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 Cornell University Library 
 F 851 B66 
 
 Western wanderings: a record of travel I 
 
 3 1924 028 918 195 
 olin 
 
ecc 
 
 \i^ 
 
 Ti 
 
 
 V^'" 
 
WESTEEN WANDEEINGS 
 
LONDON : PRINTED BY 
 
 SPOTTISWOODB AND CO., NEW-STE.BET EQUAUE 
 
 AND PARLIAMENT STREET 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis bool< is in 
 tlie Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028918195 
 
'(Ill 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS 
 
 A EECOED OF TEAYEL IN THE EYENING LAND 
 
 J. W. BODDAM-WHETHAM 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 LONDON 
 
 EICHAED BENTLEY AND SON 
 
 |«Ijlisl^£i:» in ©Arnarg to |i« Pajesfg 
 1874 
 

 h.iims 
 
The following sketches of Wanderings in the Far 
 
 West are presented to the PubHc, not so much as 
 
 having pretensions to literary merit, as possessing, 
 
 possibly, some degree of interest for those who have 
 
 never visited the Evening Land ; and affording some 
 
 hints and information to those who may be intending 
 
 to journey in that direction, and may care to diverge 
 
 occasionally from the beaten track. 
 
 May the truthfulness of the record aton^ for its 
 
 defects. 
 
 J. W. Bt-W. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The poetry of motion — A growl— Rough weather— Fellow-passen- 
 gers — A new-fashioned honeymoon — Emigrants — Life on the 
 ocean-wave — An arrival — The pilot-boat — The Harbour . . 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 NEW YORK TO NIAGARA. 
 
 Civil service — A free country— Street-cars — Hotels — Cookery — 
 Sight-seeing — Billiards — Central Park — Flowers — A naval en- 
 gagement — The Hudson — A ' Pullman ' car — The old lady and 
 her luggage — Susquehanna — An express train — Buffalo City . 7 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 NIAGARA TO CHICAGO. 
 
 The Cataract House — Proffers of assistance — A soliloquy — The Falls 
 — Tolls — A want of caution — Curiosities — An elevator — Birds — 
 Over the Falls — A 'Sleeping-car' — Tobacco-chewing — Snoring — 
 Lake Michigan 30 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 CHICAGO TO OiJ-AHA. 
 
 Trials — Enterprise — A moving story — Pig-sticking — New version of 
 one of the Labours of Plercules — Hotel life versus home life — To 
 the Mississippi — Reserve — Tower — Farmers' Granges — A bad 
 track — Council Bluffs — Baths — The Missouri . . . .32 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE, V) 
 
 OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Up tlie Missouri — Snakes — ^Nebraska — Indians — Prairie — ^Buifalo — 
 Eating-stations — Prairie dogs — Denver — ^Eedrocks — Indian races 
 — Agates — Indian battle — Sheep mountain — A storm — Echo 
 Caiion— Tlie Devil's Slide— Salt Lake City 47 
 
 CHAPTEB^J^a 
 
 SALT LAKE CITf TO VIEGINIA CITY. 
 
 Early days— The Tabernacle— A vision — Mormons — Ann Eliza — 
 Brigham Young — Mormon shops — American Fork Canon — Salt 
 Lake — A pageant — The Theatre — Mormonism — The Great 
 American Desert — Euchre — Tricks that are vain — Nevada — rTrain- 
 robbera — Americanisms — Reno 72 
 
 CHAPTER Vn. 
 
 VIEGINIA CITT TO STOCKTON. 
 
 Politicians — A silver mine — Sutro Tunnel — A commercial crisis — 
 Geysers — Lake Tahoe — Shakespeare — Donner Lake — The old 
 traveller — Two American forces — Cape Horn — Alabaster Cave — 
 Sacramento— Mosquitoes— The pedlar boy— The poor man's 
 carriage— Gold currency— Wages 
 
 89 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 STOCKTON TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 Stockton — Dust — Gophers — Quails— Staging— Tarantulas— Hy- 
 draulic mining— Mammoth Trees- A curious flower— A theory 
 —Table mountain— Deserted villages— Chinese Camp— Wine— 
 The Siamese Twins— Manzanita— The summit . . . .103 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 The descent— A patient steed— The Valley— The Hotel— A philo- 
 sopher—Riding astride— The Yosemite Falls— Mirror Lake— A 
 legend— Bridal-veil Fall— Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome— 
 The Nevada and Vernal Falls— A rapid— The Cosmopolitan— Im- 
 provements — Impressions — Digger Indians — Departure . ■ 120 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 TO SAN FEANCISCO. 
 
 PAGE 
 Stage jokes— The Golden City— Site— Vegetation— Dust— Over- 
 work — Lone mountain — Seal rockB — Mission Dolores — Bits — Bars 
 — Free lunch— Julep — A character — Architecture — Chinese — 
 High wages — Hoodlums — Chinese faceti«e — Visit to the bad 
 Chinese quarter — Chinese superstitions and troubles . . . 143 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 SAN FEANCISCO. 
 
 Peculiarities — Quacks — Farallone Islands — Woodward's Gardens — 
 Eucalyptus — Suicide and murders — Schools— American politics — 
 The labouring class — Shoddy — Refinement — Literature — The 
 Press — Advertisements— Side- walks — Street-cars — Occupations — 
 A critic 166 
 
 CHAPTER Xn. 
 
 SAN FEANCISCO TO MOUNT SHASTA. 
 
 The Bay — Education of turkeys — The sparrow' — Larks — Golden 
 grain — Stubble — Bad farming — Emit — MarysviUe — ^Bank robbery 
 — A humming-bird fight — Staging — Companions — Highwaymen 
 — Scenery — No grumbling — ' You bet '—Making oneself popular 
 — Grizzlies — Spiritualism — Castle Rocks — Soda Springs . . 187 
 
 CHAPTER Xin. 
 
 MOUNT SHASTA. 
 
 Game — Foliage — Barrenness — Night — Morning — Clouds — The 
 Crater — Boiling Springs — View — Sunset — Red snow — ^Sisscm's — 
 Play of colour — Packing — The trail — Our fkst deer — American 
 deer-^Destruction of game out of season 204 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 CAMPING OUT. 
 
 A frying-pan — Castle Lake — Famine — Fishing — Dinner — A song — 
 Fresh quarters— Deer-hunting — Ambush — Jlountain-sides — Bears 
 — Wild flowers — Home — Camp life — A duel — Woodpeckers — 
 Maternal love 214 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 FEOM TEEKA TO THE LAVA BEDS. 
 
 Eaten by a bear — Forest fires — ^A desert — Sage-bens — Mountain- 
 sheep — Modocs — Indians — Belief — Cost of Indians — a liberal 
 Government — Indian Agents— Present policy — Reservations — 
 Issuing rations to Indians— ^Santanta and Big Tree— Red Cloud- 
 War Department 226 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE MODOCS. 
 
 Treachery — Treaties — War — Murders — Modoc success — Peace Com- 
 mission—Captain Jack — An interview — Warning — Murder of the 
 Peace Commissioners — Marvellous escape — Lower Klamath Lake 
 — The camp — The Lava Beds — Panic— Savage squaws — Warm 
 Spring Indians — Surrender — Execution — Pelicans — Graves — 
 After dark .... 239 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 POET KLAMATH TO THE MYSTIC LAK^. 
 
 A custom— l^ort Klamath — The Agency — Dead Indian country— ^ 
 The Lake of the Woods — An Indian workshop — A canon — Snow- 
 fields^The crater's rim — A snow-camp— An alarm— 0-po-co- 
 ninne — Mystic Lake — A canoe — The medicine-man — ^The island- 
 Law of death — Midnight— Internal fires— Surmises , . . 253 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 rSOM JACKSONTILLB TO THE COLUMBIA ETYEE. 
 
 Oregon forests— The Umpqua Canon — A poultry fancier— A female 
 hermit— Willamette Valley— Eugene City- The Three Sisters— 
 The Mackenzie River— Oregon City— Falls of the Willamette — 
 Portland— The Columbia River— Scenery— The Multenomah 
 Falls— Castle Rock — Cape Horn— The Cascades — A portage^ 
 Coffin Rock — Dalles — A Sahara — Catching salmon— Great 
 Salmon Falls — Fish-Sagles — A crane story 267 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 KALAMA TO VICTOEIA. 
 
 PAGE 
 A tedious journey — A terrible threat — An epithet — Olympia — Puget 
 Sound — Snokomish City — An Indian cemetery — Flat-heads — Use 
 of Indians — American diplomacy — Washington Territory — 
 Salmon not taking a fly — San Juan — Victoria— Dull times — 
 Terminus — A. view — Climate — Roads — Esquimalt Harbour — 
 Sport — Indians — A red admiral — Superstition — Hospitality . , 282 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 UP THE FEASEE. 
 
 New Westminster — Stumps— Halcyon days — Fishing — A panther — 
 Ferns — Sal-lal — Burrard Inlet — Steam saw-mills — Up the Fraser 
 — Anonymous gifts — Providence — Wood-cutters — - Hope — A 
 silver-mine — Rapids — Yale — Hudson's Bay Company — Christian- 
 ised Indians — Missionaries — A waggon road — A trail — Fatal 
 accident — Hell's Gate — Suspension-bridge — Scenery to Boston Bar 
 — Indian larders — Salmon — Fishing establishments — Boundary 
 line — Haro Straits — The Driard House — British Columbia . . 296 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 EETUEN TO NANAIMO. 
 
 Miners — Difficulties and dangers— -Good and bad luck — Gulf of 
 Georgia — Calculating birds — Nanaimo — Duck-shooting — An 
 Indian guide— The beaver-dam — Fishing — A river — Stars — ^Merit 
 — An entertainment — The coast 314 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 BEITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 Game in British Columbia— Grouse— Mud Bay^A day's shooting- 
 Raccoons No woodcocks — Summer ducks — Bears^^Indians of 
 
 British Columbia-^Carving— Canoes— Chinook— Indian houses — 
 Burials— Door-posts — Smuggling — Civilised and Christianised 
 Indians — The ' Prince Alfred ' — The coast— Grumbling settlers— 
 A Bohemian— Sunset — The Golden Gf.te 325 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 SAN FKANCISCO TO THE 6ETS1ES. 
 
 PAKE 
 Tlie race fortheblue riband — -' Coasting' — Games in America — To the 
 Geysers — Calisto<ra — The Petrified Forest — Foss — The Summit — 
 Speed— The Geyser Hotel— The Deyil's Canon— The Witches' 
 Cauldron — The Pulpit— Indian legend— Indian duns— The Indian 
 bath — Quicksilver mines — Quails — Return 337 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 CONCLUDING EEMAEKS. 
 
 Ilealdsburg —Porters- Jewellery — An art— Rainy season— Catarrh 
 — San Diego — The abalona-hunter — Shooting— Hotel mania — 
 Americans abroad — The West 354 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTEA.TIONS. 
 
 NiAGABA Falm — Whiklpooi Kapids . . . frontispiece 
 
 NiAGAEA Falls — ^Enteance to Oatte or the Wind . to face p. 23 
 
 Witch Rooks, Utah „ 47 
 
 Devil's Slidb — Feont View „ 71 
 
 Big Tkee — Moihee op the Foeest ,,103 
 
 Father op the Foeest .... . . ,, 112 
 
 Genbeal View of the Valley fkom Peospeci Point . „ 120 
 
 Sea Birds — Ookmoeants, &c ,, 169 
 
 SoTTTH Faeallonb Island „ 186 
 
 Mount Shasta . „ 204 
 
 View on the Oolttmbia RrnsE . , . . . . ,, 273 
 Vitlcan's Steam Woeks „ 346 
 
Erratmi. 
 Page 47, line 10, for Yauhton read YaHcton. 
 
WESTERN WANDEEINGS. 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 ACEOSS THE ATLANTIC. 
 
 The poetry of motion — A growl— Rough weather— Fellow-passengers 
 
 A new-fashioned honeymoon — Emigrants— Life on the ocean-wave 
 
 An arrival — The pilot-boat — The harhour. 
 
 At the present day the voyage to New York is of 
 as little importance and, generally, as devoid of 
 interest as the trip between Dover and Calais. In 
 fact, I think the latter, being shorter, has the more 
 interest and variety of the two. Theoretically, hang- 
 ing over the side of the gallant ship — a ship is always 
 gallant till she comes to grief — and watching the blue 
 waves as they dance in the sunlight, or shimmer with 
 a phosphoric gleam under the pale moonbeams, is all 
 very nice and poetic ; but, practically, the stricken one 
 seldom realises the poetry of his position, and his 
 thoughts, if he has any, are apt to be very prosaic. 
 
 Will it ever be discovered that the safety of a ship 
 is not incompatible with space, ventilation, and clean- 
 liness, -and the general comfort of its passengers ? 
 
 B 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 People often say, ' Oh, it's no use grumbling ; we are 
 on board ship, and must put up with it.' Now, I 
 cannot help thinking that a great many improvements, 
 both on board ship and on land, are due to a httle 
 good-natured grumbhng. But whilst I have been 
 indulging in a quiet growl over the confined arrange- 
 ments of my cabin — yclept ' state-room ' — the ship has 
 weighed anchor, and we are already some distance 
 from the shore. In the morning a bright April sun 
 was shining, a favourable breeze blowing, and there 
 was every prospect of a speedy end to our troubles. 
 But on returning to the deck to enjoy the sea-air and 
 the conversation of my fellow passengers, how changed 
 the scene ! 
 
 The brightness of the morning has vanished, and a 
 thick mist, evidently fresh from Scotland, shuts us out 
 from the land. The waves are beginning to heave in 
 an unpleasant manner, and it requires a pair of sea- 
 legs — which at present I am not possessed of — to pace 
 the deck with a gait which has any pretensions to 
 grace. Eain, too, begins to fall. No sign is there here 
 of a human being, save myself, and some two or three 
 of the crew, ominously wrapped in huge tarpauhns. 
 Not caring to occupy the deck ' alone in my glory,' I 
 make the dreariness of the scene an excuse for a 
 descent, more rapid than elegant, to the regions 
 below. 
 
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. 
 
 The next day broke more propitiously. Acquaint- 
 ances were formed, and even friendships, destined to 
 last nine or ten days — that is, if nothing untoward 
 should happen in the interval. We had amongst us 
 no professional celebrities on their way to fortune, 
 and had, therefore, to content ourselves with the 
 companionship of beings of commoner clay. These 
 consisted of some four or five merchants ; two or 
 three invalids ; an old Californian, who told me he had 
 never had a day's illness in his life, but who was as 
 yellow as a guinea — a fact which set me speculating 
 whether the inhabitants of that land gradually change 
 into gold-dust ; several children ; a thin Methodist 
 preacher, who was going out to improve the Pintes ; and 
 a very smart mihtary gentleman, from Illinois. I 
 never exactly ascertained the rank of this gallant 
 son of Mars. Sometimes I heard him addressed as 
 Captain, sometimes as General, but he was faraiharly 
 known as ' the Colonel.' He informed us that he was 
 returning from Nice, where he had been passing his 
 honeymoon. As the bride had not yet made her 
 appearance, some one remarked that he was afraid she 
 was suffering a great deal from sea-sickness ; to which 
 ' the Colonel ' replied that she had been spared that 
 misery, as he had left her at Chicago. I wonder 
 whether this mode of enjoying a honeymoon is common 
 with Americans ? 
 
 & 2 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 For the first few days I fancied we had none but 
 saloon passengers on board, but I was afterwards in- 
 formed that we carried over eight hundred emigrants. 
 The capacity they exhibited for hving down below 
 was something really wonderful. I hardly ever saw 
 a dozen of them on deck ; and how they managed to 
 reach New York alive will ever remain a mystery to 
 me. 
 
 Our amusements were not of a very varied descrip- 
 tion. There was only one complete set of chessmen, 
 and to obtain this it was necessary to get up before 
 daybreak, so great was the rush for it ; and the 
 amount of misery thereby entailed was hardly com- 
 pensated by the most brilliant check-mate. Then 
 there was an old jangling piano in the saloon, and 
 upon this one lady, as ' the Colonel ' said, ' played 
 considerable ;' and two elderly spinsters, who said they 
 delighted in music, once favoured us with a duet, 
 beginning with the appropriate words, ' Oh ! ye voices 
 gone.' 
 
 Whist and euchre whiled away a few hours for 
 most of us, but the latter game absorbed ' the Colonel's ' 
 every spare moment. He was indefatigable ; morning, 
 noon, and night he played. And to some purpose 
 too, for I never entered the smoking-room without 
 seeing there a victim to his rapacity. 
 
 The ' Heathen Chinee ' was a joke to him, and the 
 
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. 
 
 only man I ever saw beat him was the Metliodist 
 preacher. 
 
 Life on board ship is very prosaic. At sea one 
 day is far more like another than on knd, and the 
 smallest incidents assume there vast importance. 
 Speaking with another ship is an event to be remem- 
 bered, and the sight of a shoal of porpoises causes as 
 much excitement as a pack of hounds running their 
 fox through a country town on a market-day. Time, 
 however, passed away pleasantly enough, in spite of 
 sea tea, cracked piano, and narrow berths. As regards 
 the berths, I am sure that walking the plank can 
 be nothing to sleeping in one of them, and that their 
 invention can only be due to the fertile brain of an 
 ancient Inquisitor or that of a modern shipbuilder. 
 
 Our only event of any importance was the arrival 
 one stormy night of a fresh passenger. Nobody could 
 understand how it was possible for him to have 
 come on board in such weather, and nobody remem- 
 bered our stopping. Some of the ladies thought we 
 might, perhaps, have picked up a shipwrecked mariner, 
 but anxiety and conj ecture were soon set at rest by the 
 information that ' both mother and child were doing 
 well.' There was much discussion as to the nationality 
 of the infant, and I do not know that the question was 
 eventually satisfactorily settled. 
 
 On the eleventh day a pilot-boat hove in sight, 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 and was the signal for numerous wagers amongst the 
 betting-men ; the number of the boat, and whether the 
 pilot would first place his right or left foot on deck, 
 causing as much interest as the running of a Derby 
 favourite. I believe if anyone had remarked that 
 the pilot would not stand on his head when he came 
 on board, some one would have been willing to bet 
 that he would. 
 
 One of the signs that we were approaching our 
 destination was a change in the kind of beverage in re- 
 quest on board. No longer did you hear pale ale or 
 claret called for, but mixed drinks — 'cock-tails,' 
 'juleps,' 'smashes' &c. — were the order of the day; 
 and the quantity and variety of these concoctions con- 
 sumed by my Yankee fellow-passengers might have as- 
 tonished me, had I not always heard that ' the bar ' 
 was a great and favourite Institution with the Americans. 
 
 We had a glorious day for entering the harbour, 
 and the view was superb. Hills covered with trees, and 
 dotted with picturesquely pretty white houses ; forts, 
 celebrated in history, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and the 
 great city stretching away in the distance on its low 
 level island, formed a picture as striking as it was 
 novel ; whilst the river, with its numerous monster 
 ferry-boats, and crafts of all shapes and sizes, gave the 
 traveller a very fair idea of the busy active life he 
 might expect to witness in the city itself. 
 
NEW YORK TO NIAGARA. 
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 NEW YORK TO NIAGARA. 
 
 Civil service— A free country — Street-cars — Hotels — Cookery — Sight- 
 seeing — Billiards — Central Park — Flowers — A naval engagement 
 — The Hudson — A ' Pullman ' car — The old lady and her luggage — 
 Susquehanna — An express train — Buffalo City. 
 
 About two hundred years ago the site of the City of 
 New York was bought from the Indians for the sum of 
 twenty dollars, or its equivalent ; at the present day 
 that is the amount exacted by the Custom-house myr- 
 midons from every four or five individuals who have 
 the privilege of landing there. The ' feeing system ' is 
 certainly the only well-organised arrangement in the 
 Custom-house department. For, unless you would 
 have your portmanteaus opened and their contenta 
 scattered over the floor, and are satisfied also to under- 
 go a great deal of annoyance and badgering, called 
 ' civil service,' it is absolutely necessary to slip five 
 dollars into the expectant grasp of one of the rapacious 
 ofiicers. Nothing less will satisfy these harpies ; but 
 from the moment their wants are appeased your way 
 is clear, and though your boxes may be filled with 
 
WESTERN WANDERIACS, 
 
 silks, laces, and other excisable articles, what is that 
 to them ? A friend of mine, who had weakly offered a 
 five-franc piece, thinking to save himself the trouble of 
 opening his luggage, was coolly informed by the in- 
 specting officer that if he had no other money about 
 him he would be happy to wait on him at his hotel 
 the next morning. This piece of condescension my 
 friend did not avail himself of, and consequently, though 
 he had nothing subject to duty, he was soon surrounded 
 by the contents of his portmanteau and hat-box. 
 
 The drive to our hotel was another five dollars. 
 In England it would have been half-a-crown ; but 
 then we were not in England, as the driver very 
 cleverly explained to us. But we quickly perceived we 
 were in a free country ; that cabby was evidently free 
 to charge what he hked, and we, as we hked, free 
 to accept his services or not. The excessively high rate 
 of fares for carriages in New York entirely precludes the 
 general use of them. But there are plenty of street-cars ; 
 and the amusing scenes constantly to be witnessed in 
 them, and the necessity for a steady look-out that your 
 pockets are not picked, are as stimulating for the mental 
 powers as the jolts, jerks and struggles to obtain a seat 
 are for the bodily ones. 
 
 New York is undoubtedly great in three things — 
 hotels, oysters, and mixed drinks. In the first I 
 was disappointed, with the second dehghted, and 
 
NEW YORK TO NIAGARA. 
 
 astonislied by the third. The hotels, magnificent 
 externally, and sufficiently well-appointed, yet want a 
 home-like air ; and the continual crowd and bustle you 
 find on entering some of the larger ones gives you the 
 impression of being yet in the street. They have a 
 terrible habit in American hotels of serving at meals 
 all the dishes at once, so that by the time one is 
 finished the rest are perfectly cold. Covers, appa- 
 rently, are unknown luxuries, and the same may be 
 said of a sufficient snpply of clean plates, knives and 
 forks, &c. 
 
 Mr. Henry Watterson, in a letter to the ' Louis- 
 ville Courier Journal,' makes the following complimen- 
 tary remarks on the English : ' The English are a 
 gross, material people. They Hve on the coarsest food.' 
 Now, anyone who has travelled in America must have 
 noticed that at most of the hotels in large cities, and 
 at all of them in small towns, coarse food and ex- 
 tremely bad cooking are invariably found. The menu 
 makes a grand display, but will not stand analysing ; 
 and after a short sojourn in America you might easily, 
 before arriving at any hotel in any town, write out the 
 bill of fare that will be found there. 
 
 Of course there are exceptions. At the Brevoort 
 House, in New York, as good food and as good 
 cooking will be found as can be wished for ; but the 
 charge for these imusual luxuries is most exorbitant. 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 The hotel is conducted on the European plan, which 
 for Enghsh travellers will be found far preferable to the 
 American one. As for the wines, they are generally 
 good, especially in New York ; but the prices — I 
 suppose on account of the heavy duties — are so enor- 
 mous that milk, tea, and water entirely take the place 
 of sherry, claret, and other hght wines. It is the same 
 with beer — a bottle of Bass costing four or five times 
 its original price. 
 
 Finding fault is a very ungracious task ; but hotels 
 may be regarded as belonging to the travelling public. 
 Besides, I have seen so many letters from Ameri- 
 cans in England to the different New York papers, 
 constantly abusing ' English cookeiy,' that it is only 
 fair that the subject of ' American cookery ' should be 
 touched upon by an Englishman. 
 
 To the oyster-lover America ought to be a paradise. 
 And to the great variety of those bivalves is added a 
 still greater variety in the manner of preparing them 
 for the table. The clams are not quite so good, and, as 
 with ohves, an acquired taste is necessary to appreciate 
 them. When I first ate them I thought them hke 
 indiarubber boiled in brine. 
 
 Everybody has heard of Broadway, as he has heard 
 of the Eue Eivoli and of Eegent Street, Length is its 
 principal feature ; for the rest, it is ill-paved, badly 
 
NEW YORK TO NIAGARA. 
 
 lighted at night, and has very few shops, or stores, worth 
 looking at. On the whole, Broadway is remarkable for 
 little except the crowds that frequent it and their eager 
 haste — each man, seemingly, being bent on making 
 amends, as they say here, for having come into the 
 world half-an-hour too late. The inventor of boots 
 with wheels, which enable the wearer to go as fast as 
 on a bicycle, ought to make his fortune very rapidly 
 in New York. The hare will never be beaten by the 
 tortoise ia America. 
 
 Several of the New York churches are very beauti- 
 ful, and some of the great marble buildings stand as 
 monuments of what can be effected by the persevering 
 industry of those who began life as penniless boys. 
 
 As London has its East end and West end, so New 
 York has its Bowery and Broadway. But instead of 
 the innumerable squares and streets of the West end 
 of London, the West end of New York is confined 
 to Fifth Avenue and a few of the adjacent streets ; 
 and just as Paris is the paradise which every good 
 American hopes for when he dies, so, a house in Fifth 
 Avenue is what he most covets in this life. 
 
 The theatres are mostly fine handsome buildings. 
 They are well-managed, and you find there no dis- 
 agreeable people on the look-out for a fee for showing 
 you to your seat or for handing a programme, as in 
 our London playhouses. The acting, generally, is in- 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 different, one ' bright particular star ' being the magnet 
 to attract an audience. 
 
 New York must be a very musical city, judging 
 from the immense number of piano stores. I should 
 say they are about as numerous, in proportion to 
 the population, as the drinking-bars — which are cal- 
 culated at one to every hundred and twenty persons. 
 Yet the charge for hiring a piano is more than double 
 what it is in Europe. However, as a shilling in Eng- 
 land, or a franc in France, goes as far as a dollar (four 
 shillings) in America, I suppose this is not a charge to 
 complain of. 
 
 We went one day to see a ' great billiard tourna- 
 ment ' between some of the champions of America ; and 
 in spite of the wonderful play of Garnier and Dion, the 
 champions, we found the American game much more 
 tedious for spectators than the English one. Cannons 
 are apt to become monotonous after the first hundred, 
 even when the stakes are silver cups and diamond 
 cues. 
 
 In the large billiard halls it is very amusing to 
 watch the different players, and it is not difficult to 
 estimate a man's character by his play. 
 
 One player prefers ' following strokes ; ' quietly and 
 delicately coaxing the hard balls to do what he wants 
 without their being aware of it. Another, is always 
 twisting and ' putting on side ' and scoring just where 
 
NEW YORK TO NIAGARA. 13 
 
 you do not expect it ; whilst another, by sheer straight- 
 forward play, drives the balls about with far-seeing 
 combinations. Then there is the cunning man, who 
 gets the balls in a corner and keeps on scoring till the 
 helpless opponent longs to hit him over the head with 
 the butt-end of his cue. 
 
 But let us get into the fresh air; and the Central 
 Park wiU be the very place to drive away the effects 
 of the hot bilhard-room. 
 
 This park, the pride of New York, is very pictu- 
 resque ; it has a great variety of surface and ornamenta- 
 tion. But a short time ago it was a barren, bleak, 
 unwholesome stretch of land, a place of deposit for 
 rubbish and old bricks, with here and there a marshy 
 spot and a few stagnant pools. Now, it is most admi- 
 rably laid out, planted with trees and shrubs, and 
 diversified by hills, rocks, slopes, plains, and lakes ; 
 arranged, too, by the hand of a master, and with a most 
 thorough effect of natural scenery. All sorts of means 
 for elevating the surface and breaking the monotony of 
 outhne have been used. Doubtless, in future ages 
 learned men will dig deep into some of the vast mounds 
 and wonder how volcanic action could raise and collect 
 in these spots such a wonderful assemblage of old 
 Indian curiosities, in the shape of tin cans, oyster- shells, 
 shoes, cast-off crinolines, and broken china. 
 
 The prohibition to walk on the grass seems rather 
 
14 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 ■ « 
 
 strange in a People's Park ; but perhaps during the hot 
 dry summers the grass would be so soon worn away 
 that the rule is necessary. At all events, the place is a 
 source of immense enjoyment and benefit to everyone. 
 
 In New York one misses very much the flowers and 
 ' hanging gardens ' which make London houses so gay. 
 It is a 'pity that houses whose interiors are so lavishly 
 adorned with works of art should not display on their 
 exteriors a few of the works of nature. 
 
 Whilst passing a few days at Eockaway, on Long 
 Island, we witnessed a very curious naval engagement. 
 There was a great noise one morning in front of the 
 hotel, and on going out to ascertain what was the 
 matter we saw a number of large porpoises in hot pur- 
 suit of what are called ' drum-fish.' Such a noise ! 
 such splashing ! the porpoises striking with their tails, 
 and actually driving several of their enemies on shore. 
 More than twenty dead fish were taken out of the 
 shallow water. They must have weighed on an aver- 
 an^e twenty or thirty pounds each. One old porpoise 
 nearly stranded himself in his laudable endeavours to 
 outdo his friends in this onslaught ; and he grunted 
 terribly, and seemed quite put out when the battle was 
 over. 
 
 We had reserved the Hudson river for a honne- 
 bouche, and very fortunately so, as we were thereby 
 enabled to carry away with us more pleasing impres- 
 
N£M' YORK TO NIAGARA. 15 
 
 sions of New York than we otherwise should have done. 
 The banks of very few rivers display more beautiful 
 and romantic scenery than do those of the magnificent 
 stream which flows beneath the Pahsades. 
 
 From Hoboken to beyond West Point (the Staff 
 College of America) objects of great interest, historical 
 and legendary, present themselves at every turn ; 
 whilst the natural beauty of the scenes, viewed from 
 the deck of most capitally-appointed steamers, combine 
 to make this trip one of the most charming imaginable. 
 In these river steamboats food for the body is not 
 lost sight of in the intellectual treat, and in my re- 
 collections of the first glimpse of Poughkeepsie there 
 still lingers a reminiscence of the most delicious terra- 
 pene stew I ever tasted. To attempt any description of 
 the beautiful river after one rapid journey up and down 
 it would be absurd. It would require weeks to in- 
 spect but a part of its beauties, and even then I could 
 not do it anything like justice. 
 
 Eeturning to New York, we said good-bye to the 
 many kind friends we had met in that hospitable city ; 
 paid a last visit to busy Broadway and wealthy Wall 
 Street — the latter destined so soon to witness a terrible 
 financial crisis — gave ourselves a farewell dinner at 
 Delmonico's, and finally left the most Hibernian city to 
 be met with out of Ireland, and proceeded on our way 
 to Niagara. We took the Erie Eoad, as it seemed by 
 
1 6 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 the map to pass through a more picturesque country 
 than the other routes, and on a dull damp morning 
 ensconced ourselves in a ' Pullman Silver Palace Draw- 
 ing-room and Hotel Car.' Such a high-sounding title 
 was enough to take one's breath away. It reminded 
 me of a palace scene in the 'Arabian Nights.' The 
 reahty, however, was simply a long railway carriage, 
 with chairs like music-stools with arms ; some nets, of 
 a size quite incapable of holding anything, and a bril- 
 liant array of spittoons. JSTor must I forget the filter of 
 water, with one glass or tin cup chained to it, out of 
 which everybody, from the pea-nut boy and porters, 
 was supposed to drink. What would life be to an 
 American without his filter of iced- water ! 
 
 For the privilege of entering these luxurious struc- 
 tures an extra three dollars per day (if I remember 
 aright) had to be paid. And as the common first-class 
 carriages in America are most uncomfortable, and the 
 second-class quite unfit for anybody to travel in, the 
 consequence is the ' Pullmans ' are the receptacles for 
 all sorts and conditions of men, and are often crowded 
 in a manner conducive to anything rather than good- 
 temper. In speaking of the cheapness of American 
 railway travelling 'in comparison with that of other 
 nations, this extra charge for the absolutely necessary 
 convenience of a Pullman car is generally overlooked. 
 
 A first journey across a strange land is always 
 
NEW YORK TO NIAGARA. 17 
 
 entertaining, even if the scenery should present but 
 few attractions ; but on our route, though the day was 
 a wet one, we saw much that was interesting — quaint 
 wooden villages, mountains covered with forest-trees, 
 and rich valleys with their numerous farm-houses, 
 giving evidence of a wealthy country and a thriving 
 population. At Port Jervis, a most voluble old lady 
 entered the car, bringing with her an extraordinary 
 assortment of luggage. £he had two bandboxes, a 
 dog, a flower-pot, an umbrella, a jug of milk, a 
 luncheon-basket, a parcel of figs, and a boy of fifteen, 
 whose age she gave at the ticket-ofl&ce as nine. I 
 heard her tell her nearest neighbour of that fact, and 
 she chuckled over it as if she had performed a most 
 virtuous action. Her face, though, fell very con- 
 siderably when the conductor, after inspecting the 
 youth, informed her that unless she at once paid his 
 proper fare they must go with him to the super- 
 intendent. That boy's Ufe must have been a misery to 
 him for daring to be over half-fare age ; for when the 
 pair got out at Buffalo the old lady gave him such a 
 swingeing box on the ear that it resounded through the 
 station. Certainly, the boy had given the wretched 
 poodle a kick when he thought the old lady was not 
 looking, but that alone could not account for the 
 terrific force of the blow she inflicted. 
 
 Leaving on our right the Catskill Mountains, where 
 
 c 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 poor Eip Van Winkle slept his sleep of twenty- 
 years, tlie road runs along the Delaware Eiver, and we 
 presently enter the Valley of the Susquehanna — a 
 splendid agricultural country, with neat farm-houses, 
 broad fields, and rolhng uplands. A picture of rare 
 beauty, indeed, is this valley, with its river winding far 
 down below us and reaching away through the undu- 
 lating hUls to the misty blue mountains in the distance. 
 Our ' express ' train was really a most obliging one ; it 
 stopped at all the small stations in the most thoughtful 
 manner, not to let them feel of less importance than 
 the bigger ones, I suppose, as we rarely ever took up 
 or set down a passenger. We crawled over the 
 Starucca Viaduct at a pace which gave us ample time 
 to inspect one of the greatest engineering achieve- 
 ments of the route, and as darkness set in we found our- 
 selves entering the city of Buffalo. 
 
 First impressions are the most lasting ; therefore, 
 Buffalo ought to be seen for the first time from the 
 lake. It is a beautiful city, and worth more attention 
 than is usually bestowed on it — ^we, in fact, had been 
 advised not to stop there. A long breakwater protects 
 it in front from the treacherous lake, whose waters 
 sometimes rise suddenly and without the slightest 
 apparent cause, and storms of the most appalhng cha- 
 racter then ensue. A whole navy might ride in the 
 wide and spacious harbour formed by the breakwater. 
 
N£IV YORK TO NIAGARA. 19 
 
 Fleets of grain-laden vessels cover tlie lake, whilst on 
 the shores the huge elevators and extensive store- 
 houses are evidence of the source of wealth of this 
 busy town. 
 
 The Bufialo people are apparently very fond of 
 trees ; two and sometimes three rows of elms and 
 other trees line either side of many of the streets ; and 
 as they are constantly adding row to row, some parts 
 of the city appear as if built in a forest. The view 
 from the fort presents a charming panorama, extending 
 over many miles of land and water. We passed a very 
 pleasant day at Buffalo ; then, taking the cars, we ar- 
 rived in a couple of hours at Niagara.* 
 
 c2 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTEE III. 
 
 NIAGARA TO CHICAGO. 
 
 The Cataract House — Proffers of assistance — A soliloquy — The Falls — 
 Tolls — A want of caution — Curiosities — An elevator — Birds — Over 
 the Falls — A 'sleeping-car' — Tobacco-chewing — Snoring — Lake 
 Michigan. 
 
 As it was late when we arrived at the ' Cataract 
 House,' where we had engaged rooms, we deferred 
 taking our first view of the Great Falls until the fol- 
 lowing morning. The bedrooms at the above-named 
 hotel are about the size of an ordinary ship's cabin, 
 their numerousness probably making up for their 
 diminutiveness ; at all events, in the eyes of the pro- 
 prietor. 
 
 After an early ' current bath ' of the most intensely 
 cold water I ever bathed in, we made our way to the 
 chief of the natural ' wonders of the world.' Guides 
 and touts of all descriptions pressed their services upon 
 us ; urged us to take carriages, though the distance 
 was only a few hundred yards, and generally profiered 
 assistance, which, having no need of, we resolutely 
 declined. Then, conscious of having brought on our- 
 
NIAGARA TO CHICAGO. 21 
 
 selves the utter contempt of the crowd of would-be 
 showmen, yet remaining firm in our determination 
 not to be ' done,' we were all the more prepared to 
 enjoy the magnificent spectacle awaiting us. 
 
