After supper, seated around a big fire,
the wonderful Valley became the topic of conversation and Dr. Bunell
suggested giving it a name. Many were proposed, but after a vote had
been taken the name Yosemite, proposed by Dr. Bunell, was adopted almost
unanimously to perpetuate the name of the tribe who so long had made
their home there. The Indian name of the Valley, however, is Ahwahnee.
The Indians had names for all the different rocks and streams of the
Valley, but very few of them are now in use by the whites, Pohono, the
Bridal Veil, being the principal one. The expedition remained only one
day and two nights in the Valley, hurrying out on the approach of a
storm and reached the south-fork headquarters on the evening of the
third day after starting out. Thus, in three days the round trip had
been made to the Valley, most of it had been explored in a general way
and some of its principal features had been named. But the Indians had
fled up the Tenaya Canyon trail and none of them were seen, except an
old woman unable to follow the fugitives.
A second expedition was made in the same year under command of Major
Boling. When the Valley was entered no Indians were seen, but the many
wigwams with smoldering fires showed that they had been hurriedly
abandoned that very day.
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