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3 74 BEADL]-3’S MONTHLY.
known the tread of human foot ; sternly
drawn against the sky, they look so high,
so.steep, so snowy and rocky, that it ap-
pears almost impossible to climb them.”
And, from the time of that hold explorer
down, the summit of Shasta Peak had
been generally considered beyond the
reach of human daring.
‘ “ Aspiring to the eagle‘s cloudless hight,
No human foot hath stained its snowy side,
Nor human breath has dimmed the icy mirror
Which it holds unto the moon, and stars, and
sovereign
Sun. We may not grow familiar with the secrets
Of its hoary top, whereon the Genius
Of that mountain builds his glorious throne i"‘.‘
On the left of the road leading up
Shasta. Valley, stands Sheep Rocksa.
noticeable mass of rugged rock, rising as
a sentinel from the plain-the diverging
point for several trails to the eastward.
Broad, fertile fields spread out from it,
while sleek cattle herd in the groves,
along a gentle stream flowing around it.
- It is said, by old mountaineers, to have
been a favorite resort of ‘the mountain
sheep, which would jump, head-foremost,
down its precipitous sides, where the
hunter dare not follow; and, lighting
upon their great, strong horns, would rc-
bound in safety, and thus elude their pur-
suers. There are several large caves in
the vicinity of this rock, with high, arch-
ed ceilings, affording ample room for ex-
ploration. ’ ’
The view of the mountain from Shasta
plains is very grand; with no interven-
ing mountains to obstruct the prospect,
the base is seen resting among dense,
evergreen forests; higher up, it is gir-
-dled with hardy plants and shrubs to the
region of frosts, and thence the sheeting
snow. From the north-cast and south-
west a double summit, of unequal hights,
iis presented-both rounded and loaded
with perpetual snow ; but, from most
points, a single cone is shown. Rising
abruptly in grandeur and great beauty of
outline, its white, cloud-like form, drawn
relearly against the sky, is plainly visible
‘from points to the south more than two
hundred miles distant. There are sea-
:sons, however, when the monarch,
- Ode to Mount Shasta, by John 1L'mdgc-
. hopeful.
shrouding the white robes that glistenlll
the summer sun, retires to, gloomy S011‘
tudes, and sits a storm-king upon the
clouds, iuvisible to mortal eye. '
We entered upon a scene of active llfe
at the saw-mills. The twang of busy’
saws and the clangor of the anvil, mm’
gling with the hoarse calls of the team-
sters and the crashing of falling timber,
silenced the soft murmurings of Shasta
River, and gave evidence that an ad’
vancing civilization had invaded the deep
forests. The dry diggiugs in distant
parts of the country were to be suPP1“’d
with plenty of pure, running water-the
mincr’s sine Qua non-and the publicbene-
tited generally. The result, however,
was unfortunate for the owners, and the
ditch fell into decay; but, at the time of
which we write, all seemed bright and
The night was spent among
the loggers, and at noon of the follow-
ing day, September 18th, 1854, a com-
pany of ninef‘ under the guidance of
Captain Pierce, set out from the saw-
mills, well mounted and equipped: for
the ascent of Mount Shasta. ‘The ascent
had been made for the first time. 3 few
weeks previously, by a party under the
same leader, as above stated; but it W33
not generally believed the summit had
been reached. We hoped, therefore, i0
verify their statement, and, in profiling
by their experience, avoid the dangers
they encountered. Our course W”-5
southerly, through heavy timber. A
brisk ride of twelve miles, over an easy
trail brought us to the meadows-3 59'
ries of small prairies lying around tile
south -eastern base of the mountain.
Halting to bait our animals upon the lux-
uriant grass, we found a grateful lunch in
a neighboring whortlcberry patch, and
drank pure water from a rustling stream
gushing with considerable force from
under the rocks at the foot of the 11101111‘
min. This noisy spring is the source of
one of the main forks of the Sacramento
River, and right joyfully does its spark-
ling water enter upon its flow, to trace:
(.....-.n-
‘ Messrs.I.ane and Kellogg, of Yreka; Lacks
Greenfleld, Wright, and Booth, volunteer woods-
men from the saw-mills; Cu tnin Charles McDel'-
mit and the writer hereof, gohn Mcliee, of S3“
Francisco.
v