 Most of us, probably, have mentally pictured to 
 ourselves the famous Falls of Niagara ; almost as soon, 
 perhaps, as we were able to read or first heard 
 with shuddering interest the numerous tales that are 
 told of boats swept with their human freight down the 
 rushing rapids, never again to be seen. Having always 
 had a great love for bold natural scenery, the pleasure 
 experienced from it being intensified when water forms 
 its prominent feature, it had ever seemed to -me that 
 the Niagara Falls must be the culminating point of 
 grandeur in nature. I had looked forward so much to 
 the day when I should first behold them ; but now, 
 when almost in their presence, I hesitated to look at 
 them — so fearful, so almost convinced did I feel that in 
 them, as in most other things, the reahty would fall 
 short of the ideal. 
 
 With this impression on my mind I walked rapidly 
 over the small bridges to a point on Goat Island 
 whence a good general view of the Falls was to be 
 obtained. Beaching this, I raised my eyes to take in 
 the whole scene at once, and, with an unpleasant fore- 
 boding that my overwrought expectations were about 
 to be disappointed, I looked, and — the stupendous 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 grandeur of the scene that met my gaze far surpassed 
 all I had imagined. 
 
 Niagara has been regarded with various feelings 
 and from various mental points of view. Men of busi- 
 ness have thought it has a good site for buUding ; John 
 Bull has pronounced it ' a very nice waterfall, and a 
 bigger stream than the Thames.' Sentimental girls 
 have gazed into its misty splendours with superstitious 
 awe, and fancied they saw their fates there. The 
 Yankee calls Niagara ' some, in the way of water- 
 power.' The Eed Indian prays to it, ' Oh, Father of 
 mighty waters, grant a blessing on your child.' But 
 with whatever feehng the traveller from the East may 
 view the Ealls of Niagara, his eyes can have looked on 
 no grander picture ; and far as he may wander towards 
 the setting sun, he cannot hope to see another so 
 splendid. 
 
 All this time we have been looking at the great 
 Horse- shoe Fall, over which the enormous mass of 
 water pours with tremendous force. Till it reaches 
 half-way down, the water seems to hang like a green 
 curtain as it rolls over the cliff; then, gradually break- 
 ing, the mighty mass spreads out in foam and falls into 
 the gulf below. It is not its rapidity but its slow- 
 ness which is so awe-inspiring : 
 
 ' Wie das Gestern, 
 Obne Hast 
 Aber, ohne Rast.' 
 
NIAGARA FALLS.— Entrance 1" L'luc of the Wind 
 
NIAGARA TO CHICAGO. 23 
 
 But no words can describe the grandeur of such a 
 scene. 
 
 We were told that the Horse shoe Fall is gradually 
 assuming a triangular form, the force of the water 
 wearing away the rocky bed and forming a narrow 
 chasm, so that in time the water will have the appear- 
 ance of falling from two opposite walls. Strangely 
 enough, the water never encroaches on the land on 
 either, side. The old tower which for so long stood 
 sentry over this fall was becoming dangerous to ascend, 
 and was blown up the day we were there. 
 
 We retraced our steps a short distance towards the 
 American Fall, which is smaller than the Horse-shoe 
 or Canadian Fall, but equally impressive. Descending 
 a few steep steps, we suddenly found ourselves on the 
 brink of the precipice over which the water was pour- 
 ing and disappearing into a great blue cavern, 150 feet 
 below. This Fall had a greater charm for me than the 
 Horse-shoe FaU, perhaps because we were so much 
 closer to it and were able to look straight down into 
 its misty depths. This also is changing its form, and 
 gradually taking a horse-shoe curve. The little 
 islands in the rapids above, splendidly wooded and 
 covered with all sorts of wild flowers, add greatly to 
 the beauty of the scene. We walked round Goat 
 Island and visited the Three Sisters ; small islands con- 
 nected by rustic bridges to one another and to the 
 
24 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 main island, and extending out into the middle of 
 the rapids. Here, the river rushes down a steep 
 descent, and the foaming and tossing waters are angry 
 and disturbed like the waves of the sea after a fierce 
 storm. The extraordinary fascination ascribed to 
 Niagara is no myth, and its attractive power no mere 
 fancy of the poet. 
 
 The minor drawbacks to visiting Niagara are the 
 great number of tolls and the numerous touts. Ee- 
 garding the former, if they would only charge so much 
 on arrival, instead of giving you the trouble of putting 
 your hand in your pocket every time you look at the 
 Falls, it would be pleasanter ; as for the latter, not one 
 of them ought to be allowed near the place. If there 
 is one thing more wanted than another, it is a pleasant 
 drive or ride vfithout a toll-gate at every mile, and this 
 could be easily made along the shore of the Niagara 
 river towards La Salle. The Goat Island toll is right 
 enough, as keeping up the bridges and other expenses 
 are incurred ; but all other tolls are wrong, being wholly 
 unnecessary. 
 
 On the second day we drove over the magnificent 
 suspension-bridge to the Canadian side, whence we had 
 a fine full view of both Falls. The garrulous driver 
 was very careful to point out the exact spot where 
 Bloudin crossed on the tight-rope. It was a long way 
 below the Falls, and therefore no more danger incurred 
 
NIAGARA TO CHICAGO. 25 
 
 than in walking on a rope stretched across the foun- 
 tains of the Crystal Palace — perhaps not even so much. 
 This and another spot, from which somebody once 
 jumped into the river, were evidently of much deeper 
 interest to the mind of our Jehu than the glorious 
 Falls themselves. We were inveigled into a house in 
 front of the Horse-shoe Fall by the assurance of the 
 proprietor that the view from the top was magnificent, 
 and that no charge was made ; but the view did not 
 seem to us finer from above than from below. In- 
 cautiously entering another room, we discovered a shop 
 full of photographs, Indian fans, &c. (made in Birming- 
 ham, probably), and offered for sale by some fascinating 
 young ladies, who could not allow us to leave without 
 a souvenir of Niagara. 
 
 We were afterwards induced to change our clothes 
 for waterproof ones, and to descend with a guide beneath, 
 or rather behind the Fall. I am not sure that this 
 part of the programme repaid us for getting very hot 
 and wet ; but the proprietor when he had pocketed our 
 dollars, seemed to think it all right — so we had to look 
 comfortable and happy. A slight shade passed over 
 his countenance when he found he could not induce us 
 to be photographed ' in connection with the Falls,' as 
 he expressed it. But that soon passed ofi", as he saw a 
 carriage-load of gay tourists approaching, ' got up,' ap- 
 parently, with the intention of having their likenesses 
 
26 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 taken, not only ' in connection with the Falls,' but in 
 any other aspiring position that the artist might suggest. 
 On our return to the American side we were asked if 
 we had any articles to declare ; but as we had no 
 specimens of Niagara spar, fresh from Derbyshire, and 
 no curious Indian-Parisian bead-work or embroidery, 
 and the few photographs were considered too insignifi- 
 cant for duty, we were allowed to pass free. 
 
 The rapids, below the Falls, and the whirlpool, 
 still lower down, well deserve a visit, although the 
 romance of the former is rather diminished by an 
 elevator which takes visitors up and down the cliff. 
 The view on reaching the water's edge is exceedingly 
 fine — the rushing torrent eddying down, and the wild 
 waste of whirling water being a sight second only to 
 the Falls themselves. 
 
 We saw a great many beautiful birds, both in the 
 surrounding woods and on the islands. There were two 
 or three sorts of orioles, blue-birds, cardinal grosbeaks, 
 and numbers of the American robins ; birds as ubiquitous 
 as pur sparrows, and about the size of a large blackbird. 
 Unfortunately, they are considered good eating, and 
 therefore, as they are very tame, become an easy prey 
 to every little wretch who carries a gun. 
 
 Many stories are told of victims hurried down the 
 rapids; now clinging to a rock against which the 
 strong current has carried them, and now swept on 
 
NIAGARA TO CHICAGO. 
 
 again by its resistless force, until, with a last shriek, they 
 disappear for ever in the cruel waters of the mighty 
 Fall. These stories are all too true ; since our visit two 
 boats and their occupants have in this way been lost. 
 When will thoughtless mortals learn that the treacherous 
 current draws slowly but surely on till they are beyond 
 earthly aid ? Not, I suppose, until the great St. Law- 
 rence is dried up, and the hanging chffs of the giant 
 Falls can be ascended from their base. 
 
 But we must be speeding onwards ; and so with a 
 farewell look at Niagara, as we cross the great suspen- 
 sion-bridge on our way to Chicago, we leave behind us 
 one of the grandest of Nature's handiworks. 
 
 We make our journey to Chicago in a ' Silver Palace 
 Drawing-room and Sleeping-car ; ' and as there is not 
 much outside to claim our attention, we may as well 
 occupy ourselves with an examination of this renowned 
 invention of the New World. The only visible articles 
 of furniture are sofa-seats, placed vis-a-vis, arid the 
 inevitable spittoons. The latter nasty articles intrude 
 themselves everywhere. It is all very well for Ameri- 
 cans to say, ' You do not find them in the abundance 
 often stated ; ' all I can say is, you do find them where- 
 ever you go, and, what is worse, see a constant use of 
 them. It is said they owe their origin to the devil, 
 and the story runs thus : ' When the Christian navi- 
 
28 WESTERN WANDERING'S. 
 
 gators first discovered America the devil was greatly 
 annoyed, and was afraid (without reason, I think) of 
 losing his hold on the people there. However, he 
 whispered in confidence to some of his Indian friends 
 and acquaintance that he had found out a way of being 
 revenged on the new-comers. He would teach them, 
 he said, to chew tobacco, and that the filthy habit 
 should chng to them for ever, and make them a bye- 
 word among the nations.' He certainly has kept his 
 word. 
 
 As our ' sleeping-car ' afforded no signs of sleeping 
 accommodation, I waited with curiosity for bedtime. It 
 came at last, and the chamber-maid, in the shape of a 
 black -man, entered, and asked me to move, as he was 
 going to make the beds. He then gave a pull upon 
 the sofa-cushions on each side, and the bottom ones 
 came together in the original space between the seats, 
 whilst the back ones took the places of these ; a suffi- 
 ciently good sort of arrangement on which to make up 
 a bed. A handle above was then pulled, and what 
 had looked like part of the ceiling of the car came 
 down to within about three feet of the lower bed. 
 This formed the attic. From out of this concealed 
 bedstead came a couple of mattresses, one. of which 
 was placed on the lower bed, the other remaining for 
 . the occupant of the story above. Sheets, blankets, and 
 pillows were then produced from the same recess, and 
 
NIAGARA TO CHICAGO. 29 
 
 a walnut partition was disclosed, which divided these 
 berths from those next door, A heavy curtain fell 
 down in front of the beds, separating them from the 
 rest of the carriage, and the chambers were ready for 
 their guests. All these arrangements were very good 
 in themselves, but there was no possible way of making 
 use of them with the smallest degree of comfort. If 
 there had only been a few hooks for hanging hats, 
 coats, and other garments upon, and a place to put 
 boots in, it would have been something to be thankful 
 for. For, usually, boots were to be found in the morn- 
 ing at different ends of the car, or else on the wrong 
 person's feet. 
 
 The space between what may be called the upper 
 and lower deck does not allow of the occupant of the 
 bed sitting up ; the double windows are kept shut, 
 that he may not be smothered in dust and ashes, and 
 the night is passed in the most luxurious misery. 
 
 The man who slept in the berth next to mine 
 snored frightfully, in fact, night was made hideous by 
 the unmusical sounds issuing from all parts of the car ; 
 but no snoring came up to my neighbour's, and I was 
 not astonished at this on looking at him in the morning. 
 Evidently, he was a German Jew, and his nose, acous- 
 tically considered, seemed well adapted for the invol- 
 untary transmission of vast volumes of sound. An 
 ingenious Yankee has patented a cure for snoring which 
 
30 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 all snorers ought to purchase previous to night-travelling. 
 It consists, I beheve, of an indiarubber tube, of which 
 one end is fastened to the nose and the other enters 
 the tympanum of the ear ; so that the snorer is so 
 terrified by his own noise that he instantly awakes, 
 and a few nights of this agony suffice to cure him of 
 any further propensity to snore. The horrors of that 
 first night in a ' Pullman ' car are indelibly impressed 
 on my mind. The atmosphere ran a close heat with 
 that of the ' Black Hole of Calcutta.' On my asking 
 the porter why he had kept a fire burning all night, 
 he said he had to sit -up, and it would never do for 
 him to catch cold. 
 
 If going to bed is misery, getting up in the morning 
 is simply agony. If you are late, you have to wait 
 some hours before you can get a turn at the one wash- 
 hand basin. If you are early, you have to stand out- 
 side on the steps in the dust and smoke, until the beds 
 are once more metamorphosed into seats, there being 
 no room or other place to retire to until that operation 
 is performed. 
 
 Leaving Detroit, we passed through a country 
 thickly wooded at intervals, and scattered here and 
 there with towns and villages, some busy and active, 
 others looking sleepy and lazy— the latter by far the 
 more attractive of the two. 
 
NIAGARA TO CHICAGO. 31 
 
 After some hours of steady travelling, we arrived 
 at Chicago, which is situated on the great inland sea 
 whose shores are skirted by the railway up to the fine 
 avenue that graces the approach to the city. 
 
32 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 CHICAGO TO OMAHA. 
 
 Trials — Enterprise — A moving story — Pig-sticking — New \ ersion of one 
 of the labours of Hercules — Hotel life versus home life — To the 
 Mississippi — Reserve - — Iowa — Farmers' granges — A bad track — 
 Council Bluffs — Baths — The Missouri. 
 
 Chicago, within little more than the last two years, has 
 been most sorely tried. The first disaster was the 
 great fire, which burnt down about two-thirds of the 
 city ; in the following year business was almost sus- 
 pended because of the raging epizootic ; and, more 
 recently, an almost unparalleled financial collapse has 
 occurred, bringing with it distress and ruin. Phoenix- 
 like, she rose from the ashes of the conflagration in an 
 incredibly short space of time, and with handsomer 
 buildings and more magnificent warehouses even than 
 before. The vitality of Chicago is remarkable, and we 
 may form in this city a correct idea of the wealth 
 and prosperity of a great nation. 
 
 The statement may sound extraordinary, but it is 
 nevertheless a fact, that there was built and completed 
 
CHICAGO TO OMAHA. 33 
 
 in the burnt district of Chicago a brick, stone, or iron 
 "warehouse every liour of each working day during 
 the space of seven months of 1872. So rapid a growth 
 of a city is unprecedented in the history of any nation 
 in the world, and equally unprecedented are the energy 
 and pluck to which it was due, as evinced by a people 
 who had just witnessed such an enormous destruction 
 of their property by fire. 
 
 Nothing seems too bold or difficult for Chicago 
 enterprise. A year or two ago it was thought that the 
 business quarter of the city lay too low, and could not 
 be properly drained ; thereupon, the whole quarter was 
 raised bodily about eight feet higher. 
 
 Everything must keep moving in Chicago. The 
 houses are continually shifting their position, and a 
 moving building is no longer an uncommon sight. We 
 were greatly amused one day by suddenly coming upon 
 a good-sized three-storied house, standing dejectedly 
 in the middle of a street, as if it did not know where 
 to settle down. The next day, and for two or three 
 following ones, we were continually meeting this same 
 house, and always at different places. Tlie fading ivy 
 which clung to it gave it so mournful an expression 
 that I quite pitied it. It was evidently a little weak 
 in the upper story, poor thing ; but whether it even- 
 tually took it into its head to prance off to New York, 
 or whether it was accommodated with an acre or two 
 
 D 
 
34 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 in the grounds of the State Lunatic Asylum, I never 
 satisfactorily discovered. 
 
 There are. numerous tunnels under the river, and 
 they are of great importance in facilitating intercourse 
 between the different parts of the city ; for the river 
 divides Chicago into three sections, and these are con- 
 nected by drawbridges, which are great obstacles to 
 traffic, as they are always open when carriages or 
 pedestrians 'wish to cross, and closed when vessels want 
 to pass through. 
 
 The enormous new Pacific hotel seems as if it had 
 been intended to accommodate all the people who 
 visited the Vienna Exhibition, only had been built in 
 the wrong place. I do not see liow such a caravansary 
 can be made to answer in a town where there are 
 already several very fine large hotels. I hear that, 
 amongst other improvements, the ' Pacific ' has a new 
 kind of stairs, which are warranted not to creak 
 when the gentlemen of the resident famihes return 
 home late. I cannot answer for the fact ; but if such 
 stairs are there, they will doubtless prove an attrac- 
 tion. 
 
 Hog-killing is now recognised in America as one of 
 the fine arts, and together with pork-packing may be 
 seen to great advantage in Chicago. We were highly 
 edified and amused by a visit to one of the large hog- 
 Idlling establishments. The houses are spacious 
 
CHICAGO TO OMAHA. 35 
 
 substantial buildings, two stories liigh ; the pigs are 
 driven up an inclined gangway to the second story and 
 into the ' feeding pens ' in lots of about a hundred at a 
 time. About twenty of them are then driven into the 
 ' clutch-pen,' where each hog is seized by the hind leg 
 with a pair of tongs ; a pulley then hoists him up head 
 downwards, and puts him on wheels ready to be moved 
 forward. After a train of about half-a-dozen pigs has 
 been made up, the sliding-door is opened and the 
 victims find themselves in the presence of the execu- 
 tioner, who cuts their throats and presently shdes them 
 down the incline into the scalding-vat. Then follows 
 scraping, cleaning, washing, and drying ; in fact, a sort 
 of Turkish bath, only perhaps not so pleasant for the 
 pigs. Afterwards, the cutting up and trimming takes 
 place. The dexterity with which the men work - is 
 astonishing ; a couple of blows severs the head from 
 the body, and with a like number the hams and 
 shoulders are separated. Each part is hurled to its 
 own particular spot, and the air is positively alive 
 with trimmings flying to their destination. Every 
 place is neat and cleanly in the extreme ; and after 
 passing though such refining influences it is not sur- 
 prising that such 'pretty pork' should be extracted 
 from such ugly pigs. While visiting this poetic estab- 
 lishment, where all idea of such gross things as hogs 
 was done away with, I was reminded of the boy who 
 
 d2 
 
36 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 was once asked what pig was called when prepared for 
 the table. He was rather puzzled at first, but a thought 
 suddenly struck him, and he rephed, ' Grunt mutton ; ' 
 a very happy name for it, I think. 
 
 Shortly after our arrival at Chicago we went for a 
 long drive by the lake-shore to Evanston, and past a 
 succession of coiintry houses and villas, with gardens 
 and hothouses, quite in the English style. Very seldom 
 are the beautiful lawns and the carefully-kept gardens 
 so universal in England seen in America — the price of 
 labour being too great to admit of its being applied to 
 the uncommercial realm of flowers. The boldest pro- 
 ject of the citizens of Chicago, and one which met 
 with complete success, was changing the coarse of the 
 Chicago liver and making it flow south instead of 
 north. The sluggish waters of that Stygian stream 
 crept slowly under bridges, across which you had to 
 run to escape the sickening odours that pursued you. 
 Here and there, near where the waters were thickest 
 and most polluted, placards might be read declaring 
 in hideous irony that boys who bathed there would 
 be taken up. If such an event had happened, the 
 boys would certainly have been mistaken for the 
 ' cjenti fangose ' in Dante's Seventh Circle of Hell. 
 Nothing hved in these poisonous waters except bull- 
 frogs, whose croaking must have made hfe a per- 
 petual romance to the dwellers along the banks. 
 
CHICAGO TO OMAHA. 37 
 
 All this had to be altered. And as the sewage- 
 laden stream flowed north into the lake, why not cut 
 down the level inland to make it flow south, and thus 
 bring the pure lake water in a fresh and abundant 
 stream past their very doors ? This scheme was 
 carried out to perfection, and the Herculean task of 
 cleansing the Augean stables by the rivers Alpheus 
 and Peneus was equalled at Chicago by the engi- 
 neering skill of Mr. Chesebrough. 
 
 Attracted by some flaming advertisements telhng 
 how an operatic company was about to give ' positively 
 its last performance,' we visited the theatre, and, out of 
 regard to the actors, I will only say that the 'Huguenots ' 
 were more vilely murdered that night than they 
 could have been on the fatal eve of St. Bartholomew. 
 
 At Chicago, as well as in every other city in 
 America, you cannot help being struck by the absence 
 of anything Uke home, and the prevalence of hotel life. 
 You are told that famihes can Hve so much cheaper at 
 hotels, on account of the great difiiculty in obtaining 
 servants ; but I cannot help thinking that the trouble 
 of house-keeping has a great deal to do with the pros- 
 perity of hotels. Besides, only certain locahties and 
 only a certain grade of building and style of furniture are 
 considered 'respectable.' ' Eespectable ' life in America 
 is very expensive. The rent for a respectable house is 
 enormous ; for everything — business, hving, hospitahty 
 
38 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 —must be done on a large scale. There really are 
 no suitable dwellings for a family of moderate means. 
 Low-priced hotels are not fashionable, and low-priced 
 houses are either unfit to live in, or are not in ' genteel ' 
 locahties. In New York there are only two classes, 
 the rich and the poor. The middle class go out of the 
 city to find their homes, and the words ' To Let' stare 
 from the windows of a multitude of houses that 
 nobody can afford to hire. Perhaps — yet I greatly 
 doubt it — the late great commercial disaster may have 
 the eifect of overthrowing existing prices, and estab- 
 lishing another and better system of living. The 
 effects of hotel life on the hves and manners of young 
 people are but too evident. I have no wish to preach 
 a sermon on the subject, even were I capable ; all I 
 would say is, home is not a name, a form, or a routine ; 
 it is a spirit, a presence, a principle, and I do not think 
 these are to be found in hotels. 
 
 To gain information by travelling it is of import- 
 ance to study a map of the country through which one 
 is about to pass ; so that the locations of rivers, 
 mountains, towns, &c. may be observed and remem- 
 bered. On this occasion, our map was spread out 
 before us as we ascended to the top of a lofty 
 grain-elevator, to enjoy a bird's-eye view of the sur- 
 rounding coimtry. But the panorama did not come 
 up to our expectations ; whether it was owing to the 
 
CHICAGO TO OMAHA. 
 
 39 
 
 flatness of the prairies, tlie sharp wind from the lake, 
 or the dust from the streets, with which the air was 
 filled, I do not know ; but, at all events, we returned 
 to our hotel sadder if not wiser than when we started, 
 and all the more ready to resume our Western journey 
 on the following day. We chose the 'BurHngton 
 and Quincy' road, in preference to the other two 
 routes to Omaha, and again had the pleasure of looking 
 forward to another long night in a sleeping-car. 
 
 The road lies through a rich, flat, cultivated prairie 
 worthy of its name, the ' Garden State.' The further 
 we go the more thinly scattered become the white 
 wooden houses ; and gradually the finished neatness of 
 a suburban district melts into the larger and freer forms 
 of cultivation. The prairie land is the place for steam- 
 ploughs, reaping, mowing, and threshing machines; 
 for with them one family can do the work of a dozen 
 men. 
 
 Until the Mississippi is reached you are hardly ever 
 out of sight of farms or woods and plantations. And even 
 by the railway-side tracts of prairie can still be seen — 
 prairie in all its wildness — that looks friendless, deso- 
 late, and doomed. The long grasses sway heavily in 
 the wind, and now and then a string of wild ducks rises 
 from a weird-looking reedy lake close beside us, or a 
 covey of prairie-chickens springs from the waving 
 grass and flies away hke a covey of the partridges of 
 
40 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Old England. / We pass great Hat farms of great square 
 Bat fields, ^wlth but little fencing between them ; plan- 
 tations of tall leafy Indian corn, as yet unripened by 
 the hot summer sun. Here, are orchards laid down 
 in regular rows, there, a hne of poplars ; but no fine 
 spreading tree is anywhere to be seen. The vastness 
 of the immense unconfined plain is oppressive, stretch- 
 ing onward for miles and miles with a silvery mist 
 in the distance, which might be the sea ; but still it 
 stretches onward and onward — repaying with wealth 
 and comfort thousands of toilers, gathered to it out of 
 poverty and dependence in other lands. 
 
 There is great amusement, and a little instruction as 
 well, to be derived from the people one meets in these 
 long railway journeys. Like a parrot in a strange cage, 
 they will not talk much the first day, but wait a day or 
 two. Then if you will listen you may learn the personal 
 and family history of most of yoiu' fellow-passengers. 
 By the way, it has appeared to me that Americans 
 at home are much more reserved than when abroad. 
 In Europe, nearly every American you meet is ' hail- 
 fellow-well-met,' and ready to discuss his private 
 afiairs with you on the very shghtest encouragement. 
 In their own country, they seem to have lost, in some 
 measm-e, their colloquial propensities, not only amongst 
 strangers but amongst themselves. In their public 
 dining-rooms, you rarely hear the steady hum of con- 
 
CHICAGO TO OMAHA. \\ 
 
 versation you mostly do in Europe. But thismay be 
 because the servants make so much noise that all other 
 sounds are drowned by it. 
 
 But to return to our ' car.' Take, for example, two 
 ' feminines ' who have had the same section assigned to 
 them, and watch how the reserve of the first day gra- 
 dually wears away on the second, and by the eve of the 
 third how completely the ice has melted. The family 
 records have been faithfully aired, and a friendship has 
 been formed which ends when they finally scatter and 
 separate with a gushing ' Now do write to me,' from 
 one, and a sacred promise not to fail doing so, from 
 another. As a rule, the loving remembrance lasts about 
 half-an-hour ; and I do not believe the consequent 
 forgetfulness ever caused the death of either from a 
 broken heart. 
 
 We are now approaching Biuhngton, and having 
 crossed the Mississippi, we find ourselves in that pretty, 
 well-built town, where we are to stay for a couple of 
 days, to recover from the effects of 'Pullman' and 
 to see what we can of the great river. 
 
 After leaving the Mississippi we gradually ascend 
 imtil we reach the high plateau which divides that 
 river from the Missouri. There is no doubt about 
 its being a ' roUing prairie,' as the undulations of the 
 ground recall the round swell and deep dips and 
 hollows of the roll of the sea. In Iowa the ' Farmers' 
 
42 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Granges' are most numerous. They number over 
 two thousand in that State alone. A ' Grange ' is a 
 sort of co-operative society, and its grand object is not 
 only the general improvement in husbandry but the 
 increase of the general happiness, wealth, and pros- 
 perity of the country. First organised less than seven 
 years ago, the number of ' Granges ' at present amounts 
 to over six thousand, distributed throughout the land, 
 with a membership of probably over fom^ hundred 
 thousand persons. To resist railroad monopolies was 
 then- first determination ; and now they have set them- 
 selves to resist monopolies of all kinds ; avoiding poli- 
 tics, because they hold — and rightly, I believe — that 
 the trade of politics in America is the source of all 
 infamous impositions. 
 
 Their business embraces everything that can be 
 advantageous to the members. They have a syste- 
 matic arrangement for obtaining and disseminating 
 information regarding crops, the aspect of demand and 
 supply, and facihties for procuring help and labour at 
 home, and from abroad. They have a ready means 
 for the exchange of live stock, seeds, plants, &c., and a 
 well-guarded system for testing the merits of new 
 implements and other inventions. The ' Farmers' 
 movement ' may be also of great value when looked at 
 from its social side. Anyone who has visited the agri- 
 cultural districts in America must have remarked the 
 
CHICAGO TO OMAHA. 43 
 
 loneliness and isolation of farm-life. This isolation is 
 too often accompanied by an intellectual poverty, and a 
 too great devotion to money-making and money-saving. 
 
 A pleasant feature, therefore, of the movement is the 
 prominence given to social intercourse amongst the 
 members ; and the formation of ' Granges ' would be 
 almost impossible without a certain ratio of lady 
 members. 
 
 The farmers take their wives and daughters to the 
 ' Grange meetings,' and thus gradually discover that the 
 tastes of their children are as well worth cultivating as 
 their acres. A good library, an organ or piano, a 
 microscope, botanical collections, &c., are amongst the 
 items with which each Grange is furnished, and all sorts 
 of means are employed for drawing out the hard- 
 working, taciturn farmer, and inspiring him with a 
 fellow-feeling for the neighbourhood. He is taught 
 that to breed pigs and plant potatoes are not the only 
 objects of life, but that books, flowers, and pictures 
 have as real a value as threshing and mowing ma- 
 chines. 
 
 Ladies become ' patrons of husbandry ' in more 
 senses than one, and soon take a greater interest in 
 agriculture than they perhaps otherwise would do ; and 
 there is little doubt that the estabhshment of ' Granges ' 
 will have a most beneficial effect not only on individuals 
 but on the community at large. 
 
44 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 But while we have been talking our car has been 
 bumping about in a most extraordinary manner. On 
 looking back at the long lines of rails over which we 
 have just passed they seem so unevenly laid, so rugged 
 with ups and downs, that it is a wonder how we kept 
 on the metals at all. One of the passengers has meekly 
 remarked to the conductor that the roads seem rather 
 rough. ' Wal, yes,' he answers, ' guess they air ; 
 trains do jump about some, but it's enough for us if 
 they keep anywhere between the two fences.' However, 
 we have managed to keep not only between the fences 
 but actually on the track, and are gradually approaching 
 the town of ' Council Bluffs,' which stands on the east 
 side of the Missouri, right opposite the more prosperous 
 Omaha. 
 
 Council Bluffs is built at the foot of some steep 
 banlis which probably have at some time been the 
 boundary of the river ; but now, the Missouri, being a 
 wayward, wandering stream, constantly changing its 
 channel, has moved off to see what the Omaha side is 
 hke, and has left Council Bluffs high and dry about 
 three miles east. A duller town, or rather village, 
 than Council Bluffs I never saw ; certainly it was very 
 hot, and everyone may have been asleep when we 
 arrived, but they could not have remained sleeping all 
 day ; yet hardly a soul was stirring, and at last 
 we thought we must have found our way to ' Drowsie- 
 
CHICAGO TO OMAHA. 45 
 
 town,' SO well described by the author of ' White Eose 
 and Eed,' where there was 
 
 Nothing coming, nothing going, 
 Locusts grating, one cock crowing ; 
 Few things moving up and down. 
 All things drowsy — Drowsietown ! 
 
 It was a relief to hear that this village and Omaha 
 were at fierce war with one another about railroad 
 matters, but I am ignorant as to where the energy for 
 conducting such a conflict was to come from. 
 
 Black water is a specialty at Council Bluffs, and 
 bathing in it is like bathing in ink. This reminds 
 me that travellers in America will do well to pro- 
 vide themselves with indiarubber baths. Fortu- 
 nately, I had taken that precaution, and found it of 
 immense service. At the hotel at Council Bluffs they 
 had never heard of siich a thing as a bath, and were 
 horrified when I produced mine and asked them to fill 
 it. They said it would spoil the carpet. However, 
 they filled it ; but in the morning in emptying it they 
 did not take it up in the right place, and the pressure 
 of water on one side caused it to collapse, and in a 
 moment the whole room was flooded. You should 
 have seen the landlord's face when he heard of the 
 disaster. Baths are prohibited in that estabhshment 
 henceforth and for ever. In the large cities, if you are 
 fortunate enough to get a bedroom with a bath-room 
 
46 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 attached, you are charged a dollar (four shillings) extra, 
 per night ; but that is better than having to -wander 
 about the hotel in your dressing-gown and slippers in 
 quest of a bath that costs you only half-a-doUar. In 
 moderate-sized towns the only baths to be found are 
 in the barbers' shops. Hip or sponge baths are un- 
 known ; the reason for dispensing with them being, as 
 I was told, that it would not do to give servants too 
 much trouble. Perhaps the day will come when baths, 
 large and small, will be considered as necessary an ad- 
 junct to every hotel in America, as they are in every 
 other civilised country. 
 
 We very soon had had enough of Council Bluffs. We 
 crossed the dull, muddy river, with its low, flat banks, 
 on a fine iron bridge sixty feet above high water mark. 
 The ' Transfer Company ' put ' through ' passengers to 
 much unnecessary inconvenience here, and when they 
 do arrive at Omaha they have more trouble still, with 
 their luggage and changing of cars. Eailway company 
 disputes are the cause of all this, inconvenience, which 
 will probably not be remedied until more routes are 
 opened to California and the Par West. 
 
 My travelling companion, much to my regret, left 
 me here, as he had to proceed straight through to San 
 Prancisco, in order to catch the mail-steamer — for his 
 destination was China. 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 47 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 
 
 Up the Missouri — Snakes ! — Nebraska — Indians — Prairie — Buffalo — 
 Eating-stations — Prairie-dogs — Denver — The Red Rocks — Indian races 
 — ^Agates — Indian battle — Sheep mountain — A storm — Echo cafion 
 —The Devil's Slide— Salt Lake City. 
 
 Omaha is about as interesting as Council Bluffs. Its 
 hotel is large enough to contain all the inhabitants of 
 the town ; but it was closed, and the business done by 
 the two or three wretched little inns seemed to be very 
 smaU indeed. I was glad, therefore, to get on board 
 a small steamer for a cruise up the Missouri as far as 
 Yauhton. The hotel was built, I believe, by the well- 
 known Mr. Train, and I should think he was hardly 
 satisfied with his speculation. The wharfage at Omaha 
 is of a very peculiar kind ; steamers and other vessels 
 simply run against the mud, and stick there. Indeed, 
 mud-banks are the principal featiu-es of the place. 
 
 The steamer in which I embarked was a large flat 
 boat, open at the sides like a raft, and with its furnaces 
 in full view ; above, resting on posts, was the cabin, 
 extending nearly the whole length of the hull. Above 
 
^8 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 that again was a smaller cabin, which was surmounted 
 by the pilot-house, and the whole was crowned by the 
 high smoke-stacks, which are necessary to secure a 
 draught for the high-pressure engines. 
 
 It was like a card-house which children build up as 
 high as possible without topphng over. Very often on 
 these boats there is a band to- enhven the voyage ; on 
 this occasion, however, the only music on board was 
 one banjo and no ' bones.' 
 
 The navigation is very difficult, on account of the 
 innumerable sand-bars and endless number of roots of 
 trees, which, when washed away from the bank, float 
 into the stream and stick in the mud, with their stems 
 rising just above the surface of the water. They 
 always lie with their sharp ends pointing down stream, 
 and are consequently very dangerous to steamers when 
 ascending it. The river was so shallow that I sometimes 
 doubted whether we should be able to proceed at 
 all ; in fact, navigation for any distance is practicable 
 only for a very few months in the year. A story is 
 told of an old toper, who, when travelling on this river, 
 was asked why he drank nothing but whisky, to which 
 he replied ' that he felt absolutely compelled to do so, 
 as every drop of water was required to float the boat.' 
 
 We passed a small village called Florence, whose 
 only resemblance to its Italian namesake was that a 
 river flowed past it. With all their inventions. 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 49 
 
 Americans cannot invent names, and not only are Old 
 World names given to towns and villages in the New 
 one, but there are sometimes duplicates of them in 
 the same State. 
 
 Slowly we steamed up through the mud and sand. 
 Hardly was the monotony of the boundless grass plains 
 on either side broken by a bluff, and scarcely did a 
 breath of air temper the fierce rays of the hot sun 
 till late in the day ; then, suddenly, the high-lying 
 stretches of rye-grass were struck into long silvery 
 waves by the evening breeze, and across the western 
 sky a glare of pale gold, gradually opening out into a 
 bewildering haze which extended far away to the 
 horizon, gave to the surrounding country the appear- 
 ance of a wild golden desert. ' Quite a scenery,' as a 
 fellow-passenger ably remarked. 
 
 There is a very curious rock, called Eattlesnake 
 Peak, a few miles up the Big Sioux river, near Sioux 
 City. Steep ledges lead up to the top of the bluff, and 
 himdreds of snakes of all sizes and descriptions may be 
 seen basking on the limestone, dashing in and out of 
 the crevices of the rock, and hanging from the boughs 
 of the stunted oaks, hke the ringlets on the head of 
 Medusa. In fact, a more uncomfortable place for 
 spending an hour on a hot summer's day cannot well 
 be imagined. 
 
