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John L. Stoddard's Lectures, Vol. 10 (of 10) - Southern California; Grand Canon of the Colorado River; Yellowstone National Park by John L. (John Lawson) Stoddard
page 81 of 145 (55%)
Alike obey the Power pervading space.

[Illustration: NIGHT.]

[Illustration: THE SAN FRANCISCO VOLCANOES.]

[Illustration: STARTING FOR THE GRAND CAÑON.]

One glorious September morning, leaving our train at Flagstaff, we
started in stage-coaches for a drive of sixty-five miles to the Grand
Cañon. I had looked forward to this drive with some misgiving,
dreading the heat of the sun, and the dust and sand which I had
supposed we should encounter; but to my astonishment and delight it
was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It was only eleven hours in
duration, and not only was most of the route level, but two-thirds of
it lay through a section of beautifully rolling land, diversified
with open glades and thousands upon thousands of tall pines and
cedars entirely free from undergrowth. It is no exaggeration to say
that we drove that day for miles at a time over a road carpeted with
pine needles. The truth is, Arizona, though usually considered a
treeless and rainless country, possesses some remarkable exceptions;
and the region near Flagstaff not only abounds in stately pines, but
is at certain seasons visited by rainstorms which keep it fresh and
beautiful. During our stay at the Grand Cañon we had a shower every
night; the atmosphere was marvelously pure, and aromatic with the
odors of a million pines; and so exhilarating was exercise in the
open air, that however arduous it might be, we never felt
inconvenienced by fatigue, and mere existence gave us joy. Decidedly,
then, it will not do to condemn the whole of Arizona because of the
heat of its arid, southern plains; for the northern portion of the
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