The next stop of the steamer is quite close to McKinney’s, viz., Moana Villa, and a mile or so further on at Pomin’s, the former an old established resort, and the latter an entirely new one.  After passing Sugar Pine Point, Meek’s Bay and Grecian Bay are entered.  These two shallow indentations along the shore line are places where the color effects are more beautiful than anywhere else in the Lake, and vie with the attractions of the shore in arresting the keen attention of the traveler.  Meek’s Bay is three miles long, and, immediately ahead, tower the five peaks of the Rubicon Range, some 3000 feet above the Lake.  Beyond, a thousand feet higher, is snow-crowned Tallac,—­the mountain—­as the Washoe Indians called it, the dominating peak of the southwest end of the Lake.

Rubicon Point is the extension of the Rubicon Range and it falls off abruptly into the deepest portion of the Lake.  The result is a marvelous shading off of the water from a rich sapphire to a deep purple, while the shore on either side varies from a bright sparkling blue to a blue so deep and rich as almost to be sombre.  Well, indeed, might Lake Tahoe be named “the Lake of ineffable blue.”  Here are shades and gradations that to reproduce in textile fabrics would have pricked a king’s ambition, and made the dyers of the Tyrian purple of old turn green with envy.  Solomon in his wonderful temple never saw such blue as God here has spread out as His free gift to all the eyes, past, present and to come, and he who has not yet seen Tahoe has yet much to learn of color glories, mysteries, melodies, symphonies and harmonies.

Soon, Emerald Bay is entered.  This is regarded by many as the rich jewel of Lake Tahoe.  The main body of the Bay is of the deep blue our eyes have already become accustomed to, but the shore-line is a wonderful combination of jade and emerald, that dances and scintillates as the breeze plays with the surface of the waters.  A landing is made at Emerald Bay Camp, one of the most popular resorts of the Lake, and while at the landing the curious traveler should take a good look at the steep bank of the opposite shore.  This is a lateral moraine of two glaciers, one of which formed Emerald Bay, as is explained in Chapter VIII, and the other formed Cascade Lake, which nestles on the other side of the ridge.

At the head of Emerald Bay, also, is Eagle Falls, caused by the outflow of water from Eagle Lake, which is snugly ensconced at the base of the rugged granite cliffs some three miles inland.

Four miles beyond Emerald Bay is Tallac, one of the historic resorts on the Lake.

Tallac was originally Yanks.  Yank was really Ephraim Clement, originally a Yankee from Maine, a stout, hearty, bluff man, who homesteaded his land, added to it until he owned about a thousand acres, and finally sold out to E.J. (Lucky) Baldwin.  Baldwin had come over from Virginia City and seeing the great havoc made in the fine timber, of which he was very fond, exclaimed with an oath:  “Someone will be cutting this (the timber of Yanks) next,” and then and there he began to bargain for the place.  In 1878 he bought, changed the name, and thenceforward Tallac became known.  Little by little, as Yank had done, so Baldwin bought from sheep-men, squatters, and others until he had quite a holding.