 After leaving Sioux City, where I had expected to 
 
So WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 see a number of the red-skin warriors, and perhaps one 
 of their encampments, but where there were only a few 
 hideous specimens of demi-semi-civiHsed savages, I 
 was told to keep my eye ' peeled ' for buffaloes. As I 
 supposed that meant I was to be on the lookK)ut for 
 them, I gazed steadily into the distance for hours with- 
 out seeing anything resembhng a buffalo. But just 
 before we arrived at Yancton, the cry was raised from 
 one of the upper stories that a large herd was in sight, 
 and being driven towards the river by a party of 
 Indians on a hunting expedition. Expectation was now 
 raised to boiling point, and presently, over a low bank, 
 there came snorting and foaming, with their tails over 
 their backs, and, as those who had glasses said, looking 
 terribly enraged, a large number of tame cows, hurry- 
 ing to the river to bathe and drink ! From that time 
 buffaloes hunted by wild Indians had no charms for 
 me ; and after spending a short time at Yancton I 
 returned to Omaha, to continue my journey Westward. 
 
 I was glad to get away without having my luggage 
 entirely knocked to pieces, as Omaha is celebrated for 
 its ' baggage-smashers.' There were several boxes 
 lying about, whose owners could only recognise them 
 by their contents. Many a handsome box must have 
 left Chicago as a ' Saratoga ' and arrived at San Fran- 
 cisco mere lumber. 
 
 At present there is but one route from Omaha to 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 51 
 
 the Far West — that of the Union-Pacific. For a few- 
 miles the traveller passes along high bluffs, and thence 
 to the open prairie, in the fertile land of Nebraska. 
 Groves of trees are scattered here and there, and tracts 
 of cultivated land frequently intervene ; but these soon 
 disappear, and he is hurrjdng over that wide barren 
 tract so lately known as the ' Great American Desert,' 
 and which spreads out in one vast unbroken waste 
 from the Missouri to the Eocky Moiin tains. The soil 
 is rich and easily cultivated ; but a serious check to 
 agriculture is the scarcity of water. Hardly any rain 
 used to fall on this immense region, but it is now much 
 more abundant. Some people say that the railroad is 
 the cause of this, on account of the displacement of 
 the atmosphere by the rushing train. Probably the 
 planting of trees and shrubs has more to do with it. 
 
 The great influence of forests on the climate, the 
 moisture, and the fertility of a country is well known. 
 The destruction of the forests of the Vosges and 
 Cevennes has sensibly deteriorated the fertility of 
 Alsace and the rich valley of the Ehone. Since the 
 Alps and Appenines have been deprived of their forests 
 the shores of the Mediterranean have lost much of 
 their original verdure and fertility. The tremendous 
 ravages of the settler's axe, and the still more destruc- 
 tive one of the lumber-men, in America, bid fair to 
 introduce an era of climatic deterioration that must in 
 
 E 2 
 
S2 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 time reduce its fair and salubrious aspect to the con- 
 dition of a Sahara. The French have carried their 
 system of tree-culture to Algeria, and have already- 
 added several rainy days to July and August. Perhaps 
 m America the French system is impossible, but the 
 work of preservation and careful husbanding can 
 proceed from the people. One generation will plant 
 for another, and the sapling of to-day will be a monarch 
 of the forest fifty or a hundred years hence. Along 
 the line of railway, plantations of ' locust ' trees have 
 been formed, not only as an ornamental improvement 
 but to provide material for ties, &c. 
 
 Near the Platte river and other smaller streams 
 that intersect the prairie, agriculture can be pushed 
 most advantageously. The grass which grows over the 
 whole is excellent fodder for cattle. Grazing, of course, 
 is impossible without water ; but more numerous 
 and more widely-spread experiments, of how far this 
 want can be supplied by sinldng wells in places far 
 from streams, are required, to solve this question, so 
 constantly debated on the plains. 
 
 The extraordinary effects produced by the system 
 of irrigation used by the Mormons and the farmers 
 round Denver and elsewhere, will spread the influence 
 of streams much further than the adjacent lands, 
 and show that it is not merely close to rivers that 
 cultivation can be successful. Western men are san- 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 53 
 
 guine that as irrigation and culture gain ground and 
 the old hard crust of soil is broken up, the climate 
 will change and become more moist and rainy. Some 
 of the new settlements seem thriving, but I know not 
 from what source their support is derived ; as lager- 
 bier saloons, whisky-shops, and what they call hotels, 
 are often the only houses to be seen in the village. 
 And this is what is termed the ' march of intellect ' 
 across the continent ! 
 
 Groups of ' noble savages ' are now to be met 
 with at most of the stations ; but those who expect to 
 see in them the heroes, or their descendants, of Fenni- 
 more Cooper's novels, will be woefully disappointed. 
 The traditional Indian is a romance, and his ' wild 
 turkey ' appearance is pretty in a picture, though not 
 in the reality — at all events, not near a railway station. 
 The ' squaws ' have certainly settled a point much dis- 
 cussed lately, relating to extravagance in dress ; and 
 a work entitled ' How to Dress on Nothing a Year 
 like a Pawnee, by a Pawnee,' might be a success, but 
 would hardly be approved of by Worth or Madame 
 Ehse. There is a quaint Indian proverb which says : 
 ' The smiles of a pretty woman are the tears of the 
 purse ; ' but where either the pretty woman or the 
 purse is to come from is matter of conjecture. What 
 the Indian woman would do with a purse if she had 
 one I cannot teU. 
 
54 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 The ' braves ' carry bows and arrows, with which 
 they try to Icnock clown any small pieces of coin that 
 a sporting white man may feel inclined to put up as a 
 target. They insert the coin in a small piece of stick 
 which they fasten in the ground ; then retiring about 
 twenty paces, they begin shooting. As far as my 
 observation went, they generally succeeded in knock- 
 ing the coin down about once in twenty shots, and 
 then only by firing short and the arrow accidentally 
 ricochetting against the stick — the bow being held 
 parallel with the ground. 
 
 The women will inform you that they are good 
 squaws, and sometimes produce a dirty scrap of paper 
 on which is written a certificate of good character and 
 the information that they can wash well. From their 
 appearance you cannot help thinking that they perhaps 
 could wash well, but unfortunately never do. 
 
 After reading and handing back this interesting 
 document a demand for ten cents will be made, and 
 if not at once comphed with you will be looked upon 
 as a ' mean white,' and one who has obtained valuable 
 information under false pretences. 
 
 The ' Pawnees ' congregate at most of the railway 
 stations, and are very fond of a short trip by train. 
 They are allowed to ride free on any car on to which 
 they can jump when the train is in motion ; the conse- 
 quence is, the tribe is being rapidly reduced. It has 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. SS 
 
 been proposed to introduce the same system at other 
 places, wherever there are Indians. 
 
 All through Nebraska we pass broad valleys, 
 which afford immense fields for grazing ; rich farming 
 lands, and deserted houses and cabins, once the resting- 
 places of gangs of roughs and desperadoes, who fol- 
 lowed in the track of the railroad as it pushed its way 
 towards the West ; whilst, 
 
 ' Spreading between the streams are the wondrous, beautiful prairies, 
 Billowy bays of grass ever rolling in shadow and sunshine ; 
 Bright with luxuiiant clusters of roses and purple amorphas. 
 Over them wander the buffalo herds and the elk and the roebuck ; 
 Over them wander the wolves, and herds of riderless horses ; ' 
 
 And for aU we knew there might have been an ' Evan- 
 gehne ' in some of those small unshaded houses we 
 passed ; cheering with her bright presence the terrible 
 lonehness of pioneer life in the wide prairie, and 
 watching, with a mother's love, children destined to 
 become types of the every-day, active, vivacious 
 Western citizen — of the class of men who people the 
 prairies, fell forests, reclaim swamps, and tunnel the 
 mountains. 
 
 Now and then, a few antelopes may be seen in the 
 early morning, gazing curiously at the passing train, 
 and after a minute inspection bounding gracefully 
 away. Sometimes, one braver than the rest will not 
 move at all, but with a little stamp of its foot will ex- 
 press its indignation at our trespassing on land owned 
 
S6 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 by its grandfathers and great grandfathers from time 
 immemorial. 
 
 Along the Platte valley may be traced the old 
 emigrant-road ; and sometimes a lonely grave with a 
 rude head-board will be seen, marking the resting-place 
 of some poor traveller, struck down by sickness or by 
 the arrows of the savage Indians. 
 
 After leaving Grand Island we are constantly pass- 
 ing scenes of Indian massacres ; and near O'Fallon 
 station we see the bluffs on the opposite side of the 
 river, where was a celebrated lurking-place of the red - 
 skins, the abrupt canons and gulches affording them 
 excellent hiding-places whence to swoop down on the 
 unfortunate emigrant trains, when a general slaughter 
 ensued. 
 
 On the south side of the Platte, at Fort Kearney , 
 buffaloes used to be so numerous that orders were 
 issued forbidding soldiers to shoot them on the parade- 
 ground. We did not see any until we passed a station 
 called Brady Island. There, a fine herd was feeding 
 along the banks of the river, well in the open, and far 
 removed from any chance of a surprise. It was a re- 
 lief to see the long-looked for animals at last ; for only 
 those who have felt it can understand what a dreadful 
 thing it is to want to see a buffalo, and not to be able 
 to do so. 
 
 It was near this spot that, on one occasion, an old 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 57 
 
 lady, alone and unattended, except by an umbrella, 
 was obliged to cross some miles of prairie to visit a 
 sick friend ; hearing a snorting beliiud her, she looked 
 round, and found herself face to face with a huge 
 buffalo. With great presence of mind, she instantly 
 opened wide her umbrella which so exasperated him 
 that he turned round and rushed off! Since then, old 
 ladies crossing the prairie always carry umbrellas. 
 
 The eating-stations, all along the route, call for 
 great improvement ; some of them are moderately 
 good, but, as a rule, the food is Ul-cooked and worse 
 served. Morning, noon, and night, the same cry greets 
 you at every meal : ' Mutton-chop, beefsteak, ham 
 and eggs, sir ? ' No change of any sort, from the time 
 you leave New York until you arrive at San Francisco. 
 
 Everybody has heard, and too many have par- 
 taken, of the dry chops, the gutta-percha steaks, the 
 bean-coffee, and the currant-leaf tea to be found at 
 railway eating-places. Then there are desperate 
 skirmishes with the waiter, who persists in bringing 
 tea when you want coffee, and who • tells you ' it's aU 
 the same, sir ; ' the struggles with yom: vis-a-vis for the 
 bread or sugar ; and, if you happen to be late, the hate- 
 ful cry of ' All aboard ' ringing in your ears, and oblig- 
 ing you to rush off, leaving the proprietor counting his 
 money and arranging the victuals for the next batch. 
 
 It is wonderful how expert the people who keep 
 
58 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 these places become in collecting their money. Need- 
 less to say, the ubiquitous pie is to be found in all its 
 glory at these places. The number of victims to in- 
 temperance in pie-eating must be enormous in 
 America. I believe pumpkin-pie is the least injurious 
 of all pies, as it contains only half the poison of the 
 double-crusted mince-pie. A ' light hand for pastry ' 
 would be useless in making these pies ; a hand that 
 can manufactiu-e a pie, every inch of which means 
 nightmare for a week, is the one most in request here. 
 
 On approaching Potter we meet with the suburban 
 residences of the prairie-dogs, and presently a large city 
 of them appears. These little animals are not dogs, but 
 rabbits that make a curious barking noise. Their 
 dwellings consist of a mound with a hole in the top. 
 When anyone approaches they scamper off to these 
 houses, and having arrived there, sit on their hams, or 
 stand up on their hind feet and bark. 
 
 The plains about here are arid, and produce httle 
 except the prickly cactus, thistles, and white poppies ; 
 but we soon again enter a great grazing country, with 
 low hills covered with the nutritious ' bunch ' grass, 
 and evidently better watered than any we have yet 
 passed. Before long, we catch a first glimpse of the 
 Eocky Mountains, and after a few more miles arrive at 
 Cheyenne, whence I branch off to Denver. 
 
 This journey of about six hours through the Colorado 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 59 
 
 plains was dreary enough, and with httle but the dog- 
 cities to enliven the prospect. After Greeley, the country 
 becomes more interesting, and there are fine stretches 
 of grassy plain and upland. Water-courses are easily 
 traced, and there are actually trees of good size and in 
 tolerable abundance. Denver is certainly blessed in its 
 climate, as well as in its site. The view is magnificent 
 from the outskirts of the town The Eocky Mountains 
 rise abruptly from the plains, about fourteen miles off, 
 range pUed above range, and the long white sky-line 
 in sharp contrast with the brilhantly blue sky. 
 
 The plains are covered with flowers of various kinds, 
 gold and red being the predominating colours. There 
 are quantities of our common garden flowers, such as 
 marigolds, sunflowers, yuccas, and numerous others. 
 The most beautiful of them was a large white flower, 
 growing in numberless blooms on branches to a height 
 of about two feet. The blossoms open only at night, 
 and close soon after sunrise. 
 
 One of the pleasantest excursions to be made from 
 Denver is to the famous Eed Eocks and the Platte 
 canon. We (a very agreeable American gentleman 
 and his wife ; the host of the hotel, who acted as 
 guide, and myself) started very early one morning, and 
 soon found ourselves crossing a great prairie farming 
 country, on our way to the canon. Those who have 
 seen the never-ending sweep of the Great Plains can 
 
6o WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 understand the feeling of — well — call it self-sufficiency, 
 that Western men have been accused of displaying. 
 The sight of, and the possession of these boundless seas 
 of wealth give a sense of power and freedom hardly to 
 be estimated by the inhabitants of the city. The prairie 
 is indeed a silent land, but it is full of charm, and never 
 wearisome. We passed a small cabin, once the home 
 of Jim Beckwith, a celebrated Indian scout. In his 
 youth he fell in with the Crow Indians, who adopted 
 him and made him a chief Tired at last with the 
 monotonous country life of scalping and bear-hunting, 
 he left the Crows and roved over Cahfornia and Mexico. 
 He then paid his old friends a visit, to their great joy, 
 and they determined he should not leave them again ; 
 so they made a great feast, and in his favourite dish they 
 put poison. His ashes are still preserved in the dismal 
 recesses of the Eookery. 
 
 Mrs. F. remained at a small farm-house, where we 
 intended passing the night, while we explored the 
 canon as far we were able. After two or three 
 hours of hard scrambling, we at length reached some 
 cool shadows on the bank of the stream which flowed 
 at the foot of the rocky precipices that formed the 
 walls of the canon. A beautiful vale stretched away, 
 bordered with trees, forming a long arched lane, and 
 carpeted with bracken and briar-roses. Squirrels were 
 nut-gathering ; the garrulous and important jay flitted 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 6i 
 
 about ; the woodpeckers hammered away on the dead 
 boughs, and for a moment I fancied myself in the quiet 
 glade of a far-oflf English woodland. Ah ! in spite of the 
 surroundings of mighty cliffs and the solemn grandeur 
 of great natural wonders, there is, after all, no scenery 
 like English scenery, no resting-places like our old 
 EngUsh homes ! 
 
 After several hours of exploration and the expen- 
 diture of a great amount of shoe-leather (an extrava- 
 gance to be avoided in these parts) we returned to a 
 capital supper and a good night's rest at the farm. 
 
 Next morning we wended our way towards the 
 Eed Eocks, where we soon arrived, after ci'ossing 
 the Platte. These rocks, which give the territory its 
 name, are of red sandstone, and extremely grand and 
 picturesque. They lie at the foot of the mountains for 
 miles and miles. Some of them are in the shape of 
 towers and turrets, others have graceful spires and 
 pinnacles, while numbers of them, several hundred feet 
 high, are perched on one another like the family of 
 a Cyclopean acrobat balancing on the top of a pole 
 which is sustained by the uplifted chin of their steady- 
 going old parent. 
 
 On our return to Denver we saw some Indian races, 
 which were not in the least suggestive of Ascot or 
 Goodwood. The Utes performed wild acts of generosity 
 which would hardly have been countenanced by 
 
62 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 civilised jockeys ; although instances have been knovirn, 
 I believe, of similar performances on their part, though 
 from very different motives. If, for instance, a Ute 
 thought he was coming in too far ahead of the other 
 ponies, he would pull up and wait for his competitors, a 
 proceeding which in several cases would have lost him 
 the race, had not etiquette forbade the winning of it by 
 the distanced red-men. 
 
 Thelites are, if possible, uglier and more repulsive- 
 looking than the Pawnees, and have as much expres- 
 sion in their countenances as a turnip. 
 
 After a day at Greeley, where nothing goes on 
 except irrigation and irritation (the latter on account of 
 the mosquitoes), I returned to Cheyenne, and went out 
 for a day's agate-hunting. Colorado is rich in precious 
 stones, and around Cheyenne beautiful moss agates are 
 frequently found. I only succeeded, after several hours' 
 search, in obtaining a few indifferent specimens, and 
 therefore turned my attention to prairie-dogs. 
 
 I got an old Indian to dig out a few of their holes, 
 as I wanted to see whether it was true that their habita- 
 tions always contained owls and rattlesnakes. 
 
 I found the former — pretty little blinking ground- 
 owls — but no signs of the latter. I fancy owls are too 
 wise to make bedfellows of rattlesnakes. I had a couple 
 of the ' dogs ' cooked for supper, and found them excel- 
 lent — quite as good as rabbits. They live on roots and 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 63 
 
 grasses, and are invariably very plump and tender — 
 much better, in fact, than the tasteless and tough ante- 
 lope and bufialo steaks which they feed you on in these' 
 places. 
 
 It seems — and I ought to have mentioned it before 
 — that a very exciting scene had taken place in the 
 Eepublican Valley, not far from Omaha, a few days 
 before we arrived there. The Pawnees had prepared 
 for a bufialo-hunt. Their enemies, the Sioux, being 
 aware of this, stripped their ponies and distributed them 
 round an adjoining hill, to lead the Pawnees to believe 
 them to be buffaloes. As soon as the Pawnee ' braves ' 
 left their camp the Sioux immediately attacked it, and 
 succeeded in kilhng about fifty squaws before the 
 warriors returned. When they did return they fought 
 bravely for about ten hours ; but they were at last 
 obhged to retreat, and fled across the river, having lost 
 over a hundred men. The Sioux loss amounted to about 
 thirty. The soldiers from Fort M'Pherson arrived after 
 the fight, and drove the Sioux back to their 'reservation.' 
 
 The Pawnees were at Elm Creek Station when 
 we arrived, and I never saw more miserable-looking 
 objects. 
 
 They brightened up a little at the sight of some 
 food, and a few dollars which were collected for them. 
 Somebody having offered to buy from one of them a 
 knife which had a very cut-throat appearance, they 
 
64 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 all began to offer for sale whatever they had about 
 them — and that was not much. 
 
 One of them offered me a most disgusting-looking 
 scalp, with the remark, ' One much heap hair, one dollar,' 
 and seemed surprised that I did not at once close with 
 the offer. Finally, he disposed of the horrid object to 
 a veteran relic-hunter for the sum of fifty cents, and 
 I should think the proprietor would have been glad to 
 have paid double that amount, a short time after, to any- 
 one who woiild have taken it away. On the occasion 
 of the fight, the Sioux were commanded by ' Young 
 Spotted Tail ' — ' Old Spotted Tail ' having preferred re- 
 maining; at home. The Pawnees were under Sky-Chief, 
 who, with a very natural determination, under the cir- 
 cumstances, has sworn to avenge his losses. But as the 
 Sioux know how to take very good care of themselves, 
 and invariably get the better of the Pawnees, and as the 
 latter are not particularly fond of fighting unless they 
 are in overpowering numbers, I think revenge for the 
 buffalo trick and the subsequent slaughter is Hkely to 
 be handed down, as a pleasure to come, to future genera- 
 tions. 
 
 After leaving Cheyenne we ascend a very steep 
 grade, through Granite Canon, with wild rugged 
 mountains of granite piled up on either side, and with 
 an occasional opening, through which we see the lofty 
 mountain-tops away to the south, and Pike's Peak — 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 65 
 
 plainly visible three hundred miles away. At Sherman 
 we are at the most elevated railroad station in the world, 
 and enthnsiastic tourists are much given to telegi'aphing 
 that information to distant friends. Here a lady, with 
 what some one expressed as a rush of lace to the head, 
 entered the car ; she had evidently been astonishing 
 the natives of Sherman with the latest fashions, and 
 was proceeding on her philanthropical expedition still 
 further West. 
 
 At Laramie I made a long tedious excursion, in 
 company with two officers of the U.S. army, to Crystal 
 Lake, about forty-five miles distant. The road was 
 dreadfully rough for the unfortunate ponies, besides 
 being very steep ; but the view from the summit of 
 Sheep mountain was superb. On the way, we passed 
 a lonely httle cabin, whose sole occupant was a poor 
 melancholy-looking white woman. She asked us in 
 to rest ourselves, and refreshed us with some most 
 dehciously cold water. Her husband, she told us, had 
 gone to the town, as she called Laramie, and she seemed 
 quite frightened at being left there all alone. Amidst 
 bursts of tears, she said they had lately lost their only 
 child, a httle girl of about five years old. It was 
 really painful to see anyone so nervous and so utterly 
 broken down. She insisted on our going in to look at 
 a small neat white-curtained inner-room-, where her 
 httle daughter had hved and died. Everything was 
 
66 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 left as if ste still expected her, and the poor creature 
 would listen every now and then, as if she heard the 
 footfall of her child — yes, 
 
 'There was a little white rose of a bed, 
 But its fragrance had passed away.' 
 
 We pleased her with a promise to pay another short 
 visit when we returned, which promise we kept, and 
 found her and her husband packing up their household 
 goods, as they were going to settle in the town. 
 
 The dense forest through which we passed has 
 abundance of game, in the shape of bears, panthers, 
 and wild sheep ; but we saw none of them, though we 
 now and then came across the track of deer. Wlien 
 we arrived at the top of the mountain and emerged 
 from the deep gloom of the forest into the sunlight, we 
 looked down on banks of fleecy cloud floating far 
 below us, whilst around and above rose innumerable 
 peaks whose snow-clad heights were lost to view in 
 the hazy distance. The black masses of rock visible 
 through the glistening misty vapour, and the gleaming 
 clouds of a passing thunder-storm, seemed the reahsa- 
 tion of Shelley's fancifully descriptive Hues : — 
 
 ' The billowy clouds 
 Edged with intolerable radiancy, 
 Towering like rocks of jet, 
 Crowned with a diamond wreath.' 
 
 Away down the mountain was a wide open green 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 67 
 
 space, and in its centre lay the beautiful lake, clear as 
 crystal, and reflecting every object on its banks. It 
 looked like a huge basin of quicksilver with the sun 
 shining on it. It was difficult to beheve that it was 
 water, so still and mirror-hke was its surface. The 
 contrast between the lovely view of the lake and the 
 distant grandeur of the mountain-peaks was particularly 
 striking, and more impressive than anything I had then 
 seen, or indeed afterwards saw, in the Eocky Mountains. 
 
 On our way back the following day, we found some 
 hideous horned toads, and they were about the only 
 specimens of animal life that we saw. 
 
 After leaving Laramie and entering the district of 
 alkah and sage-brush, I must say I began to get rather 
 tired of the monotony of the vievsr. It is all very 
 interesting, as long as you are on the prairie, on the 
 perpetual, look-out for antelopes, and are constantly 
 seeing (in your mind's eye) buffalo herds pursued by 
 wild Indians, with the white waggons of emigrants 
 corralled to receive the attack of the scalping gentle- 
 men ; but when nothing but sage-brush greets the 
 eyes, except small particles of alkali, which makes 
 them smart terribly, the scene is apt to become rather 
 tiresome. 
 
 We were relieved at last from absolute monotony , 
 by a tremendous storm ; but I think the remedy was 
 worse than the disease, for we were thereby detained for 
 
 Tf 2 
 
68 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 fifteen hours on a siding. It was evening when the 
 storm began, and the guard was afraid to go on in the 
 dark, lest the rails should have been washed away, or 
 a bridge have been broken down anywhere. 
 
 Towards sunset the clouds in the west had assumed 
 a most threatening aspect, and every form of storm- 
 hke beauty was then combined in the sky. To the 
 south-east, the most lovely blue was bordered with 
 vast mountains of fleecy white clouds ; right in front 
 of us, and rapidly extending overhead, was an enor- 
 mous mass of black clouds tipped with fiery red, whilst 
 away towards the north was an expanse of grey- 
 coloured- mist, from which torrents of rain were 
 pouring and fast approaching us. The air was suddenly 
 charged on all sides with electricity, and from the huge 
 dense black mass burst forth an overwhelming rush 
 of water, while the lightning afforded as magnificent a 
 show of fireworks as can be imagined — the whole west 
 sometimes appearing as a ball of flame, from which the 
 crags and peaks of the mountains stood out distinctly 
 and grandly. The storm continued far into the night, 
 the crashing, echoing, and re-echoing of the heavy 
 peals of thunder entirely preventing sleep. There was 
 an old lady in the car who was quite unmoved by the 
 raging of the storm, but was so dreadfully afraid of 
 being scalped that she kept continually running to the 
 door and looking out, in the expectation of beholding 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 69 
 
 the approach of her red-skin horrors. I was the more 
 surprised at this fear on her part, because, ' raising her 
 hair ' would only have been performing an operation 
 which she went through of her own accord every 
 evening. Before retiring, she combed out the dis- 
 ordered wig, and hung it up in the most conspicuous 
 place over her berth, ready to be put on the first thing 
 in the morning ; and this she did with an air of 
 the most complete nonchalance, and a coolness only to 
 be acquired by a long course of travelling in a Pull- 
 man's car. 
 
 It was very fortunate, as it turned out, that our 
 engineer did stop the train ; for when we proceeded 
 on our journey next day we found the track being 
 repaired in two or three places, and in one spot we had 
 a fiu:ther delay of some hours, while at least a ton of 
 rock was removed from the hue. 
 
 At Evanston I was told I should find everything 
 ' real nice ;' and certainly it was the best dining- 
 station along the hue. The table was neatly arranged, 
 the napkins and tablecloth were white and clean, and 
 the cooking far better than usual. Fortunately, there 
 was no mihtary post near, and so it was impossible 
 to obtain the condemned articles of the commissary for 
 the passengers' consumption. 
 
 From Evanston our way ran through Echo Canon, 
 and we soon plunged amongst its red rocky bluffs, 
 
70 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 peculiarly bold in form, and of great beauty and variety 
 of colour. Grand indeed are the pictures presented 
 in these strange ravines, and the effect is increased 
 by the unexpected manner in which the traveller 
 comes upon them. The shapes, too, taken by these 
 rocks, like ' those in Colorado, are wonderful. Some- 
 times you see a cathedral, with spires and windows ; 
 then a castle, with battlements and turrets ; domes and 
 pillars are everywhere. The Witch rocks are also pecu- 
 liarly striking and weird. 
 
 Presently, we pass the spot where the Mormons 
 erected their fortifications ; and on a precipitous rock, 
 a thousand feet above us, are the huge stones that were 
 piled up one upon another ready to be hurled down on 
 their foes. The huge boulders were never used, and 
 now stand as a monument of folly and superstition. A 
 little farther on rises ' Pulpit Eock,' from which 
 Brigham Young preached his first sermon, on that side 
 of the Eocky mountains, to his strange, devoted people. 
 Vast circles of rocks rise story upon story, and lofty 
 precipices frown down upon us as we pass, whilst right 
 across the smooth broad brow of a towering cliff may be 
 read in letters several feet in height, ' A thing of beauty 
 and a joy for ever' — ' Try our rising sun stove-pohsh ! ' 
 After such a sudden fall from the subhme to the ridi- 
 culous half the poetry and romance of the scenery 
 vanishes for ever 
 
DEVIL'S SLlUli— Fl-Ollt viow. 
 
 P. 71. 
 
OMAHA TO SALT LAKE CITY. 71 
 
 On we go through Weber Canon, picturesque 
 certainly, but not to be compared to Echo, and we 
 come then to the 'Devil's Slide.' What a gymnast 
 the old gentleman must have been, if he really accom- 
 plished a quarter of the feats we put down to him ! in 
 fact, a great part of his existence must have been spent 
 in jumping through rocks, like a clown through a 
 paper hoop, and sliding down hills and mountains like 
 a naughty boy down a bannister. In the case in 
 question, he was probably well whipped when he 
 went home, as, from the rugged state of the rocks, his 
 pantaloons miist have been in a most unenviable con- 
 dition by the time he reached the foot of the mountain. 
 
 The river Weber frets and rages along its\ course; 
 just beneath us, and presently we pass a soUtary pine 
 tree on our left. A board on it states that the distance, 
 from Omaha is 1,000 miles. Here another Storm; 
 passed us, taking the usual north-easterly direction-; we 
 therefore only came in for a very small part of it. Just, 
 where the river rushes between two great walls of 
 rock the road crosses the stream, and we enter the 
 valley of Salt Lake. Passing through a cultivated; 
 country, with well-tilled farms on either side; we soon- 
 arrive at Ogden, where I was very glad to leave' the 
 the main road, and after a few hours of slow travelling, 
 reached Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, and' the., 
 'desert home of the Mormons.' 
 
72 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 SALT LAKE CITY TO VIEGINIA CITY. 
 
 Early days — The Tabernacle — A vision — Mormons — Ann Eliza — Brigham 
 Young — Mormon shops — American Fork Canon — Salt Lake — A 
 pageant — The theatre — Mormonism — The great American desert — 
 Euchre — Tricks that are vain — Nevada — Train-robbers — American- 
 isms — Reno. 
 
 What a wonderful change there is in the Salt Lake 
 valley of the present day compared with its aspect 
 before the arrival of the Mormons ! After encounter- 
 ing almost superhuman difficulties, after leaving scores 
 of their companions dead on the long terrible road 
 they had journeyed over, they arrived in 1847 in this 
 valley; and finding that the parched sandy desert and 
 the high mountain-peaks were insuperable barriers 
 against their foes, they determined to make it their 
 home, and to live there according to their own pecuHar 
 ideas. Persecution had strengthened their faith ; they 
 believed implicitly in the divinity of their martyred 
 prophet, Joseph Smith, and considered themselves the 
 ' Chosen People.' With the greatest rehgious enthusiasm 
 — a httle augmented, perhaps, by personal requirements 
 — they built houses, planted trees, and irrigated and 
 
SALT LAKE CITY TO VIRGINIA CITY. 73 
 
 cultivated the land. The circumstances m which they 
 were placed furnished an incentive to exertion. There 
 was noway of escape for them out of the valley, and they 
 could only exist by toiling to the fullest extent of their 
 powers. The success they have achieved is evident in 
 the garden-Uke appearance of the beautiful valley. 
 
 On the morning after my arrival I set off to visit 
 the town. The first thing that strnck me was the 
 number of trees bordering the streets, along the sides 
 of which runs a clear stream of water from the moun- 
 tains. 
 
 The houses are not particularly tasteful, but the 
 great amount of foliage surrounding them gives them 
 a secluded home-like air. 
 
 Orchards of peach, apricot, cherry, and apple trees 
 abound everywhere, and the soil is evidently extremely 
 fertile, where it is irrigated. 
 
 The great object of interest is the Tabernacle, 
 whose huge oval roof gives the building the exact 
 appearance of a roc's egg. On entering its precincts 
 I met a gentleman, who, seeing that I was a stranger, 
 kindly offered to show me over the building. He 
 proved to be one of the Apostles, and a very entertain- 
 ing and agreeable one too. The Tabernacle is about 
 two hundred and fifty feet long, and a hundred and 
 fifty feet wide, and will hold fifteen thousand people. 
 The enormous roof is self-sustaining, and springs from 
 
74 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 a number of stone columns. The large organ, built 
 by a member of the flock, is the most conspicuous 
 object in the interior. In front of the organ is the 
 pulpit from which Brigham preaches. Next below is 
 one for the councillors, then one for the bishops, and 
 finally one for the deacons. The seats are all of plain 
 pine, and the absence of paint gives the building a very 
 cold and formal appearance. 
 
 Adjacent to the Tabernacle is the Temple, or rather 
 what will be the Temple, as at present the foundation 
 is but little above the level of the ground. From the 
 plan which my friend (if I may so call an Apostle) 
 showed me, it will be a most magnificent building, if ever 
 finished ; but there is not, I imagine, the very shghtest 
 probability of it, as it was begun near twenty years 
 ago, and funds are now at a very low ebb, in fact, so 
 low that there was not a single workman then at work 
 on the edifice. The plan, they say, was given to 
 Brigham Young in a vision ; if so, it must have been 
 by the united spirits of Sir Christopher Wren and 
 Brunelleschi. 
 
 The Apostle introduced me to his house, but I saw 
 nothing of his wives, of whom he had three, as I was 
 later informed. From the quiet home-like look about 
 the place, there seemed to be more peace in it than I 
 should have thought probable from the presence there 
 of such disturbing elements. I believe, however, before 
 
SALT LAKE CITY TO VIRGINIA CITY. 75 
 
 a Mormon takes his second or third wife the consent 
 of the first is usually obtained. 
 
 I noticed a peculiar air of depression, and even sad- 
 ness, amongst the Mormon women — a patient sufiering 
 look, which seemed the natural consequence of adopt- 
 ing a creed many of whose doctrines must be repugnant 
 to the chaste impulses of woman's nature, however 
 sincere her faith may be in its strange delusions. The 
 Mormon men looked particularly jolly and free from 
 care, and certainly appeared to leave the burden of 
 the ' cross,' about which they talk a good deal, to be 
 borne by their wives. 
 
 My kind guide was unable to obtain for me an 
 introduction to President Young himself, but showed 
 me what he could of his dwelling-houses, chief of 
 which are the Lion House and the Bee-hive House, so 
 called from the carved figures over them, emblematic 
 of strength and industry. They are surrounded by a 
 high wall, which gives a dignified and secluded air to 
 otherwise unimportant- looking buildings. 
 
 From the account of Mrs. Young, nee Ann Eliza 
 Webb — the seventeenth, and, I believe, the last wife of 
 the President — his family life does not run very smoothly. 
 She (the seventeenth) had lately left the house he had 
 provided for her, and had taken apartments in one of 
 the hotels. Amongst other grievances, she showed 
 that Brigham, like Socrates, had his Xantippe. This 
 
76 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Xantippe was allowed carte blanche at the Lion co- 
 operative store, and arrayed herself in silk attire, while 
 the more meek and humble, but not less deserving, 
 Ann Ehza could only dress herself in homespun. She 
 further objected, and with good reason, to the extremely 
 frugal means of subsistence allowed by her husband. 
 A lawsuit ensued, in which she endeavoured to obtain 
 an annual allowance suitable to her position. How it 
 was settled I do not know, but the case was a difficult 
 one. The law did not recognise her as a wife. To do 
 so would be to put a premium on polygamy ; and if 
 she was not a wife she could not legally be allowed 
 alimony. However, should the revelations made by this 
 seventeenth wife find their way to Europe, they may 
 act as a warning to young women against being deluded 
 by Mormon doctrines, and in that case Ann Eliza will 
 have done something for her sex. 
 
 Within the precincts of the Lion house and the Bee 
 house are the ' tithing-houses.' Thither, the Mormon 
 farmers and gardeners bring yearly a tenth part of 
 their produce. Merchants, miners, mechanics, &c. 
 bring a tenth part of their income. 
 
 On Sunday I attended service in the Tabernacle, and 
 there saw the President in his accustomed place of 
 honour. I was in hopes he was going to preach, 
 but in this was disappointed. He is a tall, quiet- 
 looking man, with a calm firm face ; but I could see 
 
SALT LAKE CITY TO VIRGINIA CITY. 77 
 
 nothing to wliich to attribute the extraordinary influ- 
 ence he has obtained over the minds of his followers. 
 He looked hke a man to whom physical exertions for 
 the benefit of the state were of greater consideration 
 and importance than spiritual ones ; and yet he calls 
 himself a Prophet, and declares he has received 
 revelations from God himself. 
 
 The service was very simple ; prayer, music, and 
 singing by the choir, with a sermon, followed by a 
 discourse, and a blessing from the Prophet constituted 
 the entire ceremony ; after which the congregation of 
 about two thousand souls departed to their homes. 
 
 The Mormon shops are known by a sign placed 
 over their doors, on which is written ' Hohness to the 
 Lord. Zion's Co-operate Mercantile Institution.' The 
 true followers are expected to trade there ; but I have 
 strong suspicions that even Mormons like trading where 
 they can obtain the cheapest and best goods, and that 
 the Gentile stores are as much patronised as the 
 others. 
 
