January-May 1873, Yosemite Fall, Ice Cone, etc. Image 8

12 The Lyell group black peaks striking sharply into the sky with snow like streaks of foam on a wave. Solid white fields around their basses [bases] [hover] [here] & there a cloud caught on a peak top & trailed horizontally [outwards on] with the wind like a banner. Nearer below the solid white are vast sombre forests wh [which] are so pervaded with white that a gray effect is produced. [Tiered] clds [clouds] hover over the Merced group Shadows of pks [peaks] laid clearly on the ample sheets of white that like drapery conform to all the ruggedness of anatomy In front [of] all this sloping [landscape] of mtn [mountain] & forest are laid the massive snowless gray walls of the valley wh [which] swoop majestically to the bottom & plant their feet firmly among the pine groves & meadows. The river [glares] a [mirror] & in all the rapids the sun has 13 sown cast spangles. The meadows are lovely in color yell [yellow] [ ] & brown patches of fern The exquisitely distributed groves of erect [tepee] pines [every one] a shadow laid clear dappled with light & shade Sun glowing on smooth bosses. The winds sing on among the pine & firs jays scream Snow is melting into music Scarce any frost Little wren mouse like Chickadees Like all the fields of God a song of love & gentleness whether reposing in the mantles of winter or in those of summer Clds Rst [Clouds Rest] nearly solid white Tis [Tissiack] white atop & white streaked & dusted in the many folds of rock St [Starr] King has dense black forest of fir sweeping up from N [north] 4 or 500 feet top cone all white N [north] gray southhttps://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/jmj-all/1462/thumbnail.jp