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48 | MIDDLE PARK.

upon almost level ground, the road stretching out
through a dense grove of young pines, a mile and a half
ina straight line, to the head of the Park. Trotting
along through this for a few minutes, Updike proudly
reined up his scarcely panting team in front of a resi-
dence on the banks of the Frazier, in the Middle Park,
and the first stage coach ever seen there stood like a
prophet, pointing to the West and seeming to say: ‘I
break the way where many of my fellows shall follow,
until the locomotive whistle shall drive them further

9

on. Distance 26 miles. Time six hours.”

From this ranch I was fortunate enough to get a
good horse, and vaulting into the saddle, galloped
over to the Hot Sulphur Springs, which I had heard
and read so much of, and which are really wonderful.
Within a small circuit are hot. and cold sulphur, alum,
salt and pure springs. The great sulphur spring is on
the north bank of the Grand river, where it oozes from
the ground, flows a short distance over a bed of its
own deposit, and falls in a stream about 12 inches in
diameter into a pool twenty feet by twelve, and four
feet deep. The temperature of this pool is one hund-
red and thirteen degrees. I found a temporary sort of
house built over it with a canvas covering, and having
divested myself of clothes, went in and had what I
consider, and what doubtless will be ere long, one of
the most superb Russian baths in the world. The va-
por was dense, and it brought beads of perspiration
out in double-quick time. It took some moral courage
and considerable tender testing before I managed to

 

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