 The scenery of Utah is magnificent. A long 
 excursion I made to the American Fork Caiion, about 
 thirty miles distant from the city, was full of picturesque 
 surprises. The old mill, in the Canon, presented as 
 charming a picture as could well be found. The ride 
 to it was over hanging hills, whose tops were fringed 
 with trees and at whose base flowed a winding stream. 
 
78 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 and through a narrow gorge filled with all sorts of wild 
 flowers. After rounding a high barren rock, the old 
 mill suddenly appeared, perched up amongst the trees, 
 and surrounded by the foaming white water that was 
 rushing down the ravine. The country around is very 
 rich in minerals ; the Emma mine, said to be the 
 richest in Utah, is situated in Little Cottonwood 
 Canon, adjacent to the picturesque scene of the 
 mill. 
 
 The Mormon city hes east of the south end of the 
 great Salt Lake, and some miles from it. There is no 
 doubt about the saltness or the buoyancy of its waters, 
 for while bathing I found it difiicult, indeed almost 
 im possible, to stand on the bottom. In spite of all 
 e fforts to maintain my ground, my heels would fly out 
 of the water. Eggs and potatoes will float in it like 
 corks, and any but a swimmer would fare badly if he 
 trusted himself to the tender mercies of its briny 
 depths, as his head would go down and his feet fly up. 
 Bathers in the salt lake are said to come forth from its 
 waters white and sparkling. For my own part, I 
 must confess that I was not more dazzled by my ap- 
 pearance after coming out than before going in, 
 although the salt coating I received necessitated a 
 plunge into a fresh-water stream before dressing. The 
 Mormons say it is good for the health to leave the 
 salt on the body, and dress vdthout drying the skin. 
 
SALT LAKE CITY TO VIRGINIA CITY. 79 
 
 There are numerous islands on the lake. One of them, 
 called Antelope Island, is about fifteen miles long ; it 
 swarms with deer, but shooting is not allowed. One 
 day, whilst enjoying the view over the lake from 
 Ensign Park, above the city, I saw a gorgeous pro- 
 cession advancing, ghttering with silver and all ' the 
 pomp and circumstance of war.' I hastened down to the 
 streets, and met people hurrying along from every 
 direction to view the pageant. I thought that it was, 
 probably, some municipal display, and that I was about 
 to witness some curious demonstration of the Saints. 
 Slowly the procession wound its way through the 
 shadow and simshine, glistening hke some gigantic 
 monster with scales of gold and silver. Ladies in 
 historical costumes swept by on their cream-white 
 palfreys ; knights in armour, and mounted on magni- 
 ficent chargers, trooped past. A magnificent chariot, 
 with pink and white plumes, and drawn by eight 
 camels, with their African attendants, rolled proudly on ; 
 and by the time a cage of Uons and other wild animals 
 had passed me I began to reahse the fact that the 
 ' New York and New Orleans Great American Circus 
 and Menagerie ' had arrived, and that a performance 
 would take place in the ' Mammoth Tent ' that even- 
 ing. Indians in full dress— that is, hideously painted 
 with streaks of red and yellow ochre — followed the 
 procession in great numbers, and for once looked 
 
8o WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 astonished. They evidently thought the gaudy 
 pageant the most imposing spectacle they could 
 possibly witness. Part of the evening's entertainment 
 was the exhibition of a fat woman ; I forget 
 what she weighed, but she created immense 
 amusement by singing, the then popular song, ' Put 
 me in my little bed.' Even the red-skins saw the joke, 
 or the laughter of the audience proved infectious — for 
 they gave vent to their delight in many guttural.' Ugh ! 
 ughs ! ' 
 
 At the theatre one has a good opportunity of 
 ' observing the Mormon ladies. The President is often 
 present, with several of his wives and endless sons and 
 daughters. The Apostles are also in force, attended by 
 their wives ; whilst the rest of the house is composed of 
 the lesser Saints, some with only a modest couple of 
 wives, and some with but one wife. Yet everywhere 
 may be seen the same sad dead-alive look amongst 
 the women that I had before remarked. Whether 
 they would have allowed that they were unhappy, 
 or whether they even knew that they were, I cannot 
 tell — they looked so, and that was enough. 
 
 Discussion on the subject of polygamy in Salt Lake 
 City is useless. But we Gentiles have one argument 
 against it which cannot be gainsayed. Looking at the 
 question from a pvirely social and domestic point of 
 view, is not woman man's equal, if not his superior? 
 
SALT LAKE CITY TO VIRGINIA CITY. 8i 
 
 Most undoubtedly she is. But to the Mormon she is 
 not even his equal — she is simply his slave. 
 
 Mormonism has also its ludicrous aspect. A man 
 may not wish to have more than one wife, but if 
 Brigham chooses he can order him to marry some poor 
 forlorn creature, and should he not like her, all he can 
 do is either to turn her out to grass — that is, send her 
 to his farm, if he is fortunate enough to possess one — or 
 pension her off, as best he can. How odd, too, it must 
 be for the wives to talk of ' our husband,' or ' our 
 piano,' and they all seem to have a joint-stock even in 
 ' our baby !' I was told that one particular trait in the 
 Mormon women's character is a total absence of the 
 love of scandal. The story of the woman who used 
 her tongue to slander other women is a favourite one 
 in their schools. This woman confessed her sin to 
 the priest and desired a penance. He gave her a 
 thistle-top and told her to go in various directions and 
 scatter the seeds, one by one. She obeyed, then re- 
 turned to her confessor and told him she had done so. 
 He then bade her go back and gather the scattered 
 seeds. She answered that it would be impossible. Still 
 more difficult, he rephed, would it be to gather up and 
 destroy the ill effects of the evil reports she had circu- 
 lated about others. As to Brigham Young, it must be 
 admitted that, considering the elements he has had to 
 deal with — men from the poorest and most ignorant 
 
 G 
 
82 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 classes — considering also the enormous toil and labour 
 caused by the hard conditions of early emigration, his 
 formation of the colony is an unparalleled achievement. 
 He has ruled and guided his people with wonderful 
 skill and tact. And though schisms and divisions are 
 now common amongst them, and the Mormons, as a 
 religious sect, are fast losing their footing ; yet, in spite of 
 his mysterious doctrines and the many faults attributed 
 to him, he will leave a name behind him as a benefactor 
 of the poor and the founder of a new commonwealth. 
 I was quite sorry to have to say good-bye to the quaint 
 Mormon capital, but did so, bearing away with me a 
 bag of its most delicious peaches, by way of consola- 
 tion ; then, returning to Ogden, I resumed my journey. 
 After skirting the north side of the Great Salt 
 Lake we entered upon that vast plateau which is the 
 true Great American Desert. And it is worthy of its 
 name. For more than seventy miles nothing is to be 
 seen except dull sage-brush and white dust, and 
 in the distance dry, brown, bare mountains. The 
 showers of alkali-dust make the journey most painful 
 for the eyes ; but, as there is nothing to be seen, you 
 have no loss if you keep them closed. Lizards are the 
 only living things found on this desert tract ; and as 
 there is no rainfall it must always remain a desert, and 
 a very bitter one too. With ordinary rainfall, the 
 water, percolating through the soil, would carry off the 
 
SALT LAKE CITY TO VIRGINIA CITY. 83 
 
 alkali into the lakes and rivers, and an agricultural 
 future might possibly be expected. 
 
 The Palisades are grand and picturesque ; and the 
 Humboldt VaUey, through which we ran, has many 
 pleasant features, not the least of them being that at 
 the eating-stations we were waited upon by quiet Celes- 
 tials instead of uncouth, rough-mannered white men. 
 
 At one of the small stations we were startled by 
 the entrance into our car of a very finely-dressed 
 individual. His appearance was quite dazzhng. His 
 coat was of velvet, and his hat — a tall white one — had 
 a deep crape band, whilst on his immaculate shirt-front 
 reposed what was apparently the wreck of a large 
 tumbler. 
 
 At the next station a big joUy-looking man, in 
 appearance a well-to-do farmer, entered and sat down 
 by the last comer, whom he did not recognise as a 
 friend, but with whom he soon entered into a httle 
 hght conversation about the crops, mining, &c. Pre- 
 sently a game of cards was proposed, just to while away 
 the time, and the two played for about half-an-hour, 
 when the farmer said he was tired of playing. Our 
 friend in the black velvet with a bland smile then 
 asked his vis-a-vis if he would hke to take a hand. 
 Now, the individual to whom this question, was ad- 
 dressed was a young man from the country, who had 
 entered the train the day before, and was going to see 
 
84 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 the city — San Francisco — for the first time. His father 
 bade him good-bye at the station, and his last words 
 to him, in our hearing, were ' Beware of card-sharpers, 
 swindlers, and all such cattle,' as he expressed it. 
 The young man imagined himself too shrewd to be 
 taken in by anybody ; in fact, it was this shrewdness, I 
 fancy, which made him prefer slow death in the city to 
 slow hfe in the country. He had played euchre before 
 at the store up in his village ; so he answered, ' Wal, I 
 guess I will take a small spell at the keerds.' 
 
 As he crossed over and sat down at the board pre- 
 pared for the occasion by the kind gentleman in velvet, 
 it was just possible to detect the suspicion of a wink 
 between Velvety and his late opponent, the farmer. 
 Just to make the game interesting, they each put up 
 twenty-five cents. Our country friend could never 
 have had better luck. Pool after pool he wins ; 
 becomes astonished at the facihty with which money 
 can be made, and gives it as his opinion that playing 
 euchre is better than hoeing corn. Presently the velvet 
 gentleman says, quite carelessly, that he has a good 
 poker hand. Our rural friend is surprised to find 
 that he too has a good poker hand. A httle bet of 
 five dollars is made, and Eurality wins again. The 
 farmer here makes the remark, ' You always was a fool. 
 Bill.' This, to say the least of it, was a strange remark 
 from a man who, from his previous manner, had never 
 
SALT LAKE CITY TO VIRGINIA CITY. 85 
 
 before met the gentleman he thus addressed. How- 
 ever, the game was resumed, and after a few more deals 
 the countryman got four kings. Here was a chance 
 of making a small fortune ; such an opportunity might 
 never occur again. Strange to say, the gentleman in 
 black velvet thought that he also had a good hand. 
 Eurahty bet fifty dollars and gasped. Black Velvet went 
 fifty more and smiled. Eurality then bet a hundred, 
 which was quickly covered, and the pool further in- 
 creased by yet another hundred. Eather tremblingly 
 our rural friend threw down his cards, saying, ' Four 
 kings — what have you got ? ' 
 
 ' Four aces,' replied our bland friend, showing his 
 cards with one hand and raking in the money with the 
 other. The country youth swore and raved, but all to 
 no purpose, and the two gentlemen smiled as sweetly 
 as ever. At the next station they were just about to 
 get out for ' lunch,' as they said, when the conductor, 
 who had recognised them, and two gentlemen, who 
 had watched their proceedings, seized them and marched 
 them off to the office of the station officials, where they 
 were made to disgorge their ill-gotten gains — much to 
 the dehght of our country friend, who then said he 
 thought ' hoeing corn was after all better than " poker." ' 
 
 Thieves and gamblers are to be met with all along the 
 line, and notices in all the cars bid you beware of such 
 people. They dog the steps of persons leaving a town. 
 
86 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 and by means of the telegrapli and other agencies 
 known only to the initiated, their accomplices are 
 advised of any ' game ' that may be passing. 
 
 One of their contrivances is called the ' green-back 
 reflector,' and consists of a one dollar green-back note, 
 having a stiff piece of paper pasted on it. A small 
 piece of wood is pinned to the paper, having on its 
 face a small glass mirror. When the game commences 
 this is laid on the table, and dollars are placed upon it, 
 so as to conceal the muTor. The cards are dealt directly 
 over this reflector ; and thus, knowing his opponent's 
 hand, the gambler has easy work in fleecing his victim. 
 
 All through Nevada the scenery is most forbidding : 
 nothing but vast tracts of sand, and sage-brush, and 
 ghttering alkali. Occasionally near the stations there 
 may be a small patch of cultivated land, but that will 
 be all. The only incident likely to occur is the stop- 
 ping of the train by a band of the ' Train-robbers ; ' but 
 aS this only happens on an average two or three times 
 a year, it is difiicult to suit your journey so as to hit off 
 the exact time. 
 
 A few months ago a train with cars containing some 
 Chinese of high rank was stopped and ransacked. The 
 moon-faced Celestials must have been pleased with 
 their first adventure in a strange land ! I believe they 
 simply remarked on the occasion, ' Hi-yah ! too muchee 
 
SALT LAKE CITY TO VIRGINIA CITY. 87 
 
 gun ; no can fightee all that bobbery ! ' and wished 
 themselves back in Pekin. 
 
 We are now in the region of ' square meals,' what- 
 ever they may be, and slang terms are more prevalent 
 than they were in the East. I had often been told 
 that Americanisms were only to be found in novels. 
 My experience differs entirely from that assumed fact. 
 Slang is heard only amongst the lower classes (if the 
 Great Eepubhc vdll admit of there being classes), 
 but Americanisms are heard everywhere. America 
 originally forgot to furnish herself with an indepen- 
 dent language, but she is working hard to supply the 
 deficiency, and in time there will be an American lan- 
 guage, concise and significant. One cannot help being 
 struck by the number of words and even sentences that 
 are repeated on all possible occasions. Such a poverty 
 of expression becomes at last quite annoying. ' Hurry 
 up ' are words that can never be forgotten by a traveller 
 in America ; and I do not beUeve it is possible to con- 
 verse for five minutes without hearing a dozen times 
 the remark, 'You don't say so.' In the West that 
 terrible word ' say' (not 'I say') is prefixed to every 
 sentence ; and the epithet ' elegant ' is bestowed on 
 the most inappropriate objects. Fancy an ' elegant 
 day,' and yet you hear that expression continually ! 
 Our 'awfuls' and 'awfully jolly' are bad enough, 
 but they are not reiterated with the provoking 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 frequency with which domestic Americanisms assail the 
 ears. 
 
 You meet 'real (pronounced 'reel') nice ' people 
 wherever you go, and are constantly asked if you have 
 had a ' real fine time.' It may be said they are not the 
 ' best ' people who use those expressions — I beg to 
 differ — and besides, in travelhng you must judge from 
 the people you meet. I have lately seen papers 
 denying the existence of Americanisms at all, and 
 virtually agreeing with a lady who once said to another 
 in my hearing, ' Oh ! I knew you were English by your 
 accent ; ' so I like to add my testimony in a humble 
 way and show what my experience of the American 
 language has been. 
 
 You certainly do not hear so much slang, in the 
 ordinary acceptation of the word, as in England ; but 
 what is slang, after all, but an effort to be concise ? 
 And, for my part, I prefer an ocasional slang term to 
 the constant use of hackneyed Americanisms. 
 
 Thank God we are approaching Eeno ; and although 
 it is two o'clock in the morning I am very glad to leave 
 the train and make my way to Virginia City and 
 the mining districts of the Sierras. 
 
VIRGINIA CITY TO STOCKTON. 89 
 
 CHAPTEE Vn. 
 
 VIRGINIA CITY TO STOCKTON. 
 
 Politicians — A silyer mine — Sutro tunnel — A commercial crisis — 
 Geysers— Lake Tahoe-^Shakespeare — Donner Lake — The old tra- 
 veller — Two American forces— Cape Horn — Alabaster cave — Sacra- 
 mento — Mosquitoes^The pedlar-boy— The poor man's carriage — Gold 
 currency — Wages. 
 
 Of all the desolate, grim scenery to be found in 
 America that around Virginia City takes the lead. The 
 great brown hills are scarred and seamed and bare. 
 No wonder the town itself obtained the distinction of 
 being the ' cussedest ' in the land ; but even that proud 
 epithet no longer distinguishes it, and the title has been 
 assumed by newer and less frequented villages. 
 
 The hotel at which I was staying was crowded with 
 people who called themselves pohticians, but who might 
 have been more appropriately designated agitators — 
 men who seemed angry because they could not get into 
 Congress, that they might become people of some im- 
 portance. 
 
 What they were doing in Virginia City I cannot 
 imagine, as it seemed to me a very inappropriate place 
 
90 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 in which to air their sentiments. They all appeared to 
 think, and I beheve the belief is widely spread in 
 America, that the Eepubhc of the United States 
 was founded after mature deliberation upon the 
 comparative merits of the various forms of govern- 
 ment. People who beheve this will not understand 
 that it was American society that produced their 
 form of government, and that the founders of the 
 Eepublic merely provided the machines for administer- 
 ing that form, and simply took existing materials and 
 built up with them such a pohtical fabric as society 
 demanded. 
 
 The Eepubhc of the present day is very different 
 from the old Eepublic; and this change has been 
 brought about, not by lectures from pohtical agitators 
 on forms of government, but by changes in the national 
 manners and the material conditions of the country. 
 One of the pohticians asked me how we would like a 
 repubhc in England, and seemed quite astonished when 
 I answered that very few would hke it at all ; but 
 that, if such a calamity ever should happen, the red-hot 
 repubhcans would probably like it least of all, as we 
 had too many great and well educated men — men of 
 position and good feeling — who would come forward, as 
 they do now, to see that the country was properly 
 o'overned. And what would become of the noisy 
 agitators then ? In spite of our differences of opinion 
 
VIRGINIA CITY TO STOCKTON. 91 
 
 lie seemed very sociable ; and as he knew the superin- 
 tendent of one of the mines, he kindly offered to accom- 
 pany me on a visit to it. 
 
 We descended into the silvery deeps by means of a 
 ' cage,' a sort of elevator, and a great improvement on 
 the ' bucket,' by which you are taken down in some of 
 the mines. We went down several hundred feet, and 
 walked about the tunnels and saw all the different pro- 
 cesses of mining, and had a very enjoyable and instruc- 
 tive expedition. 
 
 The number of mills around Virginia City which 
 work on the silver ore from the great Comstock Lode 
 is about eighty, and this lode is the ricliest in the 
 country. It extends in a broad belt along the moun- 
 tain-side, and under Virginia and Gold Hill Cities, which 
 are thoroughly undermined. The whole mountain is a 
 series of tunnels, shafts, and caverns, from which the 
 ore Jhas been taken. 
 
 ^^normous as is the amount of sUver taken out of 
 these mines, yet the net profit is ridiculously small ; 
 so true is the saying that ' it takes a mine to work a 
 mine.' A tunnel is now being driven into Mount 
 Davidson, on whose slope Virginia City is built, to 
 intersect the Comstock Lode at the depth of 2,000 
 feet. 
 
 Mr. Sutro is the projector of the tunnel, and it 
 has been named after him. There are different opinions 
 
92 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 regarding this gigantic enterprise, but one thing" is 
 certain, it will either ruin its promoters or make each 
 of them a Croesus. The distance to be pierced is 
 over four miles. The drive to this tunnel through 
 Six-Mile Canon is very interesting, but not picturesque. 
 There are numbers of sluices, reservoirs, and crushing- 
 mills to be seen, besides other buildings and appurte 
 nances of a mining district. I went into the tunnel for a 
 long way, where the blasting of the hard granite was 
 going on, and I must say I cannot believe that the 
 work will ever be accomplished unless Government 
 takes it in hand. 
 
 The rise of Nevada was very sudden. When the 
 ' Washoe ' range was first prospected and pronounced to 
 be a mass of silver, the ' rush ' to Mount Davidson was 
 unprecedented, even in that era of ' rushes.' Cities 
 were laid out, and every available piece of flat ground 
 was sold for town lots, and the maddest speculations 
 were entered upon. But of all the so-called ' cities ' that 
 were then founded, about two, and those on the very 
 smallest scale, ever were built ; and of all the companies 
 formed to work the claims but a very small proportion 
 ever paid a dividend. 
 
 The only sign discoverable at Virginia City of the 
 (Treat commercial crisis at New York was that one 
 morning, when I asked for some butter at breakfast, I 
 was informed that there was none, as butter lately had 
 
VIRGINIA CITY TO STOCKTON. 93 
 
 been very ' panicky : ' a circumstance so unusual that I 
 thought it worth while making a note of. 
 
 From Virginia City I went to Carson, where there 
 are some famous hot-springs, said to be a certain cure 
 for rheumatism. All the springs have wonderful 
 legends and stories attached to them. Hot-springs are 
 numerous in Nevada, and are utilised in various ways, 
 some families dispensing altogether with patent stoves 
 and doing all their cooking by means of a domestic 
 geyser. 
 
 From Carson a capital road, but a very steep one, 
 took me to Glenbrook House, a pleasant httle inn, 
 situated on Lake Tahoe. Mark Twain, in one of his 
 amusing books — ' Innocents Abroad,' I think — says that 
 this lake is superior to the Itahan lakes. I suppose 
 he means its situation is higher, as, although very 
 beautiful, it wants the variety of scene and the lovely 
 islands and villas which give such wondrous views to 
 those dehghtful lakes. 
 
 Entirely surrounded by mountains covered with 
 sad forests of gigantic pines. Lake Tahoe would present 
 rather a sombre aspect if it were not for its marvel- 
 lously clear and sparkhng water, in which you may 
 ' try and drown many worms,' as the poacher said 
 when caught fishing in preserved waters. Perhaps I 
 was more disappointed with the lake than I should 
 otherwise have been from having been told there was 
 
94 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 capital shooting amongst the surrounding hills, but 
 finding, after many long trudges and many conversa- 
 tions with wood-cutters, &c. on the subject, that there 
 was no game at all worth speaking of, as all birds and 
 animals had been driven away by the advance of civi- 
 lisation. There is a singular natural curiosity on the 
 face of a high rock in full view of the lake. It is a 
 profile of Shakespeare, and not at all a bad hkeness. 
 It has been formed by depressions in the stone Hke a 
 gigantic natural intaglio. 
 
 A little steamer carried me to Tahoe City, on the 
 opposite side of the lake, crossing the hne on its way, 
 as the division between Nevada and California runs 
 - north and south through the lake. The lake is about 
 twenty miles long and ten broad, and there are many 
 points of interest around it. Caves, hot-springs, 
 and beautiful Httle bays and inlets abound, and the 
 valley of Lake Creek is one of the most fertile in the 
 Sierras, and is dotted over with farms and milk 
 ranches. The shores of Lake Tahoe have been chosen 
 for the site of the lick Observatory, the princely 
 gift of Mr. Lick to the State. Another point of inte- 
 rest wiU soon, th*efore, be added to the charming 
 
 scenery. 
 
 From Tahoe City, a drive of about twelve miles 
 along the river-bank and across green meadows brought 
 me to Truckee station, whence, after visiting Conner 
 
VIRGINIA CITY TO STOCKTON. 95 
 
 Lake, which is a miniature Tahoe, I proceeded on my 
 
 journey. 
 
 Tunnels and snow-sheds now begin to appear, and 
 continually shut out from view the finest scenery along 
 the road. Just before reaching Summit Station we 
 caught a glorious view of Donner Lake, which lay three 
 miles below us, and which is infinitely more pictiu^esque 
 when seen from a distant height than it looks when 
 standing at its edge. When we saw it, the morning 
 sun had just spread a glittering sheen over the lake, 
 leaving some corners hidden in deep shadow, which 
 presented the strangest contrasts of sombre purple 
 hues. The soft yellow tints of early morning en- 
 veloped the north side, whilst the eastern slopes were 
 shaded by a dark purple haze, wonderfully contrasting 
 with the brightness of the sun and the lake. From our 
 distant point of view, it looked deserving of its name — 
 ' The Gem of the Sierras.' 
 
 How easy it is to distinguish the old traveller from 
 the new at the ' meal stations ! ' As the train draws up 
 he is already on the platform outside the carriage, and 
 before the train stops is dashing wildly towards the 
 saloon, and straight to a seat, ordering coffee as he 
 
 - goes, and taking up the right thing at once. He is 
 aware of the exact time allowed, and at its expira- 
 tion, he is out on the platform picking his teeth and 
 talking of ' real estate ' before the young traveller has 
 
96 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 got his first cup of tea. At these stations, too, the 
 knife-swallowers rhay be seen in great numbers, giving 
 entertainments ' quite gratuitous.' Sometimes, if there 
 is a wearisome delay before the train starts, some fiery 
 repubhcan will give vent to his feelings through that 
 animating power known as ' stump oratory,' giving 
 decision to his arguments by the handling of that other 
 great American force — the revolver. He is aware that 
 he would not be listened to unless he is known to be 
 capable of knocking anybody down who interrupts 
 him ; and so he likes it to be generally understood 
 that he is quite able to take care of himself One of 
 these individuals was holding forth at Summit Station 
 when we were there, and really gave a most amusing 
 and intelhgent discourse. 
 
 Summit Station is over 7,000 feet above the level 
 of the sea, and in the next 70 miles after leaving the 
 grade descends 6,000 feet. The railroad passage over 
 these mountains is the greatest engineering feat on the 
 whole line. The track is carried along the edge of 
 precipices stretching downward for 2,000 and 3,000 
 feet, and in some parts men had to be swung from the 
 upper rocks in baskets in order to excavate the moun- 
 tain-side. 
 
 It is fortunate that the envious snow-sheds do not 
 shut out the view on rounding Cape Horn. The scene 
 there is magnificent. The train is close to the brink 
 
VIRGINIA CITY TO STOCKTON. 97 
 
 of the precipice, at tlie bottom of which the river, 
 2,500 feet below us, looks hke a winding silver thread, 
 whilst far above, on our right hand, rise towering 
 masses of rock, forming a colossal wall of unbroken 
 granite. 
 
 At Auburn, we left the train for a visit to ' Alabaster 
 Cave,' and reached it after a drive of about ten miles 
 through a country uncommonly dry and yellow-looking, 
 but relieved by the rich dark foliage of the white oaks 
 and the bushes of handsome 'buckeye,' the flower of 
 which is something like our horse-chestnut. 
 
 Just before reaching the cave we passed a hme-kiln, 
 where a large portion of the hme used in San Francisco 
 is made. 
 
 After entering the cave and descending a few steps 
 we found ourselves in a large room, in which was the 
 inevitable register. In America you are always regis- 
 tering your name, and you cannot get a room at the 
 hotels until that formahty has been gone through. 
 I once heard a passenger in a stage-coach say that he 
 would have hked to have gone to the Vienna Exhibi- 
 tion, if only for the pleasvire of seeing his name in the 
 registers of the large hotels. 
 
 But to return to the cave. After traversing another 
 passage we came to the ' Dungeon of Enchantment ; ' a 
 large broad chamber, about a hundred feet in length 
 and sixty in breath, and varying from four to twenty 
 
 H 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 feet in height. Here, irregular rows of bright stal- 
 actites hang down, in every variety of shape, and every 
 tint from snow-white to salmon-pink — in briUiant 
 rehef to the dark arches above, and the black and 
 brown ridges on either side. Some of the groups of 
 stalactites are most beautiful, and vary in size from 
 fine needle-hke pendants to miniature pine trees, grow- 
 ing head downwards, and thus adapting themselves 
 to circumstances with an amiabihty hardly to be 
 expected from such hard-looking creatures. Pre- 
 sently we come to ' Lot's Wife ; ' and if the stalag- 
 mite at all resembles her, the poor petrified lady must 
 have been a dwarf, and of a very peculiar shape, as its 
 altitude is only about four feet and its circumference 
 
 three. 
 
 Passing on, over what is apparently an ice-covered 
 fioor, we look down into an immense abyss whose sides 
 are covered with icicles and transparent moss. Entering 
 another chamber, with formations in the roof hke 
 streams of water turned to ice, we pass a beautiful 
 bell-shaped bower, and emerge into the most magnifi- 
 cent chamber of all, called ' the Holy of Holies.' This 
 room is completely draped with the most wonderful 
 alabaster sterites, of a Hght creamy pink. Brilhant 
 stone icicles, coral, moss, and what look like fleeces of 
 fine wool covered with petrified dew, adorn the walls. 
 On one side stands a most magnificent pulpit, dome- 
 
VIRGINIA CITY TO STOCKTON. 99 
 
 shaped at the top, and covered with undulating folds, 
 arranged with wonderM grace and seemicgly carved 
 out of alabaster. When brilliantly illuminated with 
 coloiu'ed hghts the scene is grand and most imposing. 
 Our Aladdin's cave seems then a stern reality, vmtil 
 Abanazar, in the shape of the custodian, knocks loudly 
 at the entrance and intimates that our time is up and 
 that another party of sight-seers wishes to inspect the 
 wonderfiil grotto. 
 
 As it seldom rains in California from March to 
 November, you may imagine the parched dried-up 
 appearance of the coimtry by about August. It is 
 difficult to understand where cattle and sheep find 
 sufficient food to keep them alive. Very little verdure 
 is to be seen until we approach the Sacramento river, 
 which we cross before reaching the State capital, and 
 which, from the colour of its water, looks as if it were 
 hquid mud. The Capitol building is the grand feature 
 of Sacramento, and is a very conspicuous landmark. 
 In appearance, it somewhat resembles the magnificent 
 structure at Washington, but on a very diminutive 
 scale, and might in fact be taken for a junior member 
 of the same house. The city may be very remarkable, 
 but I was not particularly struck with it, and the 
 intense heat drove me away sooner than I had intended. 
 The mosquitoes, too, warned me that I was in the 
 ' Mammoth ' State, and from their size I began to think 
 
 h3 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 there was some truth in the story they tell of a 
 band of these terrible insects having once attacked and 
 killed a mule ; and when they had eaten all the flesh 
 several of the largest were seen sitting on the carcase 
 picking their teeth with the ribs. 
 
 After leaving Sacramento, that terrible nuisance 
 on the trains, the youth who sells books, fruit, &c. 
 seemed to become more annoying than ever, I sup- 
 pose because the weather was so hot. This dreadful 
 bore on all American trains begins his persecutions 
 and proceeds on his rounds as soon as the train 
 starts. He first offers books, new and second-hand; 
 if you say you do not want any, he at once throws 
 two or three into your lap or down by your side, 
 and begs you just to look at them. On his return 
 from his journey through the cars, he sweeps them 
 up again with an injured air, if you still do not want 
 one. He then leaves you, but only to return in a few 
 minutes with decayed pears, pea-nuts, apples, and 
 peaches. Wlien that round is completed you he down 
 perhaps in a corner for a doze, when suddenly his shrill 
 voice yells in your ear, ' Figs, cigars, and chewing 
 candy.' Indignantly you return to your seat, only 
 to find he has made a stall of it by piling up his books 
 and depositing his basket of pea-nuts in it. If you 
 go to the smoking carriage for a quiet smoke, you 
 encounter this young pedlar in all his glory, as the 
 
VIRGINIA CITY TO STOCKTON. loi 
 
 smoking-car is the stronghold where he keeps his 
 supplies, in sundry large chests, and where he can 
 enjoy passages of arms and wordy warfare with the 
 breakmen and rowdies of all sorts, who generally 
 occupy the second-class cars. I have often wondered 
 how people who cannot afford the high fares of first- 
 class and Pullman cars get through the long journey 
 from New York to San Francisco, or vice versd. 
 
 The second-class are the smoking-carriages ; they 
 are without carpets, the seats often without cushions, and 
 not a place for a sick man or child to he down, day 
 or night, and no room for change of position. Crowded 
 indiscriminately with whites, blacks, and Chinese, 
 people of cultivated minds and habits have to herd 
 with the vulgar and low mannered, and the joiurney 
 altogether must be as near an approach to a seven 
 days' purgatory as is possible. 
 
 The name of the ' Golden State ' is very appropriate 
 to California : everything is golden — the light, the 
 landscape, and the soil. The currency is in gold also, 
 which is anything but pleasant. Paper-money for 
 travellers has many advantages over coin, in being more 
 easily carried, and affording fewer opportunities for 
 robbery. Besides, with gold the loss is very great. 
 
 In the East, for an English note say of twenty pounds, 
 you "wdll receive nearly one hundred and twenty dollars 
 in green-backs ; in Cahfornia, you will not receive for 
 
102 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 it one liundred dollars in gold. And yet prices are 
 just the same. It is very well to say you receive 
 more value for your money, but you do not in fact ; 
 at all events, travellers do not. You pay the same 
 number of dollars per day at the hotels in the West as 
 in the East, and a dollar is a dollar in both places, 
 no more and no less. Eetail traders, and hotel and 
 bar keepers are the people who chiefly gain by it — and 
 their gains must be enormous. 
 
 It has appeared to me that throughout America the 
 high rate of wages is merely nominal. As wages rise 
 so do prices. The price of clothing in America is so 
 high that persons accustomed to European prices 
 would hardly beheve what the cost of a coat or a 
 pair of boots is. Yet if the Irish bog-trotter hears 
 that he can get two dollars a day for his work in 
 America, off he rushes to receive his high wages, 
 without the slightest consideration of the still far 
 higher price he will have to pay for his daily neces- 
 saries. No wonder the duty on imported articles of 
 clothing is so enormous in America, for if it were not, 
 I think everything would be obtained from Europe. 
 As it is, smugghng has obtained quite a prominent place 
 amongst the arts practised in the East. 
 
 But here we are at Stockton, which is my starting- 
 point for the Big Trees of Calaveras and the celebrated 
 Yosemite Valley. 
 
Ln^ J ]IT.,M- .M..,l... „1 tl.c Forost. 
 
 1'. 111. 
 
STOCKTON TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 103 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 STOCKTON TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 Stockton — Dust — Gophers — Quails — Stflging — Tarantulas — Hydraulic 
 mining — Mammoth trees — A curious flower — A theory — ^Table Moun- 
 tain — Deserted villages — Chinese camp — Wine — The Siamese twins — 
 Manzanita — The summit. 
 
 I SHALL always look back on my visit to Stockton — the 
 City of Windmills — with a pleasant remembrance of its 
 beautiful gardens. All sweet-scented flowers seemed 
 to grow there, and with a greater luxuriance than I had 
 seen anywhere else. 
 
 Some of the gardens were a httle unkempt and over- 
 luxuriant, like gardens to which the hired man comes 
 once a week only, or tends in the intervals of knife- 
 cleaning and boot-blacking ; but the houses were covered 
 with roses, myrtles, and honeysuckles, which climbed to 
 the very roofs, and every window "was set in a frame 
 of heliotrope and jessamine. The borders were all filled 
 with Old World flowers, and numbers of our hot-house 
 plants grew there as trees and bushes. 
 
 Stockton is neither a pretty nor a well- situated town, 
 as it is on the borders of the tule-lands which are formed 
 
104 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 by the overflow of the San Joaquin and Sacramento 
 rivers. Numbers of httle channels, with long wooden 
 bridges over them, run in all directions, at least, they 
 run when there is any water in them, which is seldom. 
 Tlie outsldrts of the town seem to be entirely under 
 water, as the main channel winds all round them. 
 There is, however, one beautiful view, that of Mount 
 Diablo ; miles away, but standing out boldly across the 
 flat country, and the spectacle at sunset is worth a 
 visit to Stockton to see. 
 
 I had the good fortune to meet there two American 
 gentlemen — one of whom was an ex-colonel of the 
 United States army — who kindly asked me to join 
 them in their expedition to the Big Trees and the 
 Valley. I gladly accepted their invitation, and most 
 dehghtful and agreeable companions I found them. 
 The Colonel was just as enthusiastic and as determined 
 to see everything that was to be seen as he could have 
 been when twenty years younger, and he had a fund 
 of quiet humour, which entertained us as much as his 
 knowledge of botany and other subjects instructed us. 
 
 A branch hne of the railway took us to Milton, a 
 small station about thnty miles from Stockton, and 
 thenceforth our journey was by stage-coach. If you 
 are so unfortunate as to be unable to obtain a box 
 seat, staging in this part of the world is simply agony. 
 From the moment you get on the coach till the time 
 
STOCKTON TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 105 
 
 you get off, you are in one perpetual cloud of thick 
 yellow dust. Dust-coats, veils, &c. are useless, although 
 you must wear them. Every halting-place has its 
 supply of basins of water, and innumerable brushes to 
 assist you in getting rid of some of the dust. But in 
 less than two minutes after you start again, eyes, hair, 
 mouth, ears, and clothes are once more filled with the 
 penetrating sand, and you become irritable to a degree 
 if you think about it and try to keep clean. It is 
 better, therefore, to bear it stoically, and to become 
 as begrimed and dirty as you possibly can at your 
 earliest convenience. Our thii'ty miles' journey to 
 Murphy's, where we were to remain for the night, 
 was through a country, yellow of course, parched, and 
 vpithout much variety of scenery, but alive with 
 squirrels and gophers. These pests to the farmers 
 increase every year, and do almost as much damage to 
 the crops as a flight of locusts. For every one that a 
 farmer may destroy on his land, ten survive to avenge 
 his death. Individual efforts to exterminate them have 
 hitherto been ineffectual, and to get rid of them entirely, 
 some general system will be necessary, which must be 
 carried out fully and thoroughly, so as to leave no 
 corner in which the enemy, once routed, can take refuge 
 and recuperate. A gopher is like a small mole, and 
 is even more destructive than a squirrel. 
 
