My Native Land: The United States: its Wonders, its Beauties, and its People; with Descriptive Notes, Character Sketches, Folk Lore, Traditions, Legends and History, for the Amusement of the Old and the Instruction of the YoungCox, James
History
My Native Land: The United States: its Wonders, its Beauties, and its People; with Descriptive Notes, Character Sketches, Folk Lore, Traditions, Legends and History, for the Amusement of the Old and the Instruction of the Young
Cox, James
Indians of North America; United States -- Description and travel; United States -- Social life and customs -- 1865-1918
Finally, he bethought himself of the lenses of his field glasses, and
thus was enabled to kindle fires. He wandered all along the western side
of the lake and down the Yellowstone to where he was providentially
found. He gave the story of his terrible experience in the old
"Scribner's Magazine," since become "The Century," and a thrilling tale
it makes. In a country filled with a network of streams, abundantly
supplied with animal life for food, gorged with timber for fuel, the man
nearly froze and starved and perished from thirst. Twice he was five
days without food; once three days without water. It was late in the
season, and the storms swept down on him and chilled him to the bone;
the snows kept him prisoner in camp, or, when on his painful marches,
blocked his progress.
Naturally, he lost strength, and became hourly in danger of succumbing
to the vast difficulties which confronted him. His sufferings were
increased by the fear which was created by a large mountain lion, which
got on his trail and followed him, evidently with a view to making him a
feature of the menu of his next meal. It seems incredible that Mr.
Everts should ever have escaped with his life. Fortune, however, came to
his rescue at last. He was rescued and nursed back to life by good
friends. To the plateau on which he was found, his name was given,
although there are few who will remember the significance of the name.
Norris Geyser is another of the almost miraculous features of the park.
The basin of the geyser has been described as a weird, uncanny place,
and the words seem well chosen. Of vegetation there is practically none,
because the underground heat keeps the ground always warm, and steam
breaks out into the atmosphere at several points. The general aspect is
drear and desolate, gray and dull, and yet there is something about it
beautiful as well as uncanny.
A geyser is always a source of wonder. The word is of Icelandic
derivation, and signifies gushing. As applied to phenomena such as we
are now describing, its applicability is good, for, from the mouth of
the geysers, there rushes from time to time an immense mass of boiling
water and steam, creating a disturbance of no ordinary character. It is
assumed that the water hurled into the air to a great height while at
boiling point, has risen to the surface through masses of lava, which
are reminiscent of volcanic ages far beyond the memory of mankind. The
mystery of geological formation is too great to be gone into in a work
of this character, but the bare contemplation of geysers, such as are
seen at Yellowstone Park, reminds one of the wonders deeply hidden in
the bowels of the earth, unappreciated and unknown by and to 99 per
cent. of the human race.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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