellis. 