 We saw many of the beautiful Californian quails, 
 
io6 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 dusting themselves in the road, and looking so ' game ' 
 with their erect feathery top-knots. These, and the 
 black-and-white woodpeckers and small doves, are the 
 principal birds found in these regions, and they make 
 up by their numbers for the scarcity of other varieties. 
 The only animals we saw were jackass-rabbits — thin 
 gaimt-looking animals, with enormous ears, from 
 which, I suppose, they derive their name. 
 
 Stage-driving in Cahfornia is widely different from 
 staging in other parts of the world. The drivers, as a 
 rule, are quaint, clever, companiable men, and splendid 
 whips. At iirst, the break-neck speed at which they 
 always drive down-hill is rather appalling, but you 
 soon get accustomed to it. To find yourself whirhng 
 down a very steep hill, along a narrow road, round 
 sharp corners with a steep precipice on one side, and as 
 fast as four and sometimes six horses can go, is so 
 novel a sensation, so exciting, and so opposed to the 
 usual steady down-hill sort of pace, that you cannot 
 help cheering on the horses, in spite of a very probable 
 upset on the brow of an almost perpendicular rock 
 several hundred feet in height. The horses, too, seem 
 to enjoy it, and I must say I attribute the absence of 
 accidents as much to their knowingness and sure-footed- 
 ness as to the certainly brilhant attainments of the 
 ' knights of the whip.' Generally, each driver has some 
 specialty of his own — for instance, one is well up in 
 
STOCKTON TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 107 
 
 botany ; another knows sometliing of natural history ; 
 and I remember one who knew the height of every 
 mountain we saw, the length of every bridge we crossed, 
 and the number of inhabitants in each village we passed 
 through. His successor afterwards informed me, that 
 he was of so statistical a turn that he had counted the 
 hairs on his children's heads and pasted the number in 
 their hats ; but I am inchned to think that must have 
 been an exaggeration. 
 
 Murphy's Camp is a quiet httle mining town. 
 Perhaps we found it quiet because we happened not to 
 be there on a Saturday night, which is anything but a 
 quiet night at most mining towns. It is then that the 
 ' poor but honest miner ' spends his week's earnings in 
 liquor, and the village whisky- shops and bars are the 
 scenes of one long round of general dissipation. 
 Murphy's is a great place for tarantulas' nests ; indeed, 
 the chief business of the little village consists in the 
 sale of these curiosities. The nest is composed of a 
 house of clay, rough outside but polished in the in- 
 terior, and having a little clay door swinging on a 
 perfect hinge. If you look at this door carefully on 
 the inside you will see two very small holes, and into 
 these the tarantula, when at home, and an intruder 
 wishes to open the door, sticks two of his hind legs, hold- 
 ing on at the same time to the other end of his room 
 with his fore legs ; by which means he makes it im- 
 
io8 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 possible to gain access to liim. Sometimes you are asked 
 to buy a nest with, the huge spider inside, but that is an 
 advantage I should advise no one to avail himself of. 
 
 Mining is carried on to the very back door of the 
 hotel, and by this time, I have no doubt, underneath it. 
 We had there a good opportunity of seeing hydrauhc 
 mining, which is, I think, the most interesting kind of 
 mining. For this sort of work, the water is brought 
 down from a river or stream, in narrow ditches dug 
 around the sides of the hills. In some places, where 
 water is scarce, ditches have been made extending for 
 more than seventy miles. From these ditches the 
 water is conducted through a long narrow trough of 
 wood, called a ' flume,' stretching out over the ' claim ' 
 or tract which is to be worked. A hose, with 
 nozzle, is attached to it, from which the water flows 
 in a continual stream, and is directed by the 
 miners against the hill-side. By this action the soft 
 dirt is washed away from the gravel, and, forming 
 one liqmd mass, is carried through a ' tail-race ' into 
 long ' flumes.' Within these ' flumes ' are placed 
 ' riflles ' — httle steps, as it were, attached to the bottom 
 of the ' flume ' — for arresting the gold, which, on 
 account of its own weight, sinks to the bottom, and thus 
 is caught. When these 'riflles' are supposed to be 
 full the water is turned off and the dirt is taken out. 
 The next process is using the ' long-torn,' which is 
 
STOCKTON TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 109 
 
 a box of sheet -iron with a duplicate perforated bottom, 
 extending diagonally over a little more than half the 
 box. Under it, in pockets, is placed the quicksilver ; 
 the ' loug-tom ' is then attached to a sluice-way and 
 the water turned through it — the dirt being taken from 
 the ' riffles ' and shovelled upon this perforated plate, 
 when the particles of gold fall through and unite their 
 atoms with the quicksilver. The amalgam is then re- 
 moved, placed in a retort and heated, when the quick- 
 silver being sublimed passes away in vapour, leaving 
 the gold. The economy of human labour effected by 
 the hydraulic method of mining is very great ; but it is 
 immensely expensive where long ditches and flumes 
 have to be built ; and besides, with every precaution, 
 much of the gold is carried away. The whole tract of 
 the mining-land at Murphy's, as at most other places 
 where the hydrauhc method is used, was doubtless once 
 the channel of a large mountain stream, which piled up 
 the great beds within which are found the fine particles 
 of gold, worn away from the great quartz mountains 
 by the action of the water. It is extraordinary what 
 this constant flow of water has done in so short a 
 time. The soil has been wasted clean away from the 
 underlying rock, which presents a most jagged and 
 strange appearance ; the denuded rocks standing up 
 in enormous fangs and reefs, resembhng the gnarled and 
 twisted stumps of old oak trees. 
 
no WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 The drive from Murphy's to the Big Trees, a dis- 
 tance of sixteen miles, was all up-hUl, consequently very 
 tedious, and the dust was worse than on the preceding 
 day. The road winds up a narrow gorge by the side 
 of a picturesque stream, and groves of oaks and pines 
 give a pleasant shade from the hot rays of the sun. 
 
 The grounds of the hotel are entered by a road 
 between two splendid specimens of the Sequoias, or 
 Big Trees, and are called ' The Sentinels.' The Mam- 
 moth Tree Grove of Calaveras is situated nearly 4,500 
 feet above the sea-level, and consists of about one 
 hundred of tlie Big Trees, a species now known as the 
 ' Sequoia gigantea.' The valley and ridges are heavily 
 timbered with spruce, fir, sugar pine, and cedar trees — 
 the latter much resembling the Sequoias. 
 
 "We first paid our respects to the ' Mammoth Tree 
 Stump,' on which a pavihon has been built, and where 
 church-service was performed on the Sunday we were 
 there. This tree was cut down several years ago, and 
 it took twenty-three days to accomphsh the sacrile- 
 gious act. The sohd wood of this stump, which is per- 
 fectly smooth, and sound, and stands about six feet from 
 the ground, measures thirty-one feet across. Just 
 imagine the stump of a tree over ten yards in diameter ! 
 
 Botanists say that each concentric circle is the growth 
 of one year ; and as nearly three thousand of these 
 circles can be counted in this stump, there is little doubt 
 
STOCKTON TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. in 
 
 tlaat the age of the Big Trees in this grove is nearly 
 three thousand years. ' This,' says the ' Gardener's 
 Calendar,' ' may very well be true, if the tree does not 
 grow above two inches in diameter in twenty years, 
 which we believe to be the fact.' 
 
 In my humble opinion the grov/th of these trees is 
 at least four inches in diameter in twenty years, and 
 I base it upon the appearance of the bark, which 
 gives the idea of extremely rapid growth ; also from 
 the fact that several of the plates inscribed with the 
 names of these trees, and which had been firmly nailed 
 on the trunks, have, after a comparatively short period, 
 been burst open and dislodged by the growth of the 
 bark. 
 
 A short walk brought us into the heart of the grove ; 
 and there, hke stately guardians of their smaller 
 brethren — such as enormous sugar pines and lordly 
 cedars — towered high above them these majestic 
 monuments of the solemn silent ages. Nearly the 
 whole of the trees have been injured by the desola- 
 ting fires which have swept over the forests at different 
 periods, and most of them have been deformed by the 
 wind-storms which at certain . seasons traverse these 
 hills and valleys with irresistible fury. The ' Mother of 
 the Forest ' presents a very melancholy appearance, as 
 she was flayed alive some years ago. The bark on an 
 average was about twelve inches thick, though in some 
 
112 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 places it was over two feet. It was stripped off to a 
 height of about 120 feet, and sent to England, where, 
 at the great fire at the Crystal Palace, it was buriit. ' Of 
 course the poor 'Mother ' died when she lost. her skin, 
 but that did not matter to those who profited by the 
 sale of it. 
 
 The ' Father of the Forest ' hes prostrate, and is 
 half-buried in the soil. This tree measures 112 feet in 
 circumference at the roots. It is 200 feet 'to the 
 first branch. The whole of it is hollow, and' you 
 can walk through it erect. It is estimated that when 
 s^taiiding the tree could not have been less than 440 
 feet in height. At 300 feet from the roots it was 
 broken off by striking against another large tree in its 
 fall, and at that height it is twenty feet in diameter. 
 Near its base is a spring of clear cold water. Ladders 
 are. placed against some of the fine old prostrate. trees, 
 by which means you can mount the trunk and walk 
 along by a good path to the top branches— a grand 
 trunk road, in fact. One fallen tree you_ can ride 
 through on horseback for a considerable distance. 
 
 The height and circumference of a few of the 
 largest of these wonderful trees, as far as I have been 
 able to ascertain them, are as follows : — 
 
 Name Height Ciroum. 
 
 Mother of the Forest . . .325 feet 65 feet 
 
 Father of the Forest (estimated) 440 „ 115 „ 
 
 Empire State ... . .330 „ 90 „ 
 
STOCKTON TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 113 
 
 Kame 
 
 Height 
 
 Circum. 
 
 The Mammoth Tree . 
 
 . 310 feet 
 
 102 feet 
 
 Pride of the Forest 
 
 . . 280 „ 
 
 65 „ 
 
 The Two Sentinels . 
 
 . . 315 „ 
 
 70 & 66 „ 
 
 Uncle Tom's Cabin 
 
 . . 310 „ 
 
 95 „ 
 
 The Burnt Tree . 
 
 . . 340 „ 
 
 100 „ 
 
 We rode out one day to the South Grove, which has 
 only lately been made accessible by tract. It is the 
 largest and finest grove of Sequoias yet discovered in 
 California, and contains about fourteen hundred Big 
 Trees, some of which are much larger than any we had 
 before seen. Sixteen horsemen may congregate in one 
 of them, and through the prostrate trunk of another a 
 large stage-coach crowded with passengers might be 
 driven for a distance of 200 feet. If ever you wish to 
 feel yourself a pigmy, go and stand at the feet of these 
 giants, or lie on your back and look up at their vast 
 lofty canopies. 
 
 The ' Sequoia gigantea ' belongs to the same family 
 as the Eed Wood, of which magnificent specimens are 
 constantly seen in California. The wood is red hke the 
 cedar ; much harder than that of the Sequoia, and 
 the shape of the tree is more symmetrical. Indeed, but 
 few of the big trees are symmetrical in their outhnes ; 
 they have battled too long with the storms of centuries 
 to preserve a graceful appearance. The enormous 
 weight which each tree carries makes it more difiioult 
 for it to bear the force of the gales, as it overtops other 
 forest trees and receives no shelter. Its leaf is very 
 
 I 
 
114 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 like that of the cedar. The cone is small and insigni- 
 ficant, and the wood is wonderfully light, almost like 
 cork. The bark is also very light, porous, and reddfsh 
 in colour. 
 
 In the North Grove we found some very curious 
 plants, called by the natives ' snow-plants,' from their 
 springing up in great profiision when snow is on the 
 ground. There was no snow when we were there, but 
 we found several of these plants. The flower is blood- 
 red ; it is of a flesh-like substance, and in growth 
 much resembles a hyacinth. Its stems are clustered, 
 from five to ten inches high, with long erect scales. 
 
 We gathered several specimens, but could not pre- 
 serve the wonderful red colour. The flower when 
 plucked turned black. That, however, did not prevent 
 the Colonel from carrpng away several large bottles in 
 which he had placed the flowers for preservation. But 
 these, together with a quantity of the enormous cone^ 
 from the sugar pines, and several blocks of petrified 
 wood and pieces of bark fi-om the Big Trees, formed an 
 amount of extra luggage that was so strongly objected 
 to by our Jehu, that most of it, on our return fi:'om the 
 grove, was perforce left at Murphy's, where most hkely 
 it was afterwards disposed of to stray travellers at ex- 
 orbitant prices. 
 
 Our drive back to Murphy's was much pleasanter 
 Ihan the ascenthad been ; and as we each had our own 
 
STOCKTON TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 115 
 
 theory about the Big Trees, the discussion was very ani- 
 mated, I was looked upon as a heathen, because my 
 idea was that each tree had been originally two or three 
 trees growing near to each other, the stems of which, as 
 they grew, had gradually approached until they touched; 
 the quick-growing spongy bark then uniting, and 
 thus in time forming one tree. The concentric circles 
 to be seen in the trunks of the cut-down trees had in 
 some degree confirmed me in my idea. Besides, the 
 trees are hardly ever single, but are divided, at different 
 heights from the ground, into two and often three 
 distinct stems, which look as if they yet might unite 
 entirely. 
 
 My hypothesis was well laughed at, but I intend to 
 hold to it until I hear of more likely conditions for the 
 production of these forest monsters. The isolation of 
 the Sequoia is almost as remarkable as its size. A belt 
 of them runs along the slopes of the Sierras, and near 
 VisaUa there is a group of them, but there are very few 
 other places where they are known. 
 
 In China I once saw a tree called the ' Glyptostro- 
 bus,' and in Japan one of the same kind called the 
 ' Gingko ; ' both were of the Eed Wood species, and 
 were looked upon there as of extraordinary size. But 
 they were not to be compared to the Big Trees of 
 California ; and though they were classed as specimens 
 of the ' Sequoia gigantea ' they had not much more 
 
 i2 
 
ii6 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 right to that distinction than a mushroom has — ^at least, 
 not when put into competition with the trees of the 
 Mammoth Grove of Calaveras. 
 
 From Murphy's our road ran for the most part 
 through old mining districts, abandoned now, but sug- 
 gestive of all the struggles, sorrows, and passions to 
 which flesh is heir. I do not know which looked the 
 more desolate, the worked-out diggings or the closed 
 and ruined houses of the mining villages. 
 
 We crossed the ' Stanislaus,' and there saw one of 
 the most interesting features of scenery on the journey. 
 This was ' Table Mountain,' a long level ridge of sohdi- 
 fied lava. 
 
 Ages ago a vast stream of lava must have poured 
 down from the mountains beyond the Big Trees of 
 Calaveras, and after flowing some forty miles, harden- 
 ing in its course, at last stopped altogether. It must 
 have run between mountains and have followed pro- 
 bably the channel of some river. The mountains 
 which formed walls for this enormous stream of lava 
 being of slate, have gradually wasted away, and now 
 nothing remains but this flat smooth mountain of hard 
 basaltic lava, upon which thousands of centuries have 
 hardly made a furrow. The surrounding country has 
 been nearly washed away, and all round, as well as 
 beneath Table Mountain, the miners have been very 
 busy. In some cases, the profits have been very 
 
STOCKTON TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY 117 
 
 large, but, as usual, more, on the whole, has been put 
 into the mountain than has been taken out of it. 
 
 Passing through Sonora — a quiet shady little vil- 
 lage — we traversed the melancholy deserted mining 
 district. Here and there might be seen a persevering 
 Chinaman, pensively shaking his rocker, and gleaning 
 what he could from what had already been sifted over 
 and over again. Soon after, we arrived at Chinese 
 Camp, where we purposed remaining the night. Camp 
 seemed the proper name for these almost abandoned 
 mining towns. Destined to exist only so long as the 
 hunt for gold proved profitable, when fortune turned, 
 tents were pitched in fresh places, and these in their 
 turn were deserted, leaving only long streets of empty 
 drinking saloons and gambling heUs as relics of the 
 past. When I think of the hotel at Chinese Camp 
 it brings vividly to my remembrance a terribly hot 
 night, a certain spring-bed with all the springs 
 broken, and the worst food met with during 
 the whole of the journey. I can only hope that the 
 incapable landlord, who was a Pole, and consequently 
 a Count, has ere this closed his hotel and returned to 
 his native land. 
 
 We started very early next morning, so as to be 
 some miles on our way before the dust, which had been 
 partly laid by heavy rain that had fallen in the 
 night, should again rise in clouds on the roads. 
 
ii8 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 We passed, a large vineyard, which the driver told 
 us was the most famous one in those parts. The vine- 
 yard may have been, but I hope it did not produce 
 the most famous wine ; for we tasted of the vintage, 
 and, to say the best of it, found it but indifferent. The 
 owner, however, thought it excellent. 
 
 We crossed the Tuolumne river, rushing along in a 
 tremendous hurry, and again found ourselves in a 
 ravaged and disfigured district. We dined at a little 
 village bearing the suggestive name of Garotte ; and after 
 toihng up steep hills, from which there were magnifi- 
 cent views, we arrived at a small ranch called Hardin's, 
 where we remained for the night. On the following 
 day we drove through the Tuolumne- grove of Big 
 Trees, consisting of about thirty Sequoias, two of 
 which grow from the same root, and unite a few feet 
 above the base. They are called ' The Siamese Twins.' 
 Together, they are about one hundred and fifteen 
 feet in circumference at the ground, consequently 
 about thirty-eight feet in diameter. According to my 
 theory, these two trees will gradually unite and in a 
 century or two become one tree, that is, if they remain 
 undisturbed ; but I beheve the intention is to widen 
 and heighten the present unconnected parts, so that the 
 carriage-drive may pass through the Twins. 
 
 Our road lay through what are in the spring, grassy 
 meadows interspersed among the mountain districts; 
 
STOCKTON TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. ug 
 
 but we saw no signs of vegetation, flocks of sheep 
 having eaten up all the grass and as much as they 
 could of the shrubs. At the dividing ridge of the 
 Tuolumne and Merced rivers, there are beautiful views 
 of the snow-clad peaks of the Sierras ; and timber- 
 covered gorges and ridges stretch away to the distant 
 horizon. We are here 7,000 feet above the level of 
 the ocean. 
 
 Everywhere are seen the red flesh- like arms and 
 limbs of the Manzanita — a wood which takes a most 
 brilliant polish — enormous sugar pines, oaks of difierent 
 kinds, and the chaparral, forming a thorny, impervious 
 shrubbery, which at certain seasons has a very unplea- 
 sant smell. Singular groups of granite rocks are now 
 passed, many of them most quaint and picturesque 
 in form, and" therefore, probably, named after objects 
 which they least resemble. 
 
 At this point, the fresh track of a large bear caused 
 us some excitement. But Bruin was too shy to show 
 himself; and by the time we had recovered from our 
 disappointment at not seeing him we had arrived at 
 the summit, where we mounted our ponies to descend 
 into the Yosemite Valley. 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 The descent— A patient steed— The valley— The hotel— A philosopher- 
 Riding astride— The Yosemite Falls— Mirror Lake— A legend— Bridal 
 Veil Fall— Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome— The Nevada and Vernal 
 Falls— A rapid- The Cosmopolitan — Improvements— Impressions^ 
 Digger Indians — Departure. 
 
 The descent of the mountain is very gradual as far as 
 Prospect Point ; a rocky promontory from which, the 
 Merced river is seen, winding its way under steep chffs 
 and through rocky canons as it rushes, cold and 
 sparkhng, from its snowy home among the Sierras. 
 Nearly opposite to us, and beyond a thread-like water- 
 fall of about 800 feet, is ' Inspiration Px)int.' This 
 Point is passed when entering the Valley by the 
 Mariposa route. We were to visit it later, as the view 
 from it, looking up through the canon and into the 
 Valley, was said to be inexpressibly grand. 
 
 Here the descent really begins, and certainly one 
 or two places are ' real steep.' But the animals knew 
 every inch of the trail, and were as sure-footed as goats. 
 Mine happened to be a mule, which oiu- guide informed 
 me was a strong patient animal. I had very Httle 
 
GENERAL VIEW OF THE VALLEY. FROM PROSPECT POINT P. 120. 
 
THE YOS EMITS VALLEY. 
 
 opportunity to test the former quality, as the latter was 
 so marked that after the first half-hour nothing would 
 induce the brute to move, and I at last reluctantly 
 dismounted and left the obtuse animal patiently stand- 
 ing and looking over a precipice, several hundred feet 
 deep, at the view below. I never heard of the arrival 
 of that mide at the hotel ; but I suppose it did eventu- 
 ally succeed in reaching it, or I should on leaving have 
 seen in my bill, amongst other items, ' To one mule 
 lost,' so much. 
 
 The pack-mule did not make his appearance till 
 some time after we had arrived, and might just as well 
 have picked up his patient brother and brought him 
 on with him. 
 
 After about an hour and a half, slowly but surely 
 descending, we arrived at Mecca — i.e. we found our- 
 selves at the end of our pilgrimage and in the Yose- 
 mite Valley. We followed the trail along the right 
 bank of the Merced, a broad rushing river, which 
 gladdens one's heart to hear and to look at, and out of 
 which some wretched-looking Digger Indians were then 
 taking trout. After a ride (or rather walk in my case) 
 of about a mile, we found, at a spot where the trail 
 widens into a road, a carriage waiting, which was to 
 take us to Hutchings's Hotel. 
 
 I must here attempt to give a general idea of the 
 
 Valley. 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Its length is a little over six miles. Its breadth varies 
 from half a mile to a mile and a half, and its sides rise 
 up almost perpendicularly ; sometimes quite so. Its area 
 is nearly flat, and sunken about a mile below the general 
 level of the mountain region around it. 
 
 Its principal features, and those which make it so 
 diflferent from other valleys, are the altitude and verti- 
 cahty of its walls, the absence of broken rock and 
 debris at the base of the cliffs, the great height of the 
 waterfalls, and the variety and beauty of the flowers 
 that bloom there as in a vast garden. 
 
 On our way to the hotel we drove by many grand 
 points of interest. The length of time it took to reach 
 and pass some of the more prominent of the mountain- 
 walls is a proof of their unreahsed altitudes. 
 
 Large pines and shady oaks grew along the road, 
 and perpendicular chffs rose on either side, between 
 3,000 and 4,000 feet in height. 
 
 We slowly approached the naked granite wall 
 called ' El Capitan,' whose white broad brow and bold 
 form make it, as its name indicates, the Great Chief 
 of the Valley. There is no slope to ' El Capitan,' 
 its massive sides are destitute of vegetation, and its 
 aspect is more majestic and grand than words can 
 describe. 
 
 Opposite the ' Chief,' and across the Valley, is the 
 beautiful waterfall named Pahono— Bridal Veil Fall— 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 123 
 
 whicli leaps a distance of 940 feet before it touches the 
 rocks. 
 
 Then come in sight ' Pom-pom-pa-sus ' — mountains 
 playing leap-frog — and a glimpse is caught of the 
 ' Yosemite Fall,' the huge ' North Dome,' ' Clouds Eest,' 
 and other magnificent sights — all to be closely inspected 
 later — and after twice crossing the river the hotel is 
 reached. 
 
 The hotel and its surrounding cottages are decidedly 
 light airy buildings. Too strong a gale might blow 
 them away. 
 
 The partitions of the bedrooms are of cotton cloth, 
 and the doors are sheets, consequently, conversations 
 conducted under these circumstances have to be discreet. 
 
 Mr. Hutchings himself is a poet, author, and philo- 
 sopher ; presumably, therefore, extremely ill-suited for 
 the post -of hotel-keeper, an employment requiring 
 more practical qualifications. 
 
 Crowds of tourists— you may call yourself a 
 traveller, but on this expedition you will have to own 
 yourself a tomist — all bent on different excursions, and 
 all looking for the distracted proprietor, would turn the 
 brain of the most matter-of-fact and most experienced 
 host. But when Mr. Hutchings is up in the clouds, 
 and dreaming of nature and her grandeur, he smilingly 
 and thoughtfully assents to whatever you may have to 
 say, and the next moment forgets all about you and your 
 
124 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 pleadings, and philosophically returns to the contem- 
 plation of the magnitude of his waterfalls. But Mr. 
 Hutchings' good nature and desire to please, make 
 ample amends for any little discomforts ; and if you can 
 only find him— that's the difficulty — when you want 
 any help or information, and stick to him when found, 
 you are sure to obtain all you wish. 
 
 On our first expedition in the Valley we took a 
 guide with us, but soon found that there was no neces- 
 sity for one, and that there is no difficulty in finding 
 the way about alone. We hired our horses for the 
 day, and were perfectly independent. Unless a great 
 many visitors should happen to be in the Valley, 
 horses are easily obtained, numbers of them being 
 always kept tied up under the trees near the hotel, 
 saddled and bridled, and only waiting to be mounted. 
 Strong-minded ladies here ride astride, and 
 declare that it is easier and more comfortable than 
 the orthodox mode; it certainly is not so graceful. 
 A grim Amazon in a short skirt, thick boots, large 
 hat, and green spectacles, riding astride a horse or a 
 mule, is about as ludicrous— not to say ungainly— 
 an exhibition as you could well contemplate. One of 
 the best ways of enjoying the Yosemite is simply to ride 
 up and down the Valley, under the trees and by the 
 river-side, and to gaze in a state of pleasurable sensation 
 on the new aspects which open freshly upon you, at least, 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 125 
 
 every half-mile. The atmosphere is delicious ; days 
 bright and warm, nights cool and pleasant. Perhaps 
 the sun is sometimes a httle too hot ; but there is 
 nearly always a breeze blowing in from the Pacific. 
 
 The most important of the numerous waterfalls in 
 the Valley is called the Yosemite — which means ' large 
 grizzly bear ' — and it is exactly opposite the hotel. The 
 stream flows over a precipice into the Valley below — 
 a depth of 2,634 feet. The Pall has almost the appear- 
 ance of one grand shoot of water, but it has in reahty 
 three leaps. At the first leap of 1,600 feet it plunges 
 into a vast rocky basin ; gathering strength, it again 
 takes a leap of 434 feet — finally, after another fall of 
 600 feet, plunging into the Valley. There is sufficient 
 water to give a bright foaming sweep to the entire 
 cataract. To my mind, the immense height of the Falls 
 does not make up for their want of breadth, although 
 the breadth of the Yosemite Pall, at the top, is nearly 
 forty feet. Seen from a distance, however, this width 
 dwindles down to apparently four or five feet. For 
 grandeur I think it is not to be compared to Niagara, 
 though many people consider it far superior. The 
 rumble and roar of the Falls are heard at all 
 times, and the sound has a pecuhar double tone — a 
 distinct monotonous boom, broken into at intervals 
 by a loud thundering crash hke the sea and the 
 breaking of the surf on a rocky shore. Our first visit 
 
126 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 was to those falls, to get a closer inspection of their 
 beauties. 
 
 Having crossed the bridge over the main stream, 
 we presently arrived at a most picturesque ford. Oaks, 
 maples, and cottonwood trees, overarched the broad 
 shallow stream, and in the background the lower fall 
 of the Yosemite was descending in a sheet of mist 
 and spray, behind a dark middle distance of firs and 
 pines. As we approached the Falls a change of tempera- 
 ture was perceptible, and a heavy shower of spray soon 
 brought us to a stand-still. When seen from such close 
 quarters they are certainly very grand. Overhanging 
 mountains of sohd granite hemmed us in, huge boulders 
 of sharp, angular rocks lay scattered about, and ferns, 
 flowers, and grasses grew in profusion all around. The 
 great mass of falling water, apparently grown so wide now 
 we were near it, seemed more like a snowy avalanche 
 than a hquid stream ; and we lingered there for some 
 hours', gazing on this wonderful scene of wood and 
 and water, and even then we were loth to leave. But our 
 appetites finally prevailed, and we returned to the hotel 
 for luncheon. 
 
 The rides in the fresh morning were very delightful. 
 My favourite gallop was to Mirror Lake, the ride for 
 a great part of the way being over fresh springy turf. 
 The path takes you to the base of the great North 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 127 
 
 Dome, a mountain of bare granite, which towers up 
 to a height of nearly 4,000 feet. Its sides are perpen- 
 dicular for over 2,000 feet. Colossal arches have been 
 formed in them, doubtless by the falling of sections of 
 rock. 
 
 Crossing a plateau, then following a very rough' 
 rocky trail, you reach a small sheet of clear water with 
 the most picturesque surroundings. On the north 
 and west lie enormous rocks that have been detached 
 from the mountains above ; various kinds of trees 
 and shrubs grow among them and overhang the margin 
 of the lake. On the south-east stands the splendid 
 ' South Dome,' about 4,600 feet above the Valley. 
 Half of this immense mass has fallen, but its strange 
 oval head and majestic appearance make it one of the 
 greatest attractions of the Valley. The great beauty 
 of the Mirror Lake consists in its marvellously clear 
 reflection of the surrounding trees and mountains. The 
 best time to go there is before the sun has appeared 
 above the hills. The calm of the water is then usually 
 undisturbed, and the reflection of the sun rising over 
 the mountains has a very charming effect. 
 
 Around this spot was the traditionary home of the 
 guardian spirit, the valley of the angel Tis-sa-ack, after 
 whom her devoted Indian worshippers have named the 
 majestic mountain called the ' South Dome.' 
 
 I heard the following legend of Tis-sa-ack. It is 
 
128 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 interwoven with the story of El Capitan, or Ta-tock- 
 ak-na-lak. 
 
 ' In the great long-ago the sun-children dwelt in 
 Yo Semite. All was happiness. Ta-tock-ak-na-lak sat 
 on high in his rocky home and cared for his well-loved 
 people. Leaping over the plains, he herded the wild 
 deer that his people might choose the fattest for their 
 feasts. He drove the bears from their caverns, that the 
 braves might hunt. He prayed to the Great Spirit for 
 rain, that the seed in the valley might grow. The 
 smoke of his pipe curled into the air, and through its 
 blue haze the yellow sun shone warm and bright and 
 ripened the crops, that the women might gather them 
 in. When he laughed, the face of the river was rippled 
 with smiles ; when he sighed, the wind swept sadly 
 through the singing pines ; when he spoke, the sound 
 was hke the deep voice of the cataract. His form was 
 straight hke the arrow, and supple like the bow. His 
 foot was swifter than the red deer, and his glance was 
 strong and bright like the rising sun. 
 
 ' One morning, as he roamed, a bright vision came 
 before him, and then the soft colours of the West were in 
 his lustrous eyes. A maiden sat upon the southern dome 
 of granite that raises its bare head above the high peaks. 
 
 ' She was not like the dark maidens of the tribe 
 below, for golden hair rolled over her dazzling form, 
 like golden waters over silver rocks ; her feet shone 
 
THE YO SEMITE VALLEY. 129 
 
 like the snow-tufts on the wintry pines, and were arched 
 like the spring of a bow. 
 
 ' Two cloud-like wings fluttered on her dimpled 
 shoulders, and her voice was hke the sweet sad tone of 
 the night-bird. " Ta-tock-ak-na-lak " she softly whis- 
 pered ; then, ghding up the steep dome, she vanislied 
 over its rounded top. Keen was the eye, quick was the 
 ear, swift was the foot of the youth as he sped in pur- 
 suit ; but the soft down of her wings was wafted into 
 his eyes and he saw her no more. 
 
 ' Every morning did the love-stricken Ta-tock-ak- 
 na-lak wander over the mountains to meet the beauti- 
 ful Tis-sa-ack. Each day he laid sweet acorns and wild 
 flowers upon her dome. His ear caught her footstep, 
 though it was light as the falling leaf, his eye gazed on 
 her wondrous form and into her gentle eyes, but never 
 did he speak before her, and never again did her sweet- 
 toned voice fall upon his ear. 
 
 ' So strong was his love for the fair maid that he 
 forgot the crops of Yo Semite. Without rain they 
 quickly drooped their heads and shrank. The wind 
 whistled mournfully through the pines, the wild bee 
 stowed no more honey in the hoUow tree, for the 
 flowers had lost their freshness and the green leave^i 
 turned brown. 
 
 ' Ta-tock-ak-na-lak saw not this, for his eyes were 
 dazzled by the shining wings of Tis-sa-ack. She looked 
 
 K 
 
I30 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 with grief over the neglected valley, and kneeling on 
 the smooth hard rock, besought the Great Spirit to 
 bring again bright flowers, grasses, green trees, and 
 waving corn. 
 
 ' With an awful sound the dome of granite opened 
 beneath her feet, and the mountain was riven asunder, 
 whilst the melting snows from the Nevada gushed 
 through the wonderful gorge. Quickly they formed a 
 lake between the perpendicular walls of the cleft moun- 
 tain and sent a sweet murmuring river through the 
 valley. All was then changed. The moisture crept 
 silently through the parched soil ; the flowers sent up a 
 fragrant incense of thanks ; the corn raised its drooping 
 head, and the sap with velvet footfall ran up into the 
 trees, giving Hfe and energy to all. But the maid, for 
 whom the valley had suffered, and through whom it was 
 again clothed with beauty, had disappeared. Yet, that 
 all might hold her memory in their hearts, she left the 
 quiet lake, the winding river, and the half-dome which 
 still bears her name, " Tis-sa-ack," and which every 
 evening catches the last rosy rays that are reflected from 
 the snowy peaks. 
 
 ' When Ta-tock-ak-na-lak knew that she was gone 
 for ever he left his rocky heights and wandered away 
 in search of his lost love. That the Yo Semites might 
 never forget him, he carved with his hunting-knife the 
 outlines of his majestic head upon the face of the rock 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 13! 
 
 that bears his name. There they still remain, and may- 
 be plainly distinguished, guarding the entrance to this 
 much-loved valley.' 
 
 The excursion to the Bridal Veil Fall is a very 
 favourite one with the ladies, and a very delightful ride 
 it is. The trail leads first through groves of white 
 azaleas, which grow to perfection near the river's banks. 
 But after skirting Sentinel rock — a lofty solitary peak, 
 on which the Indians used to light their watch-fires — it 
 passes under the Cathedral rocks, which look like 
 granite church -spires, their rugged sides rising abruptly 
 from base to pinnacle. 
 
 Threading our way over rocks and through streams, 
 we at length arrived at a spot where we were obliged 
 to dismount. We then tied our animals to the trees, 
 and proceeded on foot for the rest of the way — which, 
 fortunately, was but a very short distance. 
 
 The ' Pohono,' or ' Bridal Veil ' Fall, is exceedingly 
 graceful and undulating. The glittering sheets of spray 
 throw a misty drapery over the falling torrent, which is 
 said to receive its waving motion from a strong wind 
 that always blows on the lake which is the soui'ce of the 
 stream. 
 
 Towards evening as the sun sinks in the west a 
 glorious rainbow is formed in the ghstening spray. The 
 effect is magical, and most lovely — only by being 
 
 k2 
 
132 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 seen can the faintest idea be formed of it. The Indians 
 think the stream and its fall are bewitched ; hence 
 its musical name, Pohono, i.e. an evil spirit, whose 
 breath is a blighting and fatal wind. On this 
 account, too, when passing it, they hasten by as fast as 
 they can. 
 
 Nothing would induce them to sleep near it ; but 
 that feeling may arise from their intense dislike to 
 water in any form — at least such is my unpoetical 
 belief. 
 
 We had not been many days in the Valley before 
 we were anxious to ascend to some high peak and look 
 down upon what we had hitherto been looking up to. 
 We started, therefore, early one morning to make a long 
 day's excursion to Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome. 
 
 A steep but well-made trail, winding amongst ferns 
 and flowering shrubs and under the shadows of great 
 rocks, brought us, after a nearly three hours' ride, to 
 the summit of Glacier Point. The view from this 
 Point is the most comprehensive of any, as it 
 embraces the upper waterfalls, rocks, and canons, 
 and the magnificent views of the High Sierras. 
 
