the most extraordinary natural phenomenon to be seen on the face of the earth. It is called the Paint Pot, and is a depression of about thirty by forty feet, with walls of hardened clay three or four feet high. In this so-called pot are half a dozen or more cones, much like inverted flower pots, about six inches in diameter at the top, and two or three feet high. From the centres of these there are constantly flowing streams of hot clay, each stream of a different color, varying from pure white to brown. In other parts of the big pot the soft clay was coming slowly up from centres and overflowing, forming figures like flowers, very beautiful to look at. The soldier who escorted us was very polite, but would not permit us to carry away a bit of the clay, though there were tens of thousands of tons lying about. We could see, near by and at a distance, several other geysers, spouting water fifty or more feet high, and we learned from the guide books that there are no less than ten or twelve thousand boiling springs and geysers within the reservation, which is sixty-five miles long by fifty-three wide, containing about three thousand four hundred and seventy-five square miles. We were informed that after sunset a bear came regularly, back of the hotel, to regale himself on the refuse thrown from the kitchen, and I went to see him; but the mosquitoes were very thick, and proved such an intolerable nuisance that I was obliged to go away without getting a look at the beast.

CHAPTER V
THE UPPER GEYSER BASIN.

June 24, 1892.

AFTER a good night’s sleep, we left the hotel at half-past eight this morning for an excursion to the Upper Geyser Basin, forty miles distant. The roads were in bad order, very dusty, and the mosquitoes thick. Geysers and boiling springs were to the right and left, everywhere. At one place we got out of the wagon, and crossed a bridge over a small stream to what is called the Devil’s Half Acre. There were really a dozen or more acres, containing great volumes of steam and hot water rushing up and around. Many little streams ran toward a big basin, some of them yellow, some green, and some blue, but on examination I found that the water itself was clear. The mud or clay which formed the bed of the streams, or was being carried along in the current, was colored. We thought the Devil’s Half Acre a dangerous as well as a disagreeable place, and, recrossing the little stream, continued on our way, arriving at the hotel at the Upper Geyser Basin in four hours. We had just arrived when we were informed that the famous Old Faithful Geyser, which has spouted for many years every sixty-five minutes, would go off in a short time. It is situated a few rods from the hotel, and as we drew near, it commenced to spout up an immense column of water and steam one hundred and fifty feet or so in height. Then, in about five minutes, it subsided into a hole in the ground. We could hear the roar of the steam and water underneath, the commotion shaking the ground.

Soon after this exhibition, another geyser, called the Bee Hive, situated near the hotel, spouted, and made a splendid display. I think we saw in this basin as many as twenty large spouting geysers, and hundreds of boiling springs, many of them of surprising beauty. One, which attracted my attention particularly, was a slowly boiling spring which threw up colored clay, and looked exactly like a large sponge. This was about three feet long, two feet wide, and as many high.

Driving along the road, we frequently saw signs put up by the Government: “Do not drive on here,” and “Danger”; so one is impressed with the idea that some day the tremendous volcanic power underlying this entire valley may burst out and make one vast crater of lava, mud, water, and steam.

CHAPTER VI
THE GRAND CANYON, AND THE FALLS OF THE YELLOWSTONE.

Grand Canyon Hotel, June 26, 1892.

WE left the Upper Geyser Basin at half-past eight yesterday morning, stopped for lunch at Norris’s at noon, and, branching off, arrived here at 3.30 p.m. The road was on the banks of or near the Gibbon River for many miles, and was very rough. Twice we forded the river, and once the passengers were obliged to leave the wagon and remove a fallen tree from the way. At another place, a tree a foot in diameter had fallen across the road; the party all got out, and the driver had to jump the wagon over the obstruction, at the risk of breaking the vehicle. The road from Norris’s was in good repair, and from it we had a fine view of the great Yellowstone Falls, and then drove on to find comfortable accommodations at this hotel, the views from which are very magnificent. Mrs. Marble and I, accompanied by a guide, and Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, of Canada, took a walk toward the Grand Canyon, about half a mile off. Crossing some fields, we entered the pine woods. The whole park has been repeatedly burnt over, and there is everywhere an immense number of prostrate pine-trees, some of which are very large, and appeared, when we saw them, to have been lying on the ground many years. In this vicinity, however, there is quite a forest of new growth, all about the same size, from six to ten inches in diameter, and ten to a dozen feet apart, making a very pretty park. Here we came suddenly upon a big black bear lying down; he got up, took a look at us, and then in a leisurely way walked off. It was a fine specimen, weighing, we judged, about two hundred and fifty pounds, with long, clean black hair. Mr. Hunter ran on toward the animal, but we called to him to come back, and the bear, turning his head, gave us another look, and disappeared in the forest. We walked along to the banks of the rushing and roaring river, ascended a high cliff, and looked down upon the great falls and the tremendous canyon, the walls of which are several hundred feet high, colored bright green in some places, and in others red, yellow, or violet.

The whole scene was magnificent, grand, and gloomy. In the middle of the river, near where we stood, was a column of rock some hundreds of feet high, apparently ten yards in diameter at the bottom, and just large enough at the top for an eagle’s nest. One had been built there, and we saw the young eagles stretching their necks, and opening their mouths, as all kinds of young ones do when hungry. The parents were soaring about, and evidently keeping a watchful eye upon us and their progeny, but the little ones were safe, as nothing but a ball from a rifle could reach that nest. From this point we had another fine view of the Falls of the Yellowstone, both lower and upper. The upper fall has been measured, and found to be one hundred and twelve feet high and eighty feet