The water of the lake is clear and cold, and in some places is 300 feet in depth. On account of its great irregularity, having many projections and indentations, this lake has a shore line of more than 300 miles. There are many springs in the vicinity, and in some portions dense forests of pine appear. The Grand Cañon furnishes some of the sublimest scenery of the continent. Though not equal in dimensions to that of Colorado, it is not surpassed in grandeur by that magnificent gorge, and in some respects is not equalled by its greatest rival.

It is about thirty miles long, and during its course the river descends some 3,000 feet. The massive rocks through which this tremendous cleft has been made are of volcanic origin. The materials of which they are composed have been thown out at various periods and are of very different degrees of hardness. Consequently, the wearing away of the surfaces by water, and the disintegration of exposed portions by the action of frost and wind, sunshine and storm, has been very irregular, and has left innumerable points and pinnacles, and many fantastic forms and outlines. Yet in some portions vast pil

FALLS OF THE YELLOWSTONE

lars which remain are so regular in their form and so perfect in their proportions, that were it not for their gigantic dimensions and brilliant hues, they would seem more like the work of some skilful human architect, than like the carvings of Nature.

But aside from their size these pillars far surpass the highest work of man. No human art could have given them their gorgeous coloring. Indeed, the whole chasm glows with an indescribable wealth of the richest colors blended with the softest shades. An able writer has said, "It is as though rainbows had fallen out of the sky and hung themselves there like glorious banners. . . . It is impossible that even the pen of an artist can tell it. What you would call, accustomed to the softer tints of nature, a great exaggeration, would be the utmost tameness compared with the reality. It is as though the most glorious sunset you ever saw had been caught and held upon that resplendent, awful gorge." The greatest artists admit that here are "the most brilliant colors that the human eye ever saw" and that the beauty of their tints is far beyond the skill of human art to attain. These magnificently colored walls of rock, rising almost perpendicularly to a height of from 800 to 1,200 feet, present a scene of grandeur and beauty combined which never has been, and never can be, adequately described.

At the lower portion of the Grand Cañon a stream called Tower Creek empties into the Yellowstone River. Its name is due to the fact that near the falls, for which it is also noted, are large numbers of massive columns. The falls are only about 200 yards from the junction of the creek with the river. The water has a direct fall of 156 feet, and the falls and their surroundings are remarkably beautiful and picturesque. The gigantic pillars rise from the foot of the falls to a height of fifty feet above the top of the precipice. There are also several rows of massive columns, arranged in regular order along the walls of the cañon only a short distance from the falls.

Among the other places of interest are the Gibbon Cañon and Falls, both remarkable for their beauty and grandeur. At the falls a considerable body of water plunges over a precipice 160 feet in height.

Only a few of the almost numberless attractions of the great National Park have been named. For anything approaching an exhaustive description volumes would be required. But enough has been said to show that it is a marvellous region both in the character and the profusion of its natural curiosities. Within its comparatively small area are to be found a larger number of hot springs and geysers than in all the remainder of the world,

and it is doubtless within the limits of the truth to assert that "in its special range of phenomena it has no rival upon the earth."

It is extremely fortunate that the United States Government promptly took possession of this marvellous region, thus saving it from the hands of vandals who would have defaced its curiosities, and from the grasp of speculators who would have charged enormous prices for permission to view its principal attractions. It is now the property of the people, held for their use, and free to all. It is also a matter for rejoicing

CLIFF IN GRAND CAÑON OF THE YELLOWSTORE.

that the Pacific Railroads have been completed and that thus a way of reaching the Park quickly, easily, and economically, has been provided. While the commercial benefits conferred by these roads are beyond computation, they are also rendering an invaluable service in making accessible to

the people the most magnificent pleasure ground in the world.

The Park is under

FALLS OF THE GIBBON RIVER, NATIONAL PARK.

governmental supervi

sion. Leases of land for the erection of suitable buildings are issued where structures are required for the public accommodation, roads and bridle paths are constructed, and fish and game are preserved from wanton destruction.

For "camping out" no better place can be found, while for those who prefer a different mode of life, there are hotels which supply everything necessary for their accommodation and comfort. A trip to the Park involves much less expense than one to foreign lands; it has fewer annoyances, and gives grander scenes and sublimer views than can there be obtained. So, while a foreign trip is desirable, the wise tourist will form an acquaintance with the wonders of his native land before seeking the great, but still inferior, attractions of the beautiful countries across the sea.

THE YOSEMITE VALLEY.

HE famous Yosemite, which for scenic attractions is "matchless among the valleys of the world," is situated in Mariposa County, California. It lies west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and, measuring from north to south, in about the centre of the State. It is about 150 miles from San Francisco, but is reached from that city by a circuitous route of 220 miles. The direction is slightly south of east. It had long been the refuge of predatory bands of Indians, and was discovered, in 1851, by white men in pursuit of some of the plunderers of their settlements near the mining camps in the Mariposa region. From the report which these discovers gave of the wonders of the region, many people were induced to visit it, and in a few years it became a famous resort. In 1864 the Congress of the United States donated to the State of California this wonderful valley to be held as a place of public resort, and to be "inalienable for all time." The property is controlled by commissioners appointed by the governor of the State. They have power to lease portions of the valley and expend the money thus obtained in making desirable improvements and rendering the attractions more easily accessible. Private parties have also done a great deal in the way of building wagon roads and in making trails up some of the principal elevations in the vicinity. In 1886 a branch railroad, twenty-two miles in length, was opened from Berenda, on the Central Pacific line, to Raymond, from which point there is a stage line direct to the valley.

The Yosemite Valley is about six miles in length and from one-half mile to almost two miles in width. Its granite walls rise almost vertically to a height of from 3,000 to 6,000 feet. On account of the narrowness of the valley this enormous elevation of the walls appears much greater than it