 Standing near the edge of the precipice, you look 
 down into the Valley, which lies below at a depth of 
 nearly 4,000 feet. Mirror Lake appears only as a little 
 silver speck, and splendid trees, some of them 200 feet 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 133 
 
 high, look hke the trees in a child's toy farm-yard. 
 The Merced winds along like a silken thread, and the 
 high mountains seem so to narrow the Valley that from 
 some points, you fancy you could almost jump over it. 
 The North Dome, the magnificent Nevada Fall, the Cap 
 of Liberty, the Vernal Fall, and the Yosemite Fall a,re 
 all visible ; but the Great South Dome stands out pre- 
 eminent above them all, and eclipses the lesser wonders 
 , by its commanding appearance and the extraordinary 
 formation of its untrodden summit. 
 
 Half-an-hour's ride brought us to Sentinel Dome, on 
 which there is no vegetation, and from whose barren 
 heights rise up all around, thousands of snow-clad 
 peaks — shining like mountains of silver in the morn- 
 ing sun. The view of the valley itself is nearly the 
 same as that from Glacier Point, but farther off— and 
 to my mind not so impressive. The Coast Eange can 
 be distinctly seen, and the valleys of the Sacramento and 
 the San Joaquin spread themselves out like a garden ; 
 while the great heights — Mount Lyell, Mount Dana, 
 Mount Hoffman, Mount Star King, and others ; aver- 
 aging between 12,000 and 13,000 feet — give a strange 
 Alp-hke appearance to the vast snowy regions in this 
 grand and beautiful panorama. 
 
 We found, on our way back to Glacier Point, several 
 of the curious snow-plants ; but we refrained from 
 gathering them, remembering our experience at the 
 
134 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Big Trees. We also saw a pretty golden cavy, 
 basking in the sun on the rocks. I dismounted 
 and tried to intercept him in his retreat, but he was 
 too quick for me, and I had the pleasure of seeing him 
 disappear through a narrow fissure from which it was 
 useless to attempt to turn him out.* This was the 
 only wild animal we saw during our visit to Yosemite. 
 There were also very few birds in the Valley. It 
 would seem as if they, as well as Indians and wild 
 animals, were afraid of it. 
 
 After another long gaze at the wondrous scene from 
 the Point, and after watching for some time the 
 splendid colouring of El Capitan and hosts of other 
 precipices, some pearly grey, others reddish purple, 
 their tints incessantly varying with the receding light, 
 we retraced our steps, carrying with us the pleasant 
 memory of a grand and never-to-be-forgotten picture, 
 and arriving at our hotel with agonisingly stiff knees, 
 caused by the great strain on them from the extreme 
 steepness of the descent. 
 
 Of all the delightful excursions in the Valley none 
 equal that to the Vernal Fall ; and of all its glorious 
 
 * I do not know what the little animal was doing there, for the cavy 
 is a native of South America— Brazil, I think. I was near enough to see 
 its golden-brown hair. It eat up, too, as the cavies do ; and when it ran 
 off I noticed the absence of tail. There were acorns strewed about also. 
 So altogether 1 think I could not have been mistaken about it, though 
 these animals are not supposed to inhabit the Sierras. 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 135 
 
 scenes I prefer the view of the rapids between the 
 Nevada and Vernal Falls to anything else. 
 
 The trail to these Falls winds up the Merced 
 Caiion and past acres of azaleas — ■ 
 
 ' One boundless blush, one white empurpled shower 
 Of mingled blossoms.' 
 
 Over sparkhng streams, under high granite walls, 
 through green woods, fragrant with all sorts of aro- 
 matic shrubs, and along the side of a swift brawhng 
 river, whose banks are covered with ferns and rare 
 grasses, you are finally led to the Pi-wy-ack, or 
 Vernal Fall. The former name means ' a shower of 
 crystals,' and a more appropriate one could hardly have 
 been chosen. It is a vast shower of sparkhng diamonds. 
 The height of the Fall is about 350 feet; I do 
 not know to whom it owes its EngHsh name. I could 
 see nothing ' vernal ' about it ; and the Indian name is 
 more suitable and infinitely prettier. A vast body of 
 water flows over 1;lie precipice, for the Merced is a 
 broad, deep river, rising high up in the mountains. 
 It makes a descent of over 2,000 feet in two miles, and 
 forms in its course the Nevada and the Vernal Falls. 
 At one side of the Fall, ladders have been raised, by 
 which the perpendicular wall of rock can be ascended, 
 and a short walk then brings you to the Nevada Fall. 
 The spray through which you must pass to reach the 
 Ladders soaks you to the skin almost immediately. 
 
156 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 We therefore put off our ducking until we returned, 
 and, remounting our animals, continued to ascend by a 
 long steep trail. 
 
 The Nevada Fall is superb, and grander than any- 
 other of the Valley Falls, on account of its great volume 
 of water. It differs in shape from the others, having 
 a peculiar twist in the upper part of it ; the whirling 
 motion being caused by a projecting rock at the lip of 
 the Fall. It descends perpendicularly for about three- 
 quarters of its height — 600 feet — then, striking the 
 smooth surface of the rock, it spreads into a magnili- 
 cent sheet of white spray, 200- feet in width. I enjoyed 
 gazing on the wonderful cataract between the two 
 Falls more than anything I had seen. The distance 
 between them is some hundred yards, and the 
 water rushes through a deep narrow gorge — over 
 which a bridge has been built — with a rapidity and 
 noise far greater than the rapids above Niagara. 
 Nothing is to be seen but running foam, as white as 
 snow, amidst which enormous logs are tossed about 
 and hurried along like feathers ; the angry waters in 
 their irresistible force and power having a fascination 
 even more spell-like than the Falls themselves. The 
 Cap of Liberty, a great mass of perpendicular rock, 
 stands boldly out on the north side of the Nevada 
 Fall. It cau be ascended on its western side ; and we 
 were told tliat (he view from the top of the vertical 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 137 
 
 precipice of the Nevada Pall is magnificent ; but we did 
 not make the ascent. 
 
 On our return we sent our horses round by the 
 trail and made the descent of the Vernal Fall by the 
 Ladders. Before descending we reached a natural 
 wall of granite, breast-high, and looking exactly over 
 the FaU. It seemed as if it had been made on 
 purpose to prevent those people who always feel in- 
 clined to throw themselves over, when looking down an 
 abyss, from doing so. At the foot of the Ladders 
 there are beautiful httle grottos, full of all kinds of 
 ferns and mosses. They are kept green and fresh by 
 the perpetual spray from the Fall. After leaving these 
 hanging gardens we found ourselves enveloped in 
 bhnding mist, driven with such force as to resemble a 
 storm of rain. Gasping and blinded, it was difficult to 
 keep to the slippery and narrow path, and in the few 
 minutes occupied in rounding the cliff we became so 
 thoroughly wet through, that we had to hang our- 
 selves out to dry on the rocks for a long half-hour 
 before returning home. 
 
 For full half a mile below the Falls nothing can be 
 seen but torrents of foaming water, and the scene is 
 wild and picturesque in the extreme. One visit to these 
 Falls is sure to lead to others, as there is more variety 
 and charm to be found here than anywhere else in the 
 Valley. For my own part, I j:ecall Pi-wy-ack and 
 
138 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Nevada witli greater satisfaction than any other part 
 of the Yosemite. 
 
 I was pleased to see that a large flat rock, 
 from which a fine view of the Vernal Fall can be ob- 
 tained, was pointed out to us with some pride as Lady 
 Franklin's rock ; that brave lady having visited the 
 Yosemite in her travels, and having often watched 
 tlie descending waters from this her favourite stand- 
 point. 
 
 And all this time I have never mentioned the 
 greatest wonder of the Valley — 'The Cosmopolitan 
 Saloon,' kept by Mr. John Smith ! This gentleman 
 visited the Yosemite about foiu: years ago, and 
 foreseeing a brilhant future in store for it, resolved to 
 anticipate its needs. Consequently, he built a spacious 
 house close to Hutchings's Hotel, and fitted it up with 
 capital hot and cold baths, billiard-tables, a reading 
 and writing room, hair-cutting establishment, and a 
 bar, where he concocts the most refreshing drinks ima- 
 ginable. The undertaking was no light one, as furni- 
 ture, supplies, and the materials for building, with the 
 exception of the rough lumber, had all to be packed 
 on mules and brought into the Valley over a moun- 
 tain-trail of at least ten or twelve miles. But he con- 
 quered all difficulties, and now his bright 'Cosmo- 
 politan ' is the resort of all Yosemite pilgrims, who 
 generally leave the Valley with a feehng that J. Smith 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 139 
 
 has certainly done a very great deal to render their 
 visit most thoroughly enjoyable. 
 
 I shall say no more about picturesque river-scenes, 
 waterfalls, and cliff- views, for I have mentioned what 
 seemed to us the principal sights. Other rides and 
 rambles would be merely a wearisome repetition. 
 But let me sum up, if I can, the general feeling and 
 ideas of our party about the Yosemite Valley. 
 Too much credit cannot be given to Mr. Hutchings for 
 his skill, and the trouble he has taken, in providing capi- 
 tal trails along precipitous moimtain-sides, or for his 
 general superintendence and careful endeavour to make 
 a visit to the Valley even as comfortable as it is. But 
 surely it is time for the Government to take in hand 
 the improvements so sadly needed, now that the Yose- 
 mite has been granted to the State of California as a 
 national park. The Valley itself should be cared for 
 like a garden ; trees and shrubs tended, swamps 
 drained, bridges built, drives made, and grass sown 
 where it is necessary. Irrigation would be simple, and 
 where now there is nothing but marsh, or tracts of dust, 
 there would very soon be flowers and verdure. If a 
 good roomy hotel were built, visitors would remain 
 weeks instead of days, and what is at present a mere 
 scrambling resort would soon become a favourite 
 summer residence. The rights of toUgate-keepers 
 should be bought up ; for although their charges are 
 
140 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 by no means excessive, considering the enormous 
 amount of labour that has been employed in making 
 good paths up the mountain-sides, yet a public park 
 ought to have no tolls, I should imagine. 
 
 I wonder whether others have felt the same vague 
 sense of imprisonment and oppression that was 
 gyaeral with us in the Valley. This feeling drove 
 away some English friends of mine sooner than they 
 had intended to leave. In their Sussex home, they 
 must since have had many a laugh over their Valley 
 sensations, and many a wild dream of domes, waterfalls, 
 and precipices, mixed up with steady steeds, steep 
 trails, and Smith's sherry cobblers. While in the 
 Valley, a longing is felt to get to the top of the moun- 
 tains again and into the world once more. There is a 
 strange weird perception of indefinite vastness, as if the 
 ghostly precipices and solemn Falls had no right to be 
 there ; as if it would occasion no surprise if the waters 
 were to vanish, the rocks to grow higher, and the 
 smooth plain to sink lower and lower till it reached 
 the distant abode of the winged mortals of the 
 ' Coming Eace.' 
 
 There were various opinions as to whether the 
 Valley is seen better from above or from the plain 
 itself. For my part, I infinitely preferred looking up 
 at tlie giant rocks ; they seemed then so much grander, 
 and it was so much easier to appreciate their immense 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 141 
 
 perpendicular heights and their strange fantastic out- 
 lines. However, all were agreed as to the awful gran- 
 deur of the Yosemite, and the stupe'ndousness of the 
 wonders contained in its Valley. But, whilst some 
 thought one visit sufficient for a life time, others would 
 have been glad to return year after year and to linger 
 long by the banks of the swift and sounding Merced. 
 
 As we rode out of the Valley we passed a small 
 encampment of ' Digger ' Indians. These Indians are 
 the aborigines of California, and are perhaps the lowest 
 tribe of the human race. They are probably a branch 
 of the Aztecs. They have very dark skins, high cheek- 
 bones, deep bushy eyebrows, and masses of long 
 straight black hair growing low over their foreheads. 
 The men are short and very small-hmbed, the women 
 a little taller in proportion, and all filthily dirty. They 
 live on roasted acorns and manzanita seed, but their 
 favourite dishes are crickets and roasted grasshoppers. 
 They hardly ever hunt, seldom fish, and never culti- 
 vate the soil. They have no skill in carving orna- 
 ments or images, no war implements, no idols, and no 
 religion. They have a tradition that they descended 
 from animals, and they believe that their progenitor 
 was a coyote, a sort of wolf, and that when the coyote 
 died his body became filled with spirits in the shape of 
 deer, foxes, and squirrels, most of which took wings and 
 flew away. To prevent the depopulation of the earth 
 
142 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 by such a continual flight, the old coyotes determined 
 that the bodies should in future be burned, a custom 
 still kept up by the Diggers. From that time the 
 bodies of the coyotes gradually assumed the form ot 
 man, first walking on all-fours, then acquiring a finger 
 then a toe, and so on. Soon this creature got into the 
 habit of sitting, and wore oS his tail. 
 
 This, to this day, is a subject of great grief to the 
 Digger, who considers a tail an ornament of consider- 
 able beauty, and often adorns himself with one on 
 festive occasions. Thus, the Digger Indian, at all 
 events, is not opposed to the Darwinian theory, and 
 his appearance is certainly conducive to the behef of 
 its correctness. These miserable-looking creatures did 
 not seem out of place in the Valley, any more than their 
 forefathers the wolves would have been. They chat- 
 tered like apes, and waved us a friendly good-bye in a 
 most cheerful manner. We soon lost sight of their 
 httle bough-huts and their beds of leaves, but for 
 some time after we could hear the Diggers laughing 
 and jabbering as we slowly pursued our upward trail. 
 After a few hours' struggle on our spiritless horses and 
 dejected mules, we again reached the summit, and our 
 visit to the glorious Yosemite Valley was ended. 
 
TO SAN FRANCISCO. 143 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 TO SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 Stage jokes — The Golden City — Site — Vegetation — Dust — Over-work — 
 Lone Mountain — Seal Rocks — Mission Dolores — Bits — Bars — Free 
 lunch — Julep — A character — Architecture — Chinese — High wages — 
 Hoodlums — Chinese facetiae — Visit to the bad Chinese quarter — 
 Chinese superstitions and troubles. 
 
 We returned to Stockton by a place called Knight's 
 Ferry, where there were the most magnificent oleanders 
 I had ever seen. For miles away the masses of 
 pink blossom could easily be distinguished, and several 
 gardens were entirely fiUed with large bushes of both 
 the pink and white sorts. 
 
 Our driver informed us that this was the town 
 which was so healthy that when they wanted to ' dedi- 
 cate ' the cemetery a man had to be shot for the 
 purpose. His anecdote, however, did not gain much 
 applause, as we had been told the same story by two 
 other drivers at other places. We therefore set it 
 down as a standing ' stage joke.' We were ready to 
 beUeve many of the stories we heard ; but when the 
 same terrible struggles with grizzly bears and robbers 
 were repeated by successive drivers, each one being the 
 
144 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 hero of the same tale, we began to have doubts of the 
 strict truth of some of the enthralUng events. The 
 stage-drivers doubtless are, as a rule, very intelHgent, 
 and may be rehed on ; but some of them have really 
 such excessive regard for the truth that they use it 
 with almost penurious frugality. 
 
 From Stockton to San Francisco, through the Sacra- 
 mento and San Joaquin Valleys, and over the Coast 
 Eange, is an uninteresting j ourney . We were very glad 
 when we reached Oakland, which is to San Francisco 
 what Brooklyn is to New Tork. Here the train ran 
 oiit into the bay, for a distance of more than two miles, 
 on a substantial pier. We were then transferred to 
 the ferry-boat, which took us three miles across the 
 water to the City of San Francisco. The sudden 
 change from heat to cold was rather severe. A perfect 
 hurricane was blowing in through the Golden Gate. A 
 gentleman informed us, with tears in his eyes — whether 
 from sorrow or from the coldness of the wind I do not 
 know — that it was always- the same in the summer 
 months. The wind in the bay, he said, was nothing 
 to the breeze on shore, and that the consequent dust 
 was the eyesore of ' the Golden City of the West.' 
 
 It was getting dark when we approached San Fran- 
 cisco. Lights twinkled from thousands of houses risingtier 
 above.tier to all sorts of heights and distances ; and with 
 the forest of masts in the foreground the city presented 
 
TO SAN FRANCISCO. 14S 
 
 almost a fac-simile of the view of Genoa when entered 
 from the bay. Fortunately, landing is not the same 
 dreadful business as at the latter place, and we walked 
 on shore from the huge ferry-boats as comfortably as 
 we embarked from the railway-carriages. The hotel- 
 runners, and touters in general were in far too great force 
 to be pleasant ; but as we had already chosen our 
 hotel there was Httle difficulty about our luggage, and 
 the coach speedily deposited us at our destination. 
 San Francisco is all ups and downs, rather annoying for 
 building purposes, perhaps, but giving a wonderfully 
 picturesque appearance to the city. It is a liiuch 
 easier matter to distinguish the hills on which San 
 Francisco is built than it is to make out the Seven Hills 
 of Eome. 
 
 The difficulties of building the town must have 
 been immense. No street could be made without 
 cutting down a hill or filling up a ravine. Half the 
 site was occupied by the shallow waters of the bay, and 
 the other half was composed of sand-hills, destitute of 
 even the scantiest vegetation. Now, the present ever- 
 improving great city stands there a proof of what can 
 be accomplished by perseverance and energy. 
 
 The extraordinary luxuriance of vegetation, wher- 
 ever plenty of water is used, shows the power of the mild 
 and equable chmate. I beheve that if a walking-stick 
 were planted in a patch of sand, and irrigated well, in a 
 
 L 
 
146 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 week or so there would spring forth a crop of young 
 canes. Every garden makes a splendid show of flowers, 
 which bloom perennially. Verbenas and hehotropes 
 become shrubs ; scarlet geraniums form thick hedges, 
 ten and fifteen feet high ; passion-flowers and jessa- 
 mines climb all over the houses ; oleanders and arbu- 
 tilons grow to a height, and blossom in profusion and 
 beauty perfectly amazing. One of the most beautiful 
 shrubs I ever saw, and which on enquiry I was told was 
 the Pittisforum nigrum, a native of New Zealand, is to 
 be seen in every garden, sometimes growing to a height 
 of twenty to thirty feet. It bears a strong resemblance 
 to the ebony-stemmed fern — I do not know the correct 
 name — and has an extremely graceful appearance. 
 Many houses have beautiful lawns, always kept green 
 by a hydrant. From the hydrant a hose is led to a 
 sprinkler, which stands on the lawn, and can be moved 
 from place to place. 
 
 Artesian wells are everywhere ; the windmill stand- 
 ing on the top of a tank from which water is distributed 
 to the house and over the grounds. The garden-hose 
 is kept playing morning, noon, and night, and the result 
 is a most astonishing vegetation. There are no trees 
 lining the streets ; but in the few squares and in the 
 plaza there are various kinds of choice evergreens, as 
 well as cedars, loquats, pepper trees, acacias, and palms. 
 The great objection to San Francisco in the summer 
 
TO SAN FRANCISCO. 147 
 
 months is the strong wind which blows from the Pacific, 
 bringing with it clouds of dust from the sand-hills. It is 
 wonderful that these acres of shifting sand are not r - 
 claimed. Shrubs and plants — such as the beach-plum and 
 yellow lupin — would soon imprison the sand and form a 
 complete barricade against drifts. The western side of 
 the city is at present made desolate by these sands, and 
 many people who would like to live in San Francisco 
 during the summer months leave on account of the sand- 
 storms. Thus this carpeting with verdure would add 
 greatly to the wealth of the city, to say nothing of the 
 increase of comfort. It is the wind wliich modifies the 
 climate, which is said to be the most exhilarating in the 
 world. It is never too hot or too cold for outdoor 
 work or exercise. With a sun as hot as in Southern 
 France, and with the cool Pacific breeze and an air 
 crisp and dry, people work on without relaxation till, 
 abruptly, the vital cord snaps. Men die here most 
 suddenly, without any warning. The temptation to 
 overwork is excessive. There are no useful avocations 
 rendered necessary by a long spell of hot weather, as on 
 the Eastern coast, and a man feels under a constant 
 pressure of excitement. Doctors say there is nowhere 
 so much insanity, in proportion to the population. In 
 time, I suppose, people will learn to adapt their mode 
 of living to the climate and its requirements. 
 
 Summer is considered the severest season; it is 
 
 *2 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 undoubtedly the most unpleasant, on account of the 
 "vvind and dust. It is the fashion for Californians, when 
 away from their country, to say they wear hght 
 clothing in winter and warm wraps in summer. From 
 my own short experience of the climate, I can only say 
 that the winter is very cold, and warm clothing indis- 
 pensable ; fires, too, are often very necessary. In 
 summer, in spite of the wind, hght clothing is essential 
 to comfort, although overcoats may be worn towiards 
 evening. 
 
 Our first drive was to the Cliff House, to see the 
 wonderful ' sea-lions ' and their play-house. We 
 started pretty early, so as to return before ten o'clock, 
 at which hour the wind generally rises. We drove 
 through some fine streets, all having wooden side-walks, 
 and many entirely paved with wood. The houses were 
 gay with flowers, and from the white walls were wafted 
 the delicious odours of the jessamine, honey-suckle, 
 clematis, and myrtle. These gardens looked strangely 
 in contrast with the bare sand-hills between which we 
 continually hurried, and which render the space that 
 separates the town and the ocean most bleak and drear- 
 looking,, 
 
 Our road lay between the cemeteries of Laurel 
 Hill and Lone Moimtain. Peaceful and beautiful 
 spots they are; suitable resting-places, whether for 
 the wealthy, whose names are engraved on the tall 
 
TO SAN FRANCISCO 149 
 
 obelisks and marble monuments raised there to tlieir 
 memory, or for the poor man, whose lowly grave is 
 marked only by the buds and blossoms of the lilies 
 and fuchsias and scarlet geraniums, which loving hands 
 have planted there and carefully tended. 
 
 After a drive along a broad, splendidly kept, and 
 well-watered road — which was very lively with num- 
 bers of celebrated 'fast-trotters,' and is in fact the 
 Eotten Eow of San Francisco — we arrived at the Cliff 
 House. It is built on a bluff overhanging the sea, and 
 has a glorious outlook toward the Farallone Islands 
 and the ' Golden Gate,' of which we had caught occa- 
 sional glimpses on our journey. From the verandah 
 of the hotel we saw the Seal Eocks, only a few hundred 
 yards off, and covered with sea-hons, who filled the 
 air -with their strange ■ dismal roaring. Of all Cah- 
 fornia's ' natural wonders ' these are, I think, the most 
 curious. The huge, grotesque, ungainly creatures 
 crawhng up the steep rocks, taldng magnificent headers 
 into the sea, or lashing the rocks with their finny tails, 
 and eternally bellowing 'Yoi-hoi,' with their deep- 
 mouthed bay ; the thousands of sea-birds — gulls, guil- 
 lemots, pehcans, and cormorants — flying around or 
 perched on the rocks amongst the seals, form a natural 
 curiosity that has a wonderful fascination for spectators, 
 and is all the more astonishing from its close proximity 
 to a large city. Some of these sea-lions are of enor- 
 
ISO WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 mous size, and weigh, we are told, over ten or twelve 
 hundred pounds. The extraordinary thing is, how 
 they manage to climb to the top of almost perpen- 
 dicular rocks ; but they do, and without much apparent 
 difficulty. A siesta on a pinnacle in the hot sun seems 
 the height of enjoyment to them. The sea-birds ap- 
 pear to get on very amicably with them. Now and 
 then when a pehcan settles on the back of one, or 
 approaches too near to his majesty, he will look the 
 bird steadily in the face and then give a roar, which 
 effectually disposes of the intruder ; but, on the whole, 
 they do not quarrel much. 
 
 The law, fortunately, affords the benefit of its pro- 
 tection to the Seal Eocks, and allows nobody to fire 
 a gun in the neighborhood. The creatm-es would 
 otherwise soon be driven away. Already an outcry 
 has been made about their consumption of fish, some 
 people going so far as to declare that there will soon 
 be no supply for the market. If there is a falling off 
 at all, it might much more reasonably be accounted 
 for by the immense and wanton destruction of fish 
 going on at all times and seasons in the bay of San 
 Francisco. 
 
 After breakfast we drove back by the old Mission 
 Dolores, the road for some distance being over the firm 
 sandy beach. Very few rehcs of the early Spanish 
 occupation of the country are now to be found. The 
 
TO SAN FRANCISCO. 151 
 
 old-fasliioned church called Sau Francisco, in honoiu- 
 of the patron saint, St. Francis, yet exists, but the 
 attached monastic buildings are used as stores and 
 saloons. The Franciscan fathers had considerable 
 power over the Indians, who used to congregate at the 
 Mission two or three times a year to enjoy a week's 
 holiday, bringing with them their own cattle and pro- 
 visions — thus making up a sort of tribal picnic. A few 
 of the buildings that were set apart for the natives may 
 stUl be seen ; but most of the mission lands and houses 
 have been destroyed, or taken possession of by strangers. 
 The priests who taught and educated the people are 
 all gone, and have left only a few Spanish MSS. and 
 printed volumes behind them, which, with the old 
 chm'ch, alone serve as remembrances of the devoted 
 hves of the early missionaries. 
 
 Amongst the peculiar ' institutions ' of California 
 that of the ' bit ' is most singular. A ' bit ' is a small 
 coin of the value of ten cents, or five pence. In general 
 use, there is no coin of less value than a ' bit,' though, I 
 beheve, a five-cent-piece is now and then met with. A 
 quarter-dollar is called two 'bits,' a half-dollar four 
 'bits,' and there is no copper currency. The system 
 is absurd, and ought to be stopped at once. A 
 quarter-doUar, or shilling, is, or rather ought to be, 
 twenty five cents ; but if you purchase anything the price 
 of which is one ' bit,' and ofier a quarter-dollar in pay- 
 
IS2 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 ment, for change you will receive back only one ' bit,' the 
 seller always getting the best of tlie exchange. If you 
 buy anything for two ' bits,' and pay for it with two ten- 
 cent-pieces instead of a quarter- dollar, you are looked 
 upon as ' very mean,' and sometimes they are actually re- 
 fused. The loss on every retail pm-chase is twenty-five 
 per cent. ; but the dealers, who of course buy in quantities) 
 do not lose. The price of a cigar, a newspaper, a glass 
 of beer, or having yoiu' boots cleaned, &c., is a ' bit,' or 
 has a ' bit' imported into it for the sake of the exchange. 
 As at every other place in America, drinking-bars 
 may be counted by the hundred at San Francisco. But 
 there they are frequently fitted up in the most gorgeous 
 style, and often very artistically. The wood of the beau- 
 tiful CaHfornia lam-el is that most frequently used for the 
 purpose. In some cases the entire room is fitted up with 
 it, and the appurtenances of the bar are of pure silver. 
 At all these places a .' free lunch ' is ready at certain 
 hours ; and often it is a most elaborate set-out. One can 
 hardly imderstand how it can answer, and allow a man 
 profitably to carry on the estabhshment ; yet not only 
 does it succeed, but immense fortunes are thus made. 
 After lunch you are supposed to take a ' drink ' at the 
 bar, for which you pay two ' bits,' and in some places 
 only one. Supper is carried on in the same way. I never 
 could comprehend how a man could have the audacity 
 to eat the greater part of a roast leg of mutton, and a 
 
TO SAN FRANCISCO. 1S3 
 
 lobster, finisliing off with bread-and-cheese and fruit ; 
 and then, after tossing off a huge julep, offer fivepence 
 in payment, and walk away with a contented conscience. 
 Yet I have seen that done, and doubtless the same sort 
 of thing often occurs. By the way, juleps are not an 
 American drink, as is generally supposed. I think they 
 must have been prepared from Milton's receipt in the 
 ' Masque of Comus,' where the son of Bacchus says : — 
 
 "And first behold this cordial j ulep here, 
 That flames and dances in his crystal bounds, 
 With spirits of balm and fragrant syrups mixed ; 
 Not that nepenthes, which the wife of Thone 
 In Egypt gave to Jove-born Helena, 
 Is of such power to stir up joy as this, 
 To life so friendly or so cool to thirst." 
 
 There is the name — julep — and even the ingredi- 
 ents — mint, sugar, spirits, and ice — are mentioned. 
 
 A great patron of ' free lunch,' and free everything 
 else he can obtain, is a local celebrity known by the 
 sobriquet of ' Emperor Norton.' The strange appear- 
 ance of this individual invariably attracts attention, and 
 he lives, I believe, by being the butt of the town. He 
 scorns all attire, save mihtary garments, and is always 
 dressed in the cast-off uniform of some military or naval 
 officer. Often he sports a mixture of the two — despis- 
 ing the costume of no rank, from a full private to that 
 of a general. He carries with him on all occasions a 
 huge carved stick. His appearance and method of 
 getting promoted reminded me strongly of a well-known 
 
IS4 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 character who was once pointed out to me in Paris. 
 ' General ' Van — the man I allude to — was a Dutch- 
 man, and a Heutenant in the Dutch army. Anxious to 
 rise in his profession, and believing his merits to be 
 ignored, he took to promoting himself. He made Paris 
 his residence, lived on his means, and always wore uni- 
 form. After being for some years a heutenant he felt 
 that he deserved promotion, and raised himself to the 
 rank of captain — of course, making the necessary 
 change in his uniform. Again, in due time he conferred 
 on himself further advancement ; he became major, and 
 afterwards lieutenant-colonel. At the time of the 
 Crimean war another rise in his profession naturally 
 suggested itself, and a full colonelcy was the result. In 
 1860 he bestowed on himself the riband of a Dutch 
 order ; and in 1870, finding his health fail, he assumed 
 the rank of general. In all probabihty, he would have 
 received more honours and distinctions had not death 
 shortly after brought his brilhant military career to a 
 close. In the announcement of his death, which I saw 
 in the papers, it was not stated whether he w^as buried 
 with mihtary honours, but I presume that he was not. 
 San Francisco, like other cities on the Pacific coast, 
 is subject to occasional earthquakes, consequently new 
 houses are now nearly all built of wood, and of no 
 great height. Some builders undertake to build a 
 house ' earthquake-proof '—rather a difficult matter, I 
 
TO SAN FRANCISCO. iSS 
 
 shoiilcl think. American architects build houses as if 
 for the purpose of feeding a fire. It is well and right 
 to build them of wood in a country subject to earth- 
 quakes, but there surely is no necessity for hollow 
 partitions and combustible staircases. Stop the draft 
 and you stop the fire. The Fire Department of San 
 Francisco is extremely efficient, but the rate of insu- 
 rance is nearly ten times higher than in Europe. The 
 difference in combustibility, arising from the manner of 
 placing the wood and its surroundings, is worth consi- 
 dering when building wooden houses. 
 
 There are great varieties of architecture in San 
 Francisco, and all kinds of quaint conceits and 
 whims of form and shape ; but very often they are 
 attractive and charming. 
 
 Perhaps there is a redundancy of ornamentation 
 about some of the houses ; but they invariably look 
 so clean and airy — sometimes perched on clifis, some- 
 times shding down slopes or nestling in gardens, and 
 girt with strange trees and beautiful flowers, and always 
 wearing a pleasant and comfortable air. The houses, 
 too, not only give an idea of the character of their 
 occupants, but also of their personal appearance — per- 
 haps I ought rather to say of the appearance of those 
 who ought to occupy them. There is, for instance, the 
 dwelhng not much bigger than a good-sized baby-house, 
 with two great staring windows, resembling the wide- 
 
IS5 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 open eyes of the infant who ought to be the proprietor. 
 Then tliere is the tall, narrow, prim-looking building 
 with a neat old-maidish appearance. Then comes the 
 habitation with a decided matronly aspect; and finally 
 the tottering, tumble-down old thing that a breath 
 would topple over, and which has a beseeching air, as if 
 asking for a strong gale to come and end its miseries. 
 Houses, in fact, differing as much in style as characters 
 and dispositions differ in individuals. 
 
 Throughout the whole of California the Chinese 
 emigrant forms a striking feature amongst the popu- 
 lation, but in San Francisco he seems to form the chief 
 part of the stream of humanity that flows through its 
 streets. The violent prejudice against the Celestials is 
 so marked in this city that strangers naturally seek for 
 the reasons for this antipathy. 
 
 Amongst the lowest classes — those who persecute 
 John Chinaman most — the reason is evident enough, 
 viz. because the Chinese are extremely industrious, and 
 will work for less than half the wages of a white 
 man. The better classes say that the Chinese im- 
 poverish the country, as they send all their savings 
 home, and even import their own food and clothing ; 
 that they have no land, no real estate, nothing to give 
 them an interest in the country ; that they are heathen, 
 and, worst of all, they are yellow. 
 
TO SAN FRANCISCO. 157 
 
 It is generally admitted that John is sober, peace- 
 able, hardworking, and patient. If he had not possessed 
 a vast amount of meekness and patience he would long 
 ago have been driven back to his own country. As a 
 labourer, he is most industrious and steady ; as a servant, 
 clean, quiet, and attentive. As a business man and a 
 good hand at a bargain, ' the heathen Chinee ' is a match 
 for even an American ; and as a poker-player he has 
 no equal — but, he wears a tail, and that counter 
 balances his good quahties, and he is despised. 
 
 White labour can never compete with Chinese as 
 long as clothing and necessaries remain at their present 
 enormous prices, and as long as whisky, high wages, 
 and universal suffrage, which are the real enemies of 
 the people, occupy the prominent position they now do. 
 There is no likelihood of there ever being a strike 
 against high wages ; but I believe a considerable re- 
 duction would do a great deal towards putting the 
 Chinaman out of work. How are the common wages 
 of eight, ten, or twelve shilHngs a day usually spent ? 
 Why, in the bar-rooms, at the theatres, and in the 
 purchase of cigars. Ten shillings a day is poor wages 
 for a thirsty free man. But making cigars is a favourite 
 employment amongst the Chinese, and so the injured 
 white man spends half his time and money in giving 
 them employment. 
 
 There is in San Francisco an order of beings of the 
 
158 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 type of ' roughs ' and ' loafers,' but known there by the 
 name of ' hoodlums ; ' these individuals are rapidly 
 becoming a formidable element in the population, and 
 often cause considerable annoyance and trouble to white 
 people. But their chief delight is to attack and ill- 
 treat a Chinaman, especially if a number of them can 
 catch him alone. A Chinaman very seldom walks 
 about the streets of San Francisco with his pig-tail 
 hanging down his back, as he does in other countries — 
 except in his own part of the town. If he did, he would 
 , stand a very good chance of having it cut off, and that 
 would be the greatest misfortune that could happen to 
 him ; for he knows he could not then go to heaven, as 
 there would be nothing to pull him up by. 
 
 Fortunately, the general sentiment of the people is 
 just, and they agree that the Chinese who arrive here 
 under the stipulations of the treaty with China ought to 
 be protected from violence and persecution. At the same 
 time they feel that their emigration has reached to such 
 a pitch that the Govenment ought— by making some 
 re-adjustment of the treaty — to restrain it for a time. 
 
 The Chinese are by no means the cowards they 
 have been represented ; and I have been gratified on 
 three or four occasions by seeing a very complete 
 thrashing administered to some great hulking hood- 
 lum by an inoffensive -looking John Chinaman, whose 
 patience had been exhausted by the attacks of his 
 
TO SAN FRANCISCO. 159 
 
 cowardly and astonished enemy. There are placards 
 in some of the shop-windows stating that no Chinese 
 labour is employed by the proprietors. One man — a 
 bird-dealer — carried his hatred to the Chinese element 
 so far as to inform the public that ' ISTo Chinese birds 
 are sold here.' 
 
 The Chinese are great in the laundry business, 
 which they have almost entirely monopolised ; and the 
 only instance I ever saw of John's facetiousness was on 
 the signboard over the door of one of their houses. On 
 it was written in very large letters, ' Wa-Shing and Iron- 
 ing.' Underneath was the supposed resemblance of a 
 flaViron and a tub of soapsuds. 
 
 Whether the firm really bore that name or whether 
 it was a Chinese joke, I am unable to say. 
 
 Of course there are the bad as well as the good 
 Chinamen ; and as one of the sights that shoidd be seen 
 in San Francisco is the ' bad Chinese quarter,' we went 
 the rounds one evening, accompanied by a detective, 
 who possessed the ' open sesame ' of the various dens. 
 
 We were first introduced to a house with an open 
 court in the centre, and containing small rooms fitted 
 up with shelves one over another, like the berths in a 
 ship. This was a favourite resort of the thieves who, 
 previous to the passing of the ' Space Ordinance,' used 
 to pack themselves away here hke herrings in a barrel. 
 The Chinese are certainly great in the science of 
 
i6o WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 stowage, and packing is their chief /orfe. The few we 
 saw were quietly smoking opium ; and though most of 
 them had villanous countenances, they seemed not at 
 all discomposed at the sight of the police-officer, but 
 treated us with silent contempt until we were ready to 
 depart, when they opened the doors with much alacrity. 
 They bade us a sulky good-night, and then chattered 
 away with supreme disgust at our unwelcome mtrusion. 
 
 Hurrying on over a treacherous bridge, of loose 
 planks, we descended a flight of rickety steps leading to 
 the mouth of a bUnd alley, which twisted about into the 
 centre of a block of buildings that towered three and 
 four stories high above us on one side, whilst on the 
 other the houses were more like neglected hen-roosts 
 than dweUings. The alley -was dark, and strewed with 
 rubbish from end to end, so that in case of a hunt after 
 a criminal the chase might be impeded as much as 
 possible. 
 
 After dodging about in a labyrinth for some time, 
 and taking care to keep as near our guide as possible, 
 we stopped in front of a small door, which the officer 
 kicked open, and disclosed to view a most disgusting- 
 looking apartment, without a window or ventilation of 
 any sort. This box of a building measured about eight 
 feet square, and was occupied by two receivers of stolen 
 goods. Their repulsive appearance is indescribable. 
 One of them gave a ghastly grin, and tried to appear 
 
TO SAN FRANdlSCO. 
 
 i6i 
 
 guileless, and happy to see us, when, by the light of the 
 candle he carried, he caught sight of the officer's face. 
 The other remained on the couch — which was made of 
 a lot of loose boards — and, in spite of the prods he 
 received from our conductor, steadily refused to show 
 his face. The floor was heaped up to the ceiling with 
 miscellaneous articles of a most untempting aspect, 
 and we speedily made a retreat from this loathsome 
 den. 
 
 We visited other haunts of the heathen thieves — all 
 answering to the same description, and all extremely 
 filthy. Some of the narrow winding passages led us 
 into the basements, where it would be very easy to lose 
 one's way, even with the light of a candle, and where 
 an unprotected stranger would fare but badly. But we 
 met with no opposition ; and having glanced at them, 
 were glad to breathe fresh air again. 
 
 At the gambling-houses the usual game was going 
 on. It is simply this : — The proprietor sits at the head 
 of a long table, and before him is a large heap of ' cash ' 
 — a Chinese copper coin. A handful of these is taken 
 up and placed in the middle of the table. Bets are 
 then made on (he number in the heap, whether it is 
 odd or even. The coins are then slowly drawn away 
 two at a time with an ivory stick, and the number left 
 determines the winning of the bet. If one remains, odd 
 wins, if none are left, even is the gainer. 
 
 M 
 
1 62 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Our last visit was to the home of a venerable heathen 
 who had attained quite a celebrity amongst his people 
 on account of his skill as a ' snapper up of uncon- 
 sidered trifles.' His habitation was ' on the cold 
 ground,' and only to be approached by steps dug out 
 of the earth. It was more hke a cave than anything 
 else, for water trickled down the sides and oozed from 
 the roof. -The floor consisted of a couple of planks, 
 floating about at will in a bed of slimy water, and the 
 only articles of furniture to be seen were a filthy couch 
 of boards and a wooden box. 
 
 Erom what we heard, the skill of the wretched 
 being lay in contriving habitually to dispose of articles 
 of value before he returned to his domicile ; by which 
 means he generally evaded the clutches of the police. 
 He had no companions, and always lived alone ; no one, 
 it was said, cared for him, and I should imagine that 
 he himself had not much regard for anyone. 
 
 The streets in the Chinese quarter of the city are 
 very hke those which are seen in every town in the 
 Celestial Empire, and a stranger suddenly deposited 
 in the middle of one of them might well imagine him- 
 self in China. There are the Joss-houses, in which 
 they carry on many of the heathenish observances 
 and the superstitious rites of their native land. 
 
 Here they have their hideous images of good and 
 evil, before which fire is always kept burning, and 
 
TO SAN FRANCISCO. 163 
 
 small dishes filled with food for these idols to eat. 
 The priest is always in his httle office, writing prayers 
 or muttering the words of a legend. The former 
 are put into boxes, called ' praying-boxes,' which are 
 placed before the idols, and are so constructed that 
 they unroll the strips of paper on which the petitions 
 are inscribed. This has all the efficacy of oral prayer, 
 with the advantage that the petitioner, meanwhile, can 
 be attending to his worldly business or pleasure, as the 
 case may be. 
 
 In the httle town of Amoy, which lies between 
 Hongkong and Canton, there dwells an ingenious 
 Chinaman whose praying-machine was attached to a 
 water-wheel by the side of a running stream. He was 
 thus free from all anxiety in regard to his devotions. 
 The praying-wheel went round day and night, and its 
 owner had the satisfaction of knowing that, whether 
 asleep or awake, he was always praying. There is 
 another favovirite mode of praying. You bring your 
 prayer, and having set fire to it in the flame of the 
 lamp that burns before the image of your deity, you 
 devoutly watch the smoke as it ascends into the air. 
 Sticks of incense will do just as well, and are supposed 
 to be very acceptable to the divinities. Thus your 
 devotions need only be limited by the extent of the 
 resources of your pocket. 
 
 The Chinese have another custom similar to ' prayer- 
 
 m2 
 
i64 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 burning,' that of sending home letters by the dead. 
 No Chinaman allows his remains to be buried in a 
 foreign land, if he can avoid it ; and very often, when 
 a man dies who is too poor to pay his own expenses, 
 the necessary funds are provided by his friends. When 
 a native of the ' Flowery Land ' dies abroad, his spirit 
 is supposed to return to his own country, and all his 
 countrymen, far and near, entrust him with letters to 
 their friends and relatives at home. 
 
 The missives are laid around his dead body until 
 it is enclosed in its coffin, when they are solemnly 
 burned, and the soul of the deceased is supposed to 
 carry the messages to the shores of the Celestial Em- 
 pire and there faithfully to deliver them. There is no 
 return mail, for the ghosts of deceased Chinese do not 
 visit alien shores ; the failure to receive replies, there- 
 fore, does not diminish their faith in ' the dead man's 
 
 post.' 
 
 When Chinese leave their homes for foreign lands 
 bits of paper may often be seen on the deck of the 
 ship ; these are prayers for their safe return offered 
 by the spectators of their departure. Scattering 
 prayer-papers is a very favourite and certainly an in- 
 nocent employment. In San Francisco the Chinese 
 have also secret societies (notably the Hip Yo Sing), 
 which exercise a very baneful influence, and before 
 whose tribunals the poor wretches of their own nation 
 
TO SAN FRANCISCO. 165 
 
 who have incurred their displeasure are fi'equently 
 mulcted of large sums of money. If they refuse to 
 pay they stand in great danger of losing their lives. 
 So, what with hoodlums, and secret associations, and a 
 general feeling of insecurity, John Chinaman's exist- 
 ence is not altogether a safe or a happy one. But he 
 adapts himself to circumstances, smokes opium and 
 gambles ; buys prayers, keeps his tail tight round his 
 head, attends his theatre to witness interminable 
 dramas, and generally makes enough money to enable 
 him after a few years to return to his native land, there 
 to pass the remainder of his life in the universal abuse 
 of and utter contempt for ' the foreign devils.' 
 
l66 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 Peculiarities — Quacks — ■ Farallone Islands — Woodward's Gardens — 
 Eucalyptus — Suicide and murders — Schools — American politics — The 
 labouring class — Shoddy — Refinement — Literature — The Press — Ad- 
 vertisements — Side-walks — Street-ears — Occupations — A critic. 
 
 Montgomery and Kearney Streets, the two principal 
 ones in San Francisco, afford a fund of amusement and 
 instruction. At the intersection of Cahfornia and 
 Montgomery Streets crowds of eager-looking men are 
 always assembled, who appear to do nothing but talk, 
 and whose conversation is only of stocks, mines, real 
 estate, and the condition of the money market. This 
 spot is the San Francisco Stock Exchange, where 
 ' bulls ' and ' bears,' and other hopeful or despondent 
 animals, of a species known only to brokers and busi- 
 ness men, most do congregate. 
 
 There is a pleasant custom in San Francisco of 
 fastening horses to a ring in the side-walk whilst their 
 owners pursue their business inside the stores or 
 saloons. As the animals object to be run into by pass- 
 ing vehicles, they move on to the pavement, and thus 
 
SAN FRANCISCO. 167 
 
 the passage intended for pedestrians becomes wholly 
 occupied by horses. 
 
 The hardware dealer decorates the pavement before 
 his door with old boxes and bundles of straw. Over 
 these you stumble and climb only to find yourself 
 opposite a second-hand shop, whose proprietor also 
 has placed his entire stock of furniture outside his 
 front door. There are chairs of all sizes and designs ; 
 tables, round and square ; sofas that can be converted 
 into beds at a moment's notice ; old dishes, watering- 
 pots, carpets and pieces of oil-cloth ; in fact, everything 
 appertaining to domestic use, lies carelessly scattered 
 around. Presently you pass a laundry, or a carpenter's 
 shop. As soon as you have been able to get round 
 the large pile of wood, invariably heaped up before 
 the door, and intended for at least a month's con- 
 sumption, your toes are run over by a large barrel — 
 that is, if you have escaped being knocked down by 
 a street-car — for the wine-merchant, whose house you 
 are passing, will probably be taking in his consign- 
 ment of new vintages and, of course, through the front 
 door. 
 
 Quack doctors, and vendors of all sorts of curious 
 and valuable compounds, ply their trade in the street, 
 with much energy and much cunning. I was often 
 amused by one of these persons, who used to dehver a 
 long lecture on geography, concluding with a descrip- 
 
i6S WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 tion of the situation of some place lately visited by a 
 pestilence, yellow fever, or cholera. He would then 
 show how San Francisco might, and probably would 
 be scoiu-ged in a like manner ; in which case it would 
 be as well to be provided beforehand with a small 
 bottle of his elixir. Fortunately he had a few bottles 
 left, which he would reluctantly dispose of at a very 
 reduced rate. 
 
 Another individual would stand for hours giving a 
 free course of instruction in mathematics. According 
 to him, all arithmetic was in future to be done by 
 ' dodges.' Half-an-hour's study, he said, of one of 
 his books was worth all the schoohng you could get 
 in a year, and it would be downright insanity not to 
 avail yourself of an opportunity like that, and for the 
 ridiculous sum of one dollar. He called himself the 
 ' Lightning Calculator.' 
 
 All these people are ' Professors,' a title which has 
 become so common in America, that, when some wag on 
 once entering a drinking-saloon called out in a loud 
 cheery voice, 'Now, Professor, come and have a 
 drink ; ' six men who were sitting in a row reading 
 the newspapers ; a shoe-black who had his stand just 
 outside the door, and a corn-doctor who chanced to be 
 passing, all smihngly stepped up to the bar. 
 
 Having accepted an invitation to visit the Farallone 
 
SEA BIRDS.— Cormorants, 4c. 
 
SAN FRANCISCO. 169 
 
 Islands — a small rocky group lying about thirty miles 
 west of San Franisisco — we passed through the Golden 
 Gate one lovely calm day, and in about' four holirs 
 reached the islands. The Farallones are of import- 
 ance, on account of the great quantity of sea-birds' eggs 
 which are gathered there for the Cahfornia market. 
 As we approached the islands the air was hterally 
 black with birds, which at first seem disposed to pre- 
 vent our landing. The scene on these islands com- 
 pletely echpsed that on the Cliff House rocks. The 
 sea-hons were there in thousands, ; and were of all 
 sizes and ages, from the tawny grandfather to the 
 few weeks' old baby. The old ones evidently did not 
 like our intrusion. They moved away, showing their 
 two long tusks, when we touched their children, and 
 either disappeared in the water or sat at the edge 
 ready; to plunge in, should we approach too near. 
 
 The rocks were covered with myriads of birds — 
 pigeons, tufted puffins, coots, cormorants, and gulls. 
 But the most numerous were the murre, or guillemot, 
 whose eggs are very large, for the size of the bird, and 
 are extremely good to eat. They lay their eggs on 
 the bare rock, both the male and the female taking 
 their turn at incubation. The gulls are great enemies 
 of the guillemots, and take every opportunity of steahng 
 their eggs. 
 
 A pathway up the rock brought us to the light- 
 
I70 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 house, which resembled all other buildings of that 
 nature, and had everything about it beautifully bright 
 and clean. On our way down to what is called the 
 ' West End,' we passed through rows of foolish guille- 
 mots, standing strictly to attention, like white-breasted 
 soldiers. After crossing a narrow inlet we obtained a 
 most picturesque view of sharp rocks, caves, deep fis- 
 sures, and, in the distance, an arch not less than fifty 
 feet in height, and completely covered with birds. 
 Through the window thus formed in the rock the birds 
 flew in flocks, and the seals made use of it as a short 
 cut to reach the other side. 
 
 The ' Big Eookery,' on the north-west of the island, 
 is well-protected from winds, and is the favourite resort 
 of innumerable birds. It is almost impossible for the 
 imagination to realise how extraordinary is the multi- 
 tude of sea-fowl that make these islands their home. 
 It is almost as extraordinary that so few people ever 
 take the trouble to pay a visit to the Farallones. But 
 some persons I believe would not go a yard put of their 
 way even to see an angel. 
 
 Sunday is a great holiday for the people of San 
 Francisco ; most of the shops are closed and all the 
 theatres open. Half the population pic-nic in the ad- 
 jacent country, and the other half swarm to 'Wood- 
 ward's Gardens.' 
 
SAN FRANCISCO. 171 
 
 These gardens belong to a public-spirited gentle- 
 man, sent by Providence to California to provide for 
 the comfort and amusement of his fellow-citizens. The 
 gardens contain in themselves a museum of stuffed 
 birds and animals, a collection of curiosities, an art 
 gallery, in which may be seen copies, gorgeously 
 framed, of many celebrated pictures from the Eoman 
 galleries ; conservatories, sea-lions, aviaries, an aquarium, 
 a large skating-rink, swings of the boat order, in which 
 you can make yourself ill in company with four or five 
 other social beings equaUy bent on pleasure ; and swings 
 on which you may gain a proud pre-eminence alone. 
 There are bars and poles, on which you can exercise 
 your skiU as a gymnast ; and when tired of muscular 
 employment, you may retire to a cushioned seat in a 
 circular vessel which is propelled round the little pond 
 without the trouble of oars or sails, and you may re- 
 main there with the pleasant illusion of being at sea, 
 until an attack of vertigo drives you on shore again. 
 
 Afterwards, you may proceed to the Hippodrome, 
 which is surrounded by cages containing wild animals ; 
 and, if you are fond of driving, there is a little four-in- 
 hand goat-carriage, always ready ; whilst for the eques- 
 trians, camels are constantly in attendance. The more 
 ambitious may gratify their taste by trying to ride the 
 accomplished jackass which is warranted to throw any- 
 one who may attempt to mount him. Hoodlums are 
 
172 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 great at this exercise, and it would seem as if there 
 were some natural affinity between them and the 
 animal they try to ride. 
 
 ' Feeding ' the sea-lions is a great attraction. The 
 monsters know the accustomed hour, and swim about 
 as restlessly as hons and tigers pace their dens when 
 the gratifying time approaches. Sea-lions and seals are 
 more intelligent even than porpoises, and may easily be 
 tamed. They would certainly be somewhat cumber- 
 some for a person moving about much to carry, and as 
 pets they might be in the way in a room ; still, they 
 are very docile and affectionate. At the Gardens there 
 is one tremendously big fellow. He can catch in his 
 mouth anything that comes near him, and would 
 make an admirable point at cricket. He always gets 
 great applause when, after climbing to the top of a rock 
 and there exhibiting his skill, he plunges into the water, 
 splashing it over the wistful spectators, whose interest 
 in him is, after that feat, considerably damped. 
 
 Balloons, too, are continually 'going,' but seldom, get 
 up ; fire or high winds invariably preventing the ascent. 
 People who have visited the Gardens on five occasions, 
 on purpose to see the ascent of a balloon, are apt to be 
 disappointed if, on the sixth visit, the balloon still steadily 
 refuses to be inflated. But those who have been dis- 
 appointed of seeing the balloon capsize and the aero- 
 naut come to grief, can enter the ' Great Pavihon ' and 
 
SAN FRANCISCO. I73 
 
 witness performances on the trapeze, and acrobatic 
 feats just as likely to end with broken necks or dislo- 
 cated limbs. 
 
 The quaintest bird I have ever seen is the venerable 
 pelican, which stalks about the gardens with an air 
 of absolute proprietorship. Perhaps you are looking at 
 the seals or the ducks, when suddenly you hear a deep 
 croak and feel a slight tap. On looking down, there 
 will be the old gentleman at your side, gazing up at you 
 with his little twinkling black eyes, and with his 
 enormous bill wide open ; evidently asking for your 
 pocket-handkerchief, or a newspaper, or anything with 
 which to stuff his capacious pouch. I once saw him 
 take off a child's hat and waddle on demurely as if 
 nothing had happened. But his chief delight is to steal 
 the fish intended for the dinner of the sea-lions ; and 
 unless a very sharp look-out is kept, he will not only 
 pouch the greater part of the provisions but also walk 
 off with the basket. Altogether, Woodward's is a very 
 amusing place, and, for the present, supplies a great want 
 in the city. 
 
 A very fine park is now being laid out beyond the 
 limits of the town, but it will be some time before the 
 trees and shrubberies have attained a sufficient height 
 to be effective and picturesque ; although wonders may 
 be worked by the Eucalyptus, which has been exten- 
 sively planted. 
 
174 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 This tree — the Australian blue-gum tree — grows 
 well in California, and with gr^at rapidity. It has been 
 known to grow fifteen feet in one year, and ought to be 
 planted all over the plains and valleys. It would give 
 verdure, shade, and rain to desert places, and would be 
 a fortune to fanners who had a few acres of such 
 beautiful forest. The timber, too, is good and valuable. 
 The Eucalyptus also possesses extraordinary power 
 of destroying the influence of miasma in marshy 
 districts. When planted in swampy ground it will dry 
 it up very soon. In Algeria I have seen several plan- 
 tations of the Eucalyptus on farms once noted for their 
 extreme unhealthiness, but on which, since the planting 
 of this tree, no cases of fever have occurred. Near 
 Constantine, too, where formerly there were several 
 acres of marshy fever-haunted soil, a few plantations of 
 these trees soon transformed the land into a dry salu- 
 brious park, from which fever has entirely disappeared. 
 It is known that many strong-smelling flowers develop 
 ozone in sufficient quantities to counteract the influence 
 of a malarious situation ; there is, therefore, all the 
 more reason to give credit to the health-giving qualities 
 of the Eucalyptus. Planted singly, the tree is not 
 picturesque, but in numbers is very pleasing. 
 
 One evening in San Francisco I witnessed a sad 
 occurrence. Whilst in the act of crossing a street I heard 
 
SAN FRANCISCO. I7i 
 
 the report of a pistol, and a man on the opposite pave- 
 ment fell down, having shot himself through the head . 
 The poor fellow lived but a short time, and it was ascer- 
 tained afterwards that he had lately married, and had 
 since lost all his money by speculation. Suicides 
 and homicides have obtained a terrible prominence 
 in California. 
 
 Some statistics of the latter were lately given in a 
 newspaper, to the effect that, while in Great Britain the 
 average of murders was four to the million, and in the 
 Papal States 113, in Cahfornia the average was 250. 
 Such an average seems almost incredible ; and although 
 deduced from statistics of 1871, yet, from the wholesale 
 butcheries recorded in the papers nearly every day, I 
 doubt whether the estimate is far out at the present 
 time. Whether the number of homicides is to be 
 accounted for by the rare execution of justice on the 
 murderers, or whether the universal practice of carry- 
 ing pistols and knives bears fatal effect, I cannot say. 
 In the Eastern States of America, where the same habits 
 and the same laws prevail, the average of murders is 
 only eighteen to the million. In British Columbia, 
 where the carrying of arms is the exception not the 
 rule, and where men know that the loss of their own 
 lives will be the penalty of taking another's, murders 
 are of very rare occurrence. 
 
 The discovery of gold formerly brought to Califor- 
 
176 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 nia the idlest and most reckless vagabonds in the world, 
 and desperadoes poured in from all sides ; the best of 
 a bad lot flocking to the mines, the worst remaining 
 in the city, to gain by gambling or thieving the money 
 they were too lazy to earn by digging. Eobbers and 
 murderers then walked the streets in gangs, in broad 
 daylight, and not unfrequently to the sound of music. 
 But, at last, a movement took place among the better- 
 disposed citizens ; Vigilance Committees sprang up, 
 justice was promptly administered, and the reign of 
 terror was at an end. "Would not the better and more 
 certain administration of the law have a salutary effect 
 in the present day in reducing the enormous amount 
 of crime which is still abroad ? But, in spite of the 
 defects, which after all are natural to a young and 
 richly-endowed State, and which time must remedy, 
 San Francisco, to all appearance, is as well governed as 
 any city in the Eastern States. The police are efiicient ; 
 gambling is held in check ; and the Fire Department is 
 admirably organised. 
 
 The school system is good in a certain way, but 
 more attention should be given to the solid branches of 
 education. In a young country, where work is the 
 element most needed for success, the pubhc schools 
 turn out little else than a lot of clerks, and book-keepers, 
 and hundreds of young women who all want to be 
 school-mistresses. At an age when in older countries 
 
SAN FRANCISCO. 177 
 
 young men- begin to work, here they are left with some 
 knowledge of arithmetic, a smattering of French or 
 German, a little music and less geography; but are un- 
 able to drive a nail straight, or to do anything useful 
 except add up long columns of figures and measure out 
 yards of riband. What is wanted in Cahfornia is a race 
 of educated working men and women ; and a practical 
 course of study in the Labour Department of schools is 
 one of the means for satisfying that want. There are 
 evidences, however, of a high civilisation, and that the 
 intelhgent and moral element is in the ascendant. There 
 are excellent hbraries and reading-rooms, having a great 
 number of members. The churches are well-attended ; 
 there are charitable institutions of all kinds, and a call to 
 assist them is always liberally responded to ; in a word, 
 the general tone of the community is hospitable and 
 sympathetic. 
 
 Of course California has its political jobbery, as well 
 as other States, but she seems fortunate at present in 
 having the right men in the right place. A CaUfornian 
 politician has no opinion of his own, but depends on that 
 of the newspapers of his party . Whatever the majority 
 says must be right. But then that is the opinion of the 
 Americans generally ; they much prefer being tyrannised 
 over by a hundred to being quietly ruled by one. With 
 them ' the majority ' can do no wrong. I should like to 
 know what they call the wholesale bribery and corrup- 
 
178 WESTERN- WANDERINGS. 
 
 tion of tlieir political rulers! But wlio can explain 
 American politics ? 
 
 A black gentleman, at a coloured Convention held a 
 few months ago at Sacramento, gave a good idea of the 
 requisite qualifications for a Parliamentary career in 
 America, when he said, in the course of a very amusing 
 speech, ' If I only had privileges ekal to my cheek, 
 I'd ha' bin in Congress long ago.' 
 
 The best men in America stand aloof from politics. 
 And no wonder, if the ignorant gabble of many political 
 speeches, is a sample of the quality of the men who 
 direct the fortunes of the nation. Ignorance . in rags 
 may be tolerable, but ignorance in broadcloth, even 
 with the accompaniments of ' a beautiful cravat, sustain- 
 ing a faultless dicky ' — which a certain well-known 
 clergyman of New York says ought to be worn by 
 every true gentleman — is unendurable. Fortunately, 
 the American people have acquired the art of govern- 
 ing themselves, and that is the only true road to a 
 successful Eepubhc. 
 
 Probably in no other city in America are the labour- 
 ing classes in such prosperity as in San Francisco. Civih- 
 sation has there contrived a means to enable the labour- 
 ing man to have a house of his own, and almost every 
 mechanic has his house and garden. If a small shop- 
 keeper or labouring man has saved sufficient to buy a 
 small ' lot ' of ground in the city or suburbs, and has not 
 
SAN FRANCISCO. 179 
 
 means to build his house, he applies to one of the Build- 
 ing Associations for a loan. When the society has 
 satisfied itself of the soundness of the title and the value 
 of the ground, it loans on a mortgage upon the property 
 the sum required for building. The loan is payable in 
 monthly instalments. The value of real estate is always 
 increasing ; so the loan is a very safe one- for the com- 
 pany, besides being a very useful one for the recipient. 
 The rate of interest paid is about ten or twelve per 
 cent, per annum ; and this is not much, considering 
 what enormous profits are made in all branches, of 
 business. 
 
 The steady labouring men are not fond of mining 
 speculations, but generally invest their wages in land, 
 or deposit them in the savings banks. It is no un- 
 common thing for a hired man to own a valuable city 
 lot, or a nice little farm in the country ; and savings 
 bank deposits accumulate very fast with interest at 
 twelve and fifteen per cent. The annual dividends of 
 the Savings, Loan, and Building Societies area proof of 
 the prosperity of servants and labourers, whose high 
 wages ought certainly to make California a veritable 
 El Dorado to them. 
 
 Cahfomians are very generous and intelligent, as 
 well as very energetic ; and in spite of their tremen- 
 dous exertions to make money, nowhere is money less 
 valued than in their State. Of- course, there are a few 
 
 n2 
 
i8o WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 ' suddenly-rich. ' men who indulge in the most ostenta- 
 tious extravagance. 
 
 ' Shoddy' must show itself in a land where the 
 general feeling is to estimate a man by his money. 
 Consequently, you see, here and there, a diamond ring 
 outside the glove, or a gorgeous coachman with a 
 bad hat, and holding white reins attached to brass- 
 bespangled harness. But these are the exceptions. 
 Refinement and culture predominate ; and a taste for 
 natural beauty is seen in the quiet flower-decked home 
 of the mechanic, as well as in the more magnificent 
 country residences at Menlo Park and Oakland, where 
 the artistic tastes of the proprietors are as evidenf in 
 the interior of their houses as in the beautiful gardens 
 which surround them. Some of these gardens are most 
 dehghtful, and all are kept with the greatest care. It 
 is a perfect treat to leave the dust of the city for a 
 day and wander amongst the botanical treasures which 
 abound in the grounds, and a visitor is always sure to 
 receive a most hearty welcome. 
 
 I must say I was astonished — although perhaps so 
 short a residence in Cahfornia hardly gave me a right 
 to judge — ^that the Western people, in spite of their 
 inteUigence, evinced so httle interest in the subject of 
 hterature, and especially in that of home manufacture. 
 Pollack, a poetical genius closely identified with the 
 past and present of California, is almost unknown 
 
SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 among tliem. His writings are uncollected, and his 
 grave is not marked even by a slab to perpetuate his 
 memory. Mark Twain had to go elsewhere to find 
 people who could appreciate other things besides dol- 
 lars. Joaquin Miller had to seek in England the just 
 reward of his merits, and the fame of Bret Harte was 
 made in the East. 
 
 The intelligence of the community at any rate sup- 
 ports a very well-conducted press, and two or three of 
 the journals ought to be most lucrative properties, 
 judging from the frequent paragraphs they contain 
 about their enormous circulation. They may perhaps 
 be influenced too much by a spirit of rivalry — in fact, 
 it is war to the knife with some of the Western news- 
 papers — but they discuss questions with plenty of 
 ability and fairness, and there is not that eagerness to 
 abuse England and the English which is so character- 
 istic of Eastern journalism. 
 
 It is true that the contents of certain newspapers 
 are very soiling, and of these Baron Hiibner remarked, 
 in 1871, • Je n'ai vu nulle part des journaux quotidiens 
 plus depraves que ceux de San Francisco. En les par- 
 courant je n'ai remarque que recriminations inutiles, 
 grossieret^s qui feraient fremir un exalte de Belleville ! ' 
 But these form the exception. Amongst the superior 
 publications, the ' Overland Monthly ' stands out pre- 
 eminent for its refinement and good taste, and takes 
 
i82 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 rank with the periodicals issued from the Enghsh 
 pr^ss. 
 
 As a rule, the American press never loses an oppor- 
 tunity of abusing the English. If, once in a way, some 
 scandal appears in an English newspaper it is imme- 
 diately copied into the American journals— not once 
 only, but three or four times, and each tune with some 
 -new exaggeration. If it concerns the nobihty, the joy 
 of the journalist is supreme. The Canadian Pacific 
 Eailway scandal was a real godsend to thein. 
 
 Some people condemn American journalism as a 
 whole. It is narrow, they say, superficial, and abusive 
 on every subject external to its own country. But this 
 is too' sweeping a judgment ; considering that men 
 like Woolsey, Charles Adams, Higginson, and others 
 of the most scholarly writers in the country, are con- 
 stant contributors to its newspapers, while nearly 
 every American professional author, except Longfellow 
 and Hawthorne, has at some time written for the 
 press. 
 
 But even clever and accomplished literary men 
 cannot help sometimes having a hit at the ' Britishers.' 
 In a recent letter from the editor of the ' LouisviUe 
 Courier,' he states, as his opinion, that the average 
 British subject hates all Americans, and he goes to 
 some trouble to explain the fact. I must say I think 
 his explanation an utter failure ; and his coarse letter 
 
SAN' FRANCISCO. 
 
 could "only have increased the ill-will between the two 
 nations, if it had ever really existed. 
 
 And yet I hear that this man has been made a 
 member of an influential club in London, and has 
 most likely received that kindness and hospitahty dufe 
 to aU strangers of merit — his bad humour is therefore 
 difficult to account for. 
 
 The Americans generally are far in advance of us 
 in the art of advertising, and the CaHfornians carry it 
 to the utmost hmit of inventive power. The Enghsh 
 papers often contain puffs, but they can be recognised 
 at a glance. Not so in the San Francisco papers. In 
 them the reader is led on with extreme artfulness 
 through a long sensational story, or one of pastoral, 
 simplicity, in perfect ignorance, almost to the very last, 
 of the real object of the narrative. The stranger the 
 tale, the more cunningly is the finale led up to. Here 
 is an example : ' Not long ago, in one of those old 
 baronial halls for which England is so renowned, a 
 strange drama was enacted. Sitting in the deep em- 
 brasure of a fine Elizabethan window, which was not 
 the least charm of a beautifully-appointed boudoir, 
 overlooking an old-fashioned pleasaunce, was a lady, 
 evidently in deep distress. Her husband, a tall, hand- 
 some man, held in his hand an exquisitely carved pillar 
 which had been broken off the door of a superb old 
 oaken, cabinet. This accident would never have 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 occiirred if it had been purchased from the celebrated 
 stores of Messrs. Wall & Co., San Francisco. Their 
 furniture never breaks.' 
 
 Again, what can be more striking or better adapted 
 to raise tender emotions than the following effort from 
 the muse of a provision shop ? — 
 
 " OL, say not I love you because the molasses 
 You purchased at Simpson's were golden and clear ; 
 The syrup, the sugar, the jelly in glasses, 
 The crackers, the mack'rel, I know were not dear; 
 But when you came to me with Simpson's smoked salmon. 
 And showed me his samples of Lim^ui-ger cheese, 
 I felt that his claim to he cheap was not gammon; 
 I loved you, and said so, dear Jane, on my knees." 
 
 Even great disasters are made use of-^vide the follow- 
 ing : ' In the fire which recently destroyed the Grand 
 Opera House, in Paris, the scores of the musical hbrary, 
 dating from the days of LuUi and Eameau, we're biu:nt. 
 The losses sustained by the musicians were very, very 
 serious. One of the orchestra lost a Straduarius violin 
 worth 1,400 dollars. The harps alone were worth 
 4,000 dollars. But what the lessee grieved for more 
 than anything else was a cask of Gerke Wine that 
 had been sent to him from San Francisco ! French- 
 man as he is, he declared over and over again that the 
 Gerke Wine, for dry qualities surpassed all hght wines 
 he had ever tasted.' 
 
 If advertising is necessary to success in trade, San 
 
SAN FRANCISCO. 185 
 
 Fraucisco ought to be a most flourishing city. Houses, 
 windows, and dead walls teem with advertisements, and 
 even the pavements are made use of as places for 
 puffing. I suppose the wooden side-walks are con- 
 sidered convenient for the purpose, because the boards 
 which form them are so far apart that your stick or 
 umbrella is constantly being torn from your hand, and 
 whilst recovering it there is ample opportunity for 
 studying the pictures or the writing with which it is 
 sure to be surrounded. These plankings are like vast 
 cribbage-boards. They tear dresses and trip you up, 
 and their general appearance would disgrace a colony 
 of Hottentots. But then you are not supposed to walk, 
 or if you do, you are thought to have connections in 
 the shoe trade ; and in California that is not what they 
 call ' high-toned.' 
 
 The street-cars of San Francisco have one great 
 advantage over those of Few York — you hardly ever 
 hear of a robbery in them, while in the latter city the 
 pickpockets look on the cars as happy hunting-grounds 
 made specially for their convenience. The notices in 
 street and railway cars are sometimes very curious. I 
 remember one that struck me as particularly odd. It 
 ran thus : ' No gentleman will occupy more seats than 
 one at a time — unless he be twins.' 
 
 But it is time to leave San Francisco and its flowers 
 and fruits; its spiritualists, mediums, and Veiled 
 
i86 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Prophetesses, its advertisers, and interviewers — the 
 latter always ready to interview anyone and anything, 
 from an emperor to an earthquake — and proceed 
 on my journey to Vancouver's Island and British 
 Columbia. 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO MOUNT SHASTA. 187 
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 SAN PEANCISCO TO MOUNT SHASTA. 
 
 The Bay — Education of turkeys-r-The sparrow — Larks — Golden grains- 
 Stubble — Bad farming — Fruit — Marysville — Bank robbery — A hum- 
 ming-bird fight — Staging — Companions — Highwaymen — Scenery — 
 No grumbling — 'You bet' — Making oneself popular — Grizzlies— Spi- 
 ritualism — Castle Rocks— Soda Springs. 
 
 The simpler mode of going to Victoria ftom San 
 
 Francisco is by sea, but I had been promised some good 
 
 shooting in Northern California and Oregon, and was 
 
 also very anxious to visit the renowned Modoc country, 
 
 especially as the recent capture of Captain Jack and 
 
 his band had removed all danger from the expedition. 
 
 I therefore determined on making the overland journey, 
 
 trusting to Providence for accomplishing the terrible 
 
 three himdred miles of staging without being jolted to 
 
 pieces. 
 
 As it was necessary to return to Sacramento, and 
 thence to take the branch line as far as it was yet 
 opened for traffic, I crossed the bay to Vallejo, and got 
 to Sacramento by a different route to that I had before 
 travelled. Crossing to Vallejo gives you an idea of the 
 wonderful capabilities of CaHfornia, with regard to its 
 natural highways. In this respect there is no State in 
 America, perhaps in the world, better off than California. 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 It has the ocean in front and the great bay of San 
 Francisco, opening into other bays, and including about 
 ninety miles in length of deep water, while beyond, it has 
 several hundred miles of river navigation. The voyage 
 up the bay was delightful, with ever-varying views of 
 the Coast Eange and Mounts Tamalpais and Diablo. 
 The road to Sacramento was hot and dusty, and, except 
 in one particular — the immense flocks of turkeys in the 
 fields — wholly uninteresting. The education of turkeys 
 is carried on here to a great extent in some places. 
 These birds will eat anything and everything they can 
 swallow, and are therefore used to destroy the ' army- 
 worm ' and other insects that infest the sugar-beet plant- 
 ations. I should think they might be employed with 
 great effect in destroying the locusts which create such 
 havoc in the country, and whose ravages have hitherto 
 defied all the efforts of man to guard against. 
 
 The English sparrow has not, up to the present time, 
 found its way to California ; the thrush and the sky-lark 
 are also wanting. Various opinions are entertained there 
 regarding the merits of sparrows, some people believing 
 that their introduction would be an injury to the farmer. 
 It is true that sparrows will eat grain, but it must be re- 
 membered that they also destroy grubs, caterpillars, and 
 insects of nearly every description that prey upon grain 
 and vegetation in general. The fi-uit-raisers of the inte- 
 rior might object to them, because they would occasion- 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO MOUNT SHASTA. 189 
 
 ally peck at the cherries ; but it is probable that even 
 in gardens in the country they would do more service 
 than harm. What a feast they would have on the grass- 
 hoppers, too, which march across the country leaving 
 not a blade of vegetation behind them ! The sparrows 
 would save many a crop from being devoured. 
 
 The introduction of this bird has proved a great 
 blessing to New York. The trees in the parks are in a 
 much more flourishing condition than they used to be, 
 and where formerly the worms and caterpillars held 
 high carnival, and scarcely a leaf was to be seen on the 
 trees, there is now beauty of fohage equalling that of the 
 country. 
 
 The only bird to be seen in the streets of Western 
 towns is the pigeon, which subsists principally on the 
 scattered grain it finds in the streets, and leaves the 
 destroyers of vegetation to work out their pleasure. 
 The sparrow would be a great benefit to the towns, in de- 
 stroying the insects that attack ornamental trees, as well 
 as the flies and fleas that infest the sand in the streets. 
 There are some people always glad of a pretext for 
 destroying harmless birds and animals. I saw an 
 article in a San Francisco paper — written by a gentle- 
 man of that place — inviting ' weary business citizens 
 of San Francisco to the sport of kilhng meadow-larks.' 
 The comparative ease with which the lark-fields could 
 be reached was urged as a reason for preferring that 
 
190 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 sport to the more common one of shooting quails and 
 hares. This individual had also made the discovery 
 that the little bird was fond of eating grapes, and vs^as 
 therefore himself delicious eating, as well as an enemy 
 to mankind. 
 
 The sentiment, ' It's such a beautiftd day ! let us go 
 and kill something,' which is said to be implanted in 
 the bosom of- many an Englishman, must have been 
 very strong in that of the lark-slayer. But, until a 
 law is passed prohibiting the ruthless slaughter of 
 robins, larks, and small birds in general, crops must 
 s.uffer and ravaging insects reign supreme. 
 
 The farms and corn-fields in the Valleys of 
 Sacramento and San Joaquin, as well as in the more 
 southern districts of California, give the traveller some 
 idea of the immense resources of that country. As I 
 journeyed on to Marysville I saw the golden grain 
 stretching over the plain, down the slopes of the 
 ravines, over the opposite hills, and into the distant 
 valley ; and frequently not a tree or shrub disturbed 
 the view. Such tall stalks, too, and long full ears ! A 
 farmer told me that on- some of his land the product 
 generally reached sixty bushels to the acre, and eighty 
 bushels per acre are known to have been taken from- 
 some places. The machine used at harvest-time merely 
 cuts off the heads of the grain and tlnrows them into a 
 large cart, which looks like a house moving by the 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO MOUNT SHASTA. 191 
 
 side of it. I saw acres and acres that had already been 
 cut. The stubble would have gladdened the eye of 
 many a sportsman in England on the 1st of September 
 — cover almost sufficient to hide a tiger, and forming a 
 safe retreat for the fowls of the air. 
 
 The yield of wheat to the acre was formerly won- 
 derful in Cahfornia. But now, owing to poor farming, 
 in many districts the yield as a rule has been brought 
 down to twenty bushels per acre where it used to 
 average from ninety to a hundred. The land receives 
 neither rest nor manure ; and even the straw is burned. 
 What with ' volunteer crops,' turning cattle in to feed, 
 and burning the land, many farms are ruined. A 
 ' volunteer crop ' is one that springs up of itself in an 
 uncultivated field, from scattered seeds of the pre- 
 ceding year. These crops are often wonderfully rich, 
 receiving no aid from human labour, and are much 
 sought after by lazy farmers. 
 
 Wherever the land is properly cultivated the 
 average yield is forty bushels. But, what with the im- 
 provident habits of the people and the almost total 
 absence of real economy in farming, the grain-fields of 
 California are in great danger of being laid waste and 
 desolate. 
 
 It has always appeared to me that the farmers paid 
 too much attention, or rather gave too much land to 
 wheat-raising, instead of raising different crops, and 
 
193 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 pursuing the other occupations usually included in 
 farming operations. At present, if rain fails at the 
 usual season, or if locusts devastate the country, the 
 farmer is often ruined, although he calculates that 
 one good season will compensate him for two bad 
 ones. But everything here is left too much to chance 
 and the great fertility of the soil. 
 
 Fruit is so plentiful that no trouble is taken in 
 growing it, and the best varieties are neglected ; con- 
 sequently, the peaches, plums, nectarines, and straw- 
 berries, although in wonderful profusion, do not equal 
 the European fruits in flavour and quality. Cherries, 
 apples, and pears seem to grow to much greater perfec- 
 tion, but in no greater quantities, than other fruils. An 
 orchard I saw near Marysville was a perfect wonder, 
 both in extent and the quantity of fruit. But with all 
 the advantages of climate and soil, skilled labour is 
 still greatly needed in California, both for farming and 
 fruit raising, and for dairy-farming and wine-making. 
 The art of making good butter and cheese, and still less 
 the art of making good wine, has not yet reached 
 the Pacific Coast. 
 
 On reaching Marysville I found the little town in a 
 great state of excitement, owing to an attempt which 
 had just been made to rob the Bank. In the broad 
 daylight a man walked into the Bank, and levelhng a 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO MOUNT SHASTA. 193 
 
 pistol at the clerk, who was the only occupant of the 
 room at the time, began to break open the desks. The 
 clerk dropped behind the counter and contrived to 
 crawl to the manager's room. Arming himself with a 
 shot-gun, the manager boldly faced the intruder, who 
 made for the door, and was instantly shot down. His 
 confederate, who was waiting outside, and was mounted, 
 galloped off on hearing the report. A hot pursuit en- 
 sued, but without success. However, from the descrip- 
 tion given of his accomplice by the dying man, there 
 was no doubt about his ultimate capture — at least, so 
 said the police. For my own part I doubted it greatly. 
 
 The gardens of Marysville appeared to be a favourite 
 resort of the humming-birds. They literally swarmed 
 with these beautiful little creatures. They were of two 
 kinds, but their plumage was not so brilliant as that of 
 the South American humming-birds. 
 
 In the httle garden opposite my room I had 
 frequently noticed one of these birds which had much 
 brighter plumage than the others, and I had named him 
 ' Euby,' from his ghttering throat. One morning he 
 was attacked by two very plain-plumaged birds ; for 
 what cause I could not make out, except that he was 
 so much handsomer than his assailants. They struck at 
 one another with their long beaks, then soared into the 
 air for a moment, darting down swiftly again amongst 
 
 
 
194 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 the flowers. There was so much quiet grace in their 
 movements that it seemed impossible they could really- 
 hurt one another ; but suddenly poor Euby fell flutter- 
 ing to the ground. I ran out to his assistance, but he 
 was quite dead when I reached him. I found that one of 
 his eyes had been put out, evidently by a blow from the 
 sharp beak of one of his murderers. They were still 
 hovering near, but presently flew swiftly away — per- 
 haps in search of another victim. 
 
 I had Euby stufied, that being the only kindness 
 left me to show him. But nothing could bring back 
 the grace and bee-hke movements of the living bird. 
 
 The intense heat — it had been very nearly 100° in 
 the shade for some days — made me look forward to the 
 lono- staging with anything but pleasure; indeed, I may 
 as well say at once that I think nothing would induce 
 me to undergo the heat, or encounter the dust and the 
 intensely painful jolting of that journey again. When 
 I call to mind some of the eating-places, the beef- 
 steaks cut from a boot-leg, the plates of cakes appa- 
 rently made out of an old flannel petticoat, and the 
 grumpiness of some of the proprietors, I cannot help 
 feeling that Shenstone never alluded to this journey 
 when he wrote : — 
 
 ' Whoe'er haa travelled life's dull round, 
 Where'er his stages may have been, 
 May sigh to think he still has found 
 The warmest welcome at an inn.' 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO MOUNT SHASTA. 195 
 
 Bedding was the name of the station where the 
 railroad terminated, and our misery began, in the shape 
 of ricketty old stage-coaches with seats of wrought-iron, 
 or something equally hard and agreeable to sit upon. 
 
 The train arrived at midnight, and the coach started 
 at one in the morning. That hour was the usual 
 one for starting all through the journey — that is, if the 
 start was made at the appointed time. But whether 
 the departure took place a few hours before or a few 
 days after was apparently of no consequence whatever. 
 My travelling companions were two commercial 
 travellers of the most snobbish description, two Celes- 
 tials of the ordinary type, and an elderly female with a 
 face like a water-melon, and who in answer to any and 
 every remark that was made never replied otherwise 
 than ' I guess so.' My vis-d-vis was a middle-aged 
 lady, decidedly inclined to embonpoint — I think you 
 might almost have called her stout. As we progressed 
 by a series of bumps and jerks, she was sent flying into 
 my arms at intervals of half-a-minute. At last I 
 became quite expert in catching her whenever she was 
 propelled towards me, and then she would apologise 
 and flounder back into her seat. My style of architec- 
 ture being somewhat bony and angular, I do not think 
 she appreciated this game of ball as much as she might 
 otherwise have done, and I could hear her groan when- 
 ever she came against any particularly sharp angle. 
 
196 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Towards daybreak I maaaged to get a seat on the 
 box, and found we were surrounded by thick, darkling 
 woods, through which our road lay for the greater part 
 of the journey. The driver told me an amusing story 
 of a robbery that had lately been effected near that part 
 of the road we were passing, and where, as I have 
 lately heard, the stage-coach has again been attacked 
 and robbed by highwaymen. The driver's story ran , 
 as follows : — 
 
 A man, whose appearance was that of a miner, 
 was travelling along the road, when he suddenly heard 
 a great noise from amongst the bushes, which were 
 thicker on one side of the path than the other. Think- 
 ing that robbers were there, he fired off a pistol, and 
 the outcry ceased. On making his way through the 
 bushes he discovered a man tied to a tree. ' Thank 
 goodness you're come,' he exclaimed. ' I have been 
 waylaid, and the ruffians were robbing me, but when 
 they heard the report of your pistol they made off.' 
 
 ' Have they robbed you of everything ? ' asked the 
 traveller. 
 
 ' ' No, only of my watch,' was the reply, ' as I 
 had, fortunately, placed all my money in my right 
 boot, and the villains hadn't time to search for it.' 
 
 ' And couldn't you get loose ? ' 
 
 ' No, they have tied me too tight.' 
 
 ' Are you sure they are all gone ? ' 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TQ MOUNT SHASTA. 197 
 
 ' Oh, quite sure,' said the poor man ; ' I could hear 
 them ride off on their horses.' 
 
 ' Then,' said the other, ' as they're gone, I think I'll 
 finish the job myself.' Which he did ! 
 
 Stage robbing is quite a profession in the Far West, 
 and it has this peculiar advantage for its professors — no 
 one ever thinks of resisting. The coach, bearing most 
 probably a box of treasure, belonging to Wells, Fargo, 
 and Company, is stopped in the depth of the forest by 
 the captain of the gang, who covers the vehicle with 
 his repeatiag-rifle, whilst another of the robbers opens 
 the door and requests the passengers to ahght. 
 
 The search then begins ; and after all the valuables 
 have been taken a pohte good night is bidden by the 
 highwaymen, and the coach is allowed to proceed. 
 
 JSTo one grumbles, and everybody understands what 
 a ' six-shooter ' means when pointed at his head. This 
 non-protecting principle does not arise from want of 
 courage, for a Cahfornian possesses rather too great a 
 disregard for his life; but as money is so easily come by, 
 it is taken as a necessary evil that it may depart in a 
 like manner. Besides, even if travellers carry arms 
 they are pretty certain not to be ready for use when 
 required — thus, everything is made as pleasant and 
 agreeable as possible. Summary punishment is often 
 inflicted on the robbers ; for in spite of the masks they are 
 frequently recognised, and the pohce are soon on their 
 
1 98 WESTERN WANDERING'S. 
 
 track. There is no summoning to surrender or par- 
 leying with robbers in California ; the quickest and 
 surest shot is the man who comes off best. 
 
 We were delayed for a few hours in our first day's 
 journey by the bridge being broken that spanned 
 a narrow ravine. The stout lady was terribly 
 frightened, and asked the water-melon lady if she 
 didn't think the robbers had broken the bridge on 
 purpose. ' I guess so,' was the answer, and that was 
 all the consolation she received. Eventually she put 
 her money into her blue cotton umbrella, which she 
 thought a good hiding-place, and for the rest of the 
 journey she saw highwaymen in every thicket and 
 robbers behind every rock. 
 
 If it had not been for the dust, which was far worse 
 than even anything I had experienced on the Yosemite 
 route, our first day's drive would have been delightful. 
 Sometimes the road ran through miles of solemn pines, 
 gloomy and still, and with no undergrowth, only level 
 beds of brown moss dotted with dropped cones. At 
 other times we passed through long alleys of buck-eye, 
 manzanita, and red-woods, with here and there a 
 gigantic cedar or sugar-pine ; now and then we crossed 
 a rushing mountain-stream, the banks of which, 
 covered with ferns and fragrant lilies, were in charm- 
 ing contrast with the red rocks and silver-grey 
 lichens. There seemed to be but few birds, with the 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO MOUNT SHASTA. 199 
 
 exception of red-shafted woodpeckers ; perhaps an 
 occasional jay would fly screaming between the dark 
 branches, but otherwise there was no sound of bird or 
 beast to break the stillness, which was apt to become 
 rather oppressive. 
 
 Generally in California the inns on travelled roads 
 are very fair, but on this occasion we found some 
 thoroughly bad specimens — the outside very preten- 
 tious, the inside totally neglected. 
 
 In California one never thinks of grumbling at 
 public accommodation; consequently, no improve- 
 ment is made until competition absolutely compels it. 
 Public criticism would do a vast amount of good and 
 correct many abuses in America, but it never occurs to 
 anyone to write to the papers on the subject. 
 
 I think stage-drivers and the class of people met 
 with on the coaches are fonder of betting than any other 
 people in the world, not excepting Chinese and Indians. 
 It is perhaps more in their peculiar mode of expressing 
 themselves than in the actual stakes that their betting 
 consists. No sentence is ever completed and no opinion 
 ever expressed or answer given without, ' bet your 
 life,' ' you bet,' or ' bet your boots.' The latter is the 
 favourite expression ; it extends all through the West, 
 and, I am sorry to say, up into Biitish Columbia, 
 where they ought to have more command of language 
 than to adhere strictly to one style of gambling exclama- 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 tions. I asked a driver whether it was a Cahfornian 
 saying, and he answered, 'jest as much Enghsh as 
 Cahfornian, you bet your boots ; ' and he continued — 
 alluding to the bagman inside — ' say, mister ; those 
 chaps ain't high-toned, and no specimens of Gahforny, 
 you bet your Hfe.' 
 
 The same man told me that he was the best whisky- 
 drinker thereabouts, and that he drank nothing else, as 
 it made him popular. Now, how whisky-drinking 
 could add to his popularity I am unable to conceive. 
 
 On the way, we stopped at a very neat httle farm- 
 house, at the edge of an almost circular cornfield. 
 Nearly the whole crop had been trampled down and 
 destroyed, and the owner informed us it had all been 
 done by grizzly bears. These animals are very fond of 
 sucking the ripe ears of corn, and will tread down acres 
 in a single night. Of all beasts that walk the earth a 
 grizzly is the most formidable, and it is a difficult matter 
 to get even professional hunters to pursue them. The 
 immense masses of muscle and fat over their vital organs 
 render them exceedingly difficult to kill outright, and a 
 wounded one is a terrible opponent. They can run as 
 fast as a horse, and their prodigious strength enables 
 them to crush a bull as easily as if he were a squirrel. 
 However, they seldom attack man, unless they are 
 wounded or have their cubs with them. They are then 
 very dajigerous and savage. 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO MOUNT SHASTA. 201 
 
 The rage for spiritualism, which is very strong in 
 the large towns of California, had reached the wilds 
 through which we were travelling, and we passed a small 
 cottage, a dirty untidy-looking place, where the mother 
 and daughter had of late taken to seeing ghosts and 
 spirits. They had given up all work, being under the 
 impression that mediums should be above attending to 
 domestic duties. The consequence was that the husband 
 and father, who considered spirits, except of a certain 
 Idnd, as imnecessary to his social comfort and position, 
 used the most forcible arguments against the spectres 
 and their mediums, and the shanty was a continual 
 scene of strife and wailing. The unhappy proprietor 
 got into the coach, and informed the driver that there 
 was another tea-party of spirits in prospect ; and that he 
 had made up his mind to leave home and never return 
 to it. This threat, I found out, had been repeated 
 so often, that now it was generally discredited ; and 
 when he descended at the next halting-place it was 
 understood that the following morning would see him 
 on his way back. Spiritualism as a religion is advanc- 
 ing with rapid strides in America. 
 
 One of the chief causes of its success is that it includes 
 amongst the members of its Church everybody who in 
 any way believes in the supernatural, and gratifies the 
 tastes of its believers in any form most pleasing to 
 themselves. 
 
202 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 After crossing the wooded valley of Pitt river — or, 
 as it is generally called, the Upper Sacramento — the 
 road constantly ascended amidst brown hiUs covered 
 with fine oaks, until, on reaching the crest, pine-forests 
 again surrounded us and extended up the picturesque 
 Castle Eocks, which reared their sharp peaks far off on 
 our left. This range of granite and limestone rocks 
 attains an elevation of about 3,000 feet, and extends 
 along the Pitt Valley. The summit is broken into 
 innumerable ragged forms resembling gigantic 
 castles, with battlements and donjons, whose clearly- 
 defined walls and angles stand out boldly against the 
 bright blue of the California sky. The glare of the sun 
 falHng on the snowy limestone peaks is perfectly 
 dazzling, and it is a relief to turn the eye towards the 
 blue-grey granite cliffs and the shadows of the wooded 
 crests below. 
 
 Sometimes the valley broadens into prairie breadths 
 and plains covered with rank grass, surrounded by 
 slopes clad with manzanita and cotton- wood, where the 
 Pitt Eiver Indians dwell and spear their salmon. Now 
 and then a settler's hut may be seen, with a httle culti- 
 vated land around it. But farming does not answer well ; 
 and though the land is light and easy to work, it is 
 generally less easy to secure the crops. 
 
 Continually traversing woods of mountain-pines, we 
 at length caught a glimpse of Mount Shasta ; its 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO MOUNT SHASTA. 203 
 
 rugged snowy peak, standing like a sentinel at the 
 entrance of the Sacramento Valley. Presently we 
 arrived at ' Soda Springs,' and the heat and dust of the 
 day rendered the water more delicious than the best 
 manufactured soda-water I ever drank. The water of 
 these springs, in which iron and soda predominate, is 
 highly charged with carbonic acid gas. It effervesces 
 strongly, and is extremely pleasant to the taste. Inva- 
 lids often spend weeks at the inn, as the water has 
 wonderful curative powers — it certainly creates a most 
 voracious appetite. 
 
 I met at the Springs two travellers who were going 
 to ascend Mount Shasta on the following day ; and as 
 they had no objection, I gladly joined them in their 
 expedition, and was not at all sorry to say good-bye to 
 the lumbering old coach for a time. 
 
204 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XIII. 
 
 MOUNT SHASTA. 
 
 Game — Foliage — Barrenness — Night — Morning — Clouds — The crater- 
 Boiling springs — View — Sunset — Red snow — Sisson's — Play of colour 
 — Packing — The trail — Our first deer — American deer — Destruction of 
 game out of season. 
 
 Mount Shasta is the most striking feature of Northern 
 California. Its height is about 14,500 feet above the 
 sea — very nearly the height of Mont Blanc. Mont 
 Blanc is broken into a succession of peaks, but Shasta 
 is one stupendous peak, set upon a broad base that 
 sweeps out far and wide. From the base the volcanic 
 cone rises up in one vast stretch of snow and lava. It 
 is very precipitous to the north and south, but east and 
 west there are two slopes right up to the crater. It is 
 a matter of doubt whether Shasta is dead or only sleep- 
 ing. Vesuvius slept calmly for centuries, and then 
 spread death and desolation for miles around. The 
 base of the mountain is magnificently watered and 
 wooded, and forms a splendid hunting-ground. The 
 woods are full of deer and bears'; and now and then 
 a mountain-goat, an animal very hke the chamois 
 
MOUNT SHASTA. 205 
 
 of the Alps, is seen in the higher part of the moun- 
 tain. 
 
 Well-provided with blankets and provisions, we 
 started with a guide, and a man to look after the horses, 
 at a very early hour, and rode through a beautiful forest 
 of pines, silver firs, and cedars. Along the banks of the 
 streams were aspens, wiUows, and the trees known by 
 the name of the ' Balm of Gilead,' whose vivid green 
 leaves were akeady changing to a rich orange or an 
 apple-red — forming a beautiful contrast of colours 
 with the glazed green of the cedars and the green- 
 tinted white of the silver firs. 
 
 After an easy ascent to a height of about 8000, feet 
 we reached the limits of vegetation. Thence our up- 
 ward path lay over snow, ice, and lava — lonely, isolated 
 barrenness on every side, relieved only by an occasional 
 sohtary dwarf-pine, struggling to retain life amidst 
 fierce storms and heavy-weighing snow. Many of them 
 were quite dead, but embalmed by frost and snow in a 
 never- decaying death. 
 
 With a few loads of this fuel we soon made a 
 splendid fire, the warmth of which was most welcome 
 in the cold rarefied atmosphere. Scarcely had we 
 finished a capital supper ere night descended, and great 
 clouds and fitful fogs began to drift past. These in 
 their turn broke, and the moon threw a weird light over 
 the forest below ; whilst above rose piles upon piles 
 
2o6 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 of pinkish lava and snow-fields, reaching far up into the 
 sky, whose magnificent blue grew more sparkling and 
 clear every moment. 
 
 Wrapping ourselves in our bundles of blankets, we 
 crept as close as possible to the huge fire, and before 
 long my companions were fast asleep and snoring. I 
 could not sleep a wink, and mentally registered a vow 
 never again to camp out without a pillow. No one can 
 tell till he has tried it the dilFerence there is between 
 going to sleep with a pillow under the head and a stone 
 or a pair of boots or saddle as its resting-place. 
 
 The deep silence, unbroken save by a most unro- 
 matic snore, was painfully oppressive, and I longed to 
 hear even a growl from a bear or a deep whine from 
 a Californian lion.^ ■ I hstened intently, for it seemed as 
 if the slightest sound, even a hundred miles away, 
 ought to be heard, so still and frosty was the air. 
 
 But none fell on my ear, not even a murmur to 
 soothe one to sleep, and I began to think bears and lions 
 were snares and delusions, when, just as I was dozing 
 off, I felt my arm violently pulled, and a voice called 
 out that it was time for us to make a start. Hot coffee 
 soon had a cheering effect, and long before dayhght we 
 left our warm camping-ground, and began the higher 
 
 1 These so-called lions are a sort of panther, and abound in most 
 parts of California and Oregon. They are very cowardly, and seldom 
 attack a man, unless they can spring on him from a tree, and not often 
 then. 
 
MOUNT SHASTA. 207 
 
 ascent on foot. Broken stone and slabs of lava afforded 
 pretty good foothold, far preferable to the fields of 
 frozen snow, which we carefully avoided. After a 
 couple of hours' hard walking we seemed to be just as 
 far from the summit as when we started ; but the views 
 gradually became grander. Prom a rocky promontory 
 we looked back over a sea of glittering clouds, the only 
 land visible being the peaks of the Coast range, near 
 the Pacific ; all else was cloud, to which the moonlight 
 lent an almost dazzling whiteness. — 
 
 'Far clouds of feathery gold, 
 Shaded with deepest purple, gleam 
 Like islands on a dark blue sea.' 
 
 When the sun rose and the mists cleared off, the 
 scene was indescribably grand, and the gradual un- 
 folding of the vast panorama unapproachable in its 
 splendour. 
 
 After some hours of weary climbing over crumbling 
 scoria and splintered rock we reached the crater. In 
 the ascent to the summit overlooking the crater, we had 
 to cross an ice-field. It had that blue tinge found in the 
 ice of which glaciers are composed, and its slipperiness 
 made it almost impossible to walk over it, the ice lying 
 often in ridges resembling the waves of the sea. 
 
 The main crater covers several acres. It is hemmed 
 in by rims of rock, and is filled with volcanic debris, 
 covered with snow and ice. Numbers of little boiling 
 
2o8 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 springs were bubbling up through the bed of sulphur, 
 and were suggestive of the subterranean fires which once 
 threw their molten lava over the surrounding country. 
 The view from the summit was most extensive, and 
 fortunately there was none of the usual smoke from the 
 forest-fires, so prevalent in autumn in Northern 
 California and Oregon, to impede the range of vision. 
 
 Looking northward, far over into Oregon, we could 
 see her lakes, valleys, and mountains. Southward, we 
 could trace the Sacramento and Pitt rivers. The great 
 boundary-wall of the Sierra Nevada lay to the east, and 
 farther onward, the deserts and sparkling lakes of 
 Utah could be distinguished. To the west, the sinuous 
 outline of the Coast range was visible, and beyond, the 
 broad Pacific shelved away to the horizon. Fertile 
 valleys, rugged mountains, wood and water, all lent their 
 aid to enhance the beauty of this unsurpassable scene. 
 
 The descent to our camping-ground was accom- 
 plished in a comparatively short time. On the way, we 
 stopped to witness a most glorious sunset. Pound the 
 horizon ran a thin mist with a brilliant depth of colour- 
 ing. To the east, a blue gauze seemed to cover each 
 valley as it sank into night, and the intervening ridges 
 rose with increasing distinctness. The lower country 
 was flooded with an exquisitely delicate fight, and a 
 few fleecy clouds tinted with gold, pale salmon, and 
 sapphire, passed over the empurpled hills of the Coast 
 
MOUNT SHASTA. 209 
 
 range. The great shadow of Mount Shasta spread 
 itself, cone-like, across the valley ; the blue mists were 
 quenched ; the distant mountains glowed hke fairy hills 
 for a few moments ; and the sun, poising itself like a 
 great globe of fire in the darkening heavens, descended 
 slowly below the golden ridge to illumine another 
 hemisphere. 
 
 During our descent we passed through some patches 
 of red snow, which leaves a crimson track behind those 
 who cross over it. This curious phenomenon is always 
 avoided by the Shasta Indians when acting as guides 
 or porters, as they say it brings death if you tread on 
 it willingly and after due warning. We found a warm 
 fire to welcome us on our arrival at the camp, and the 
 exertions of the day made us very wiUing to turn in 
 among the blankets, where we slept soundly till long 
 past daybreak. The following day, when we arrived 
 at our original starting-point, my companions resumed 
 their journey to San Francisco, and I went on to Sisson's, 
 a station on the stage-road, whence I was to start on a 
 shooting expedition amongst the Castle Eocks. 
 
 Sisson's, so-called after the name of the proprietor, 
 is a very dehghtful place to spend a few days at. The 
 view of Mount Shasta, which is directly opposite the 
 house, is magnificent ; and Sisson himself is a capital 
 sportsman and guide, and succeeds in making his 
 guests very comfortable. Looking at Mount Shasta is 
 
 p 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 occupation enougli for some time. The play of colour 
 on the mountain is extraordinary. The lava, which is 
 of a rosy hue, often penetrates through the snow, and 
 when the sun shines upon it the effect is most beautiful. 
 The pure white fields of snow are diversified by great 
 blue glaciers, and when the sunbeams fall with refracted 
 glory on the veins of ice they exhibit wonderful tints 
 of opal, green, and pink. The effects produced by the 
 mingling colours of lava, snow, and ice, and the con- 
 trasting shadows of a deep violet hue are so varied, 
 and the radiation of colour at sunrise and sunset so 
 vivid, that it is difficult to keep the eyes turned from 
 the mountain — for nothing seems worthy of consider- 
 ation in comparison with Shasta. 
 
 I had heard at San Francisco so much about the 
 great quantity of deer in the region whither we were 
 bound, that I confess I was rather sceptical on the 
 point; as it invariably happens that where good 
 shooting is looked for upon mere hearsay the results 
 are most deplorable. However, our little cavalcade, 
 consisting of Sisson, his two hunters, and myself, set 
 out early one morning for Castle Lake, near which we 
 were to fix our first camp. 
 
 The pack-horse which carried our tent, cooking 
 utensils, provisions, &c. seemed to possess a capacity 
 for carrying as much as a luggage-van. When all had 
 been packed on his back — and it was no light load — 
 
MOUNT SHASTA. 
 
 there was still room for more, and he tro1,ted off as 
 gaily as our own. less encumbered animals. 
 
 Considerable skill is required to 'pack' a horse 
 well. Our load overlapped too much at the sides, and 
 the consequence was, that in going through the bush 
 and between trees the entire load was twice swept 
 from the back of the animal, which gladly seized the 
 opportunity to disappear in the woods on a foraging 
 expedition. 
 
 We were soon in the depths of the forest, following 
 an indistinct trail in Indian file, and keeping a sharp 
 look-out for deer. The trail led into a tangled maze 
 of bracken and rose-briar, with now and then long 
 vistas into the green heart of the wood. Presently 
 we descended a steep track into a wooded ravine, from 
 the dark recesses of which issued the rushing noise of 
 a mountain stream, which soon came in view, tumbUng 
 over loose rocks and stones in frothing white masses. 
 Here and there were long deep reaches covered with 
 foam- crested circles of sparkling water, sweeping down- 
 wards to other falls, and the more noisy rapids, and over- 
 hung by drooping cedars and mountain cypress. 
 Beyond, the rocky pine-clad steep rose black against 
 the sky. 
 
 A low whistle from Sisson, who was in advance, 
 called my attention to a fine deer which was standing 
 in the shade of the trees, hardly a hundred yards off, 
 
 p 2 
 
212 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 gazing curiously at us, and showing its alarm by a 
 quick little stamp of tlie foot. In a second I was off 
 my horse ; I pulled the trigger of my rifle, and had the 
 sa,tisfaction of seeing our first deer disappear in the 
 bushes. Sisson declared the bullet had struck the rock 
 just over the animal's shoulder, and that it was a capital 
 ' line shot.' But I determined to avoid ' Hne shots ' for 
 the future, however capital they might be. It was the 
 only deer fired at that day, though we saw two or 
 three more in the distance. 
 
 The American deer is very like the European red 
 deer in size, but differs somewhat in the structure and 
 shape of its horns. In colour it is generally of a 
 reddish-brown, with white on the throat an,d chin. The 
 ears are tipped with dark brown, and the tail is white 
 beneath, a circumstance soon discovered by an indif- 
 ferent shot. The killing of these deer has by law 
 been restricted to five months — August to December, 
 inclusive. In some counties it is lawful to shoot them 
 only during September and the two following months 
 Laws, however, are useless so long as the spirit of the 
 population is set against their enforcement, and the 
 merciless and incessant war waged on every wild ani- 
 mal, bird, and fish, at all times and in all places, in 
 season and out of season, will soon render hunting, 
 shooting, and fishing in America sports of the past. 
 The wanton destruction of the buflalo in the West 
 
MOUNT SHASTA. 213 
 
 (only last November over five hundred were slaughtered 
 in two days, near Denver, by white men), the murdering 
 of hundreds of moose in Canada, and the knocking on 
 the head with clubs of thousands of deer in New York 
 and other States, by men on snow-shoes, during the 
 deep snows of winter, are examples of the strange per- 
 versity and folly of the white settlers of every part of 
 America. Civilisation and culture have nothing to do 
 with the decrease of game, as game increases in the 
 same ratio as cultivation increases, if woodland is left of 
 sufficient extent to afford shelter to the animals, and 
 they are unmolested during the breeding-season. 
 
 But some people kill for the mere love of slaughter ; 
 and the destruction of forests by fire, the roasting of 
 eggs in spring, the reckless annihilation of animals 
 at seasons even when they are utterly useless, and with 
 the sure prospect of a total extermination, are all 
 nothing compared to a little present selfish advantage. 
 It has been urged that it is quite impossible to institute 
 game laws in a new State. But there are very few 
 States in America which are not old enough by this 
 time to comprehend what are their own interests ; and 
 the rigid enforcement of the laws, and the example of 
 educated men who are settled throughout the rural 
 districts, would soon produce some effect on the minds 
 of the masses as regards the wholesale destruction of 
 game out of season. 
 
214 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XIV. 
 
 CAMPING OUT. 
 
 A frying-pan — Castle Lake— Famine— Fishing-— Dinner— A song— Fresh 
 quarters— Deer-hunting— Ambush — Mountain-sides — Bears- Wild 
 flowers — Home — Camp life— A duel — Woodpeckers— Maternal love. 
 
 OuB course for the greater part of the day's ride ran 
 up and down hills, having here and there deHghtful 
 clumps of mountain oaks, and, clustering beneath them, 
 groups of splendid tiger -lilies. It was almost dark when 
 we reached our camping-groimd at Castle Lake, but we 
 soon found a capital place for a halt by a clear running 
 stream, with plenty of grass growing near for the horses. 
 A fire was soon made, and by the time some grouse 
 and quails which we had shot on the way were ready 
 for cooking, it was discovered that Sisson had quite 
 forgotten to provide dishes or plates of any sort. 
 Luckily he had remembered the frying-pan, and that 
 for the next few days was the only article we had to 
 cook in and eat out of. 
 
 The weather was so lovely that, although we had 
 tents, we never used them during our ten days' expedi- 
 tion, but slept by the fire and beneath the bright stars 
 and tall solemn pine-trees. 
 
CAMPING OUT. 21 s 
 
 By daybreak we were up and swimming in the lake, 
 which at that hour was almost too cold for much enjoy- 
 ment ; but the early morn being the best time for deer- 
 shooting, we were obhged to be up before the sun. 
 Castle Lake is far more picturesque than Lake Tahoe, 
 and though much smaller it has far greater variety. 
 Steep wooded hills slope down to the water's edge, and 
 bare barren bluffs rise up perpendicularly from the 
 lake whilst banks of wild flowers clothe the low pro- 
 montories that sometimes jut out far beyond the steep 
 banks. 
 
 The first view of the lake was very beautiful. 
 The rosy light from the east was striking here and 
 there on the grey rocks and among the deep pine 
 glades ; and now and then across these bright streaks a 
 long-necked doe with her fawn would pass and repass, 
 whilst down at the water's edge a fine fat buck was 
 taking a long draught, quite regardless of the intruders 
 into his sanctum. 
 
 Our first morning's hunt was most unsuccessful. 
 We saw plenty of tracks of deer, but not one of the 
 deer that made them. We therefore returned, after 
 about six hours' extremely hard climbing and walking, 
 to our camp for breakfast. As Sisson had calculated 
 on our obtaining plenty of venison, he had provided no 
 meat ; or, as he said, "• nothing but bacon, and that I've 
 forgotten.' 
 
2i6 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 In the daytime it was too hot to do anything but 
 he under the trees by the side of the lake and wish for 
 the evening ; and as that time approached I began to 
 have serious doubts about the bill of fare for our 
 dinner, for we had eaten the last grouse at breakfast. 
 If I had only been a fisherman I might' have quieted 
 my fears in the mysterious absorption of fishing. But 
 I never had patience enough to become an adept 
 in the 'gentle craft,' whose soothing virtues, neither 
 poisonous, like opium, nor transient, like music, ought 
 to be cultivated early. Nevertheless the cravings of 
 hunger determined me to turn my mind to fishing. 
 Sisson had brought his fly-book and lines ; so we cut 
 ourselves rods, and whilst the others whipped the 
 waters with the lordly fly I contented myself with the 
 more humble grasshopper. The lake was said to be 
 teeming with fish ; but after an hour's dipping and 
 splashing, without the minutest result, I took my gun 
 and rushed up the nearest hill. At dark I returned, 
 without having fired a single shot, only to find that the 
 others had not caught a single fish — owing, they said, to 
 a ripple, but owing, I thought, to there being nothing 
 to catch. Oh ! that dinner ! no- fragrant stew, no grate- 
 ful soup — nothing but a few potatoes and beans, 
 washed down by oceans of tea. But we were all so 
 very hungry that we made a hearty dinner — agreeing 
 with Sancho Panza that ' the viscera upholds the heart, 
 
CAMPING OUT. 217 
 
 and the heart the stomach,' and that it was necessary 
 to eat well to be ready for the hard work of the 
 morrow. 
 
 Sitting round the fire, when the banquet was over, 
 somebody suggested a song as a suitable conclusion to 
 the festive occasion ; upon which one of the party, 
 evidently inspired with the idea that he held in his 
 hand a silver goblet of wine — the reality being a tin 
 cup of weak tea — struck up ' The Glorious Vintage of 
 Champagne ! ' The third line of the first verse, 
 
 'When man has nothing left to stake,' 
 
 was SO appropriate to our situation that it was enthusi- 
 astically encored, and the refrain sent us merrily to 
 bed. The next morning we determined to shift our 
 quarters to the other side of the lake, as it was evident 
 the deer had collected over there. As there was no 
 regular trail we had considerable difficulty in finding 
 our way. The pack-horses, too, would every now and 
 then rush between two trees ; and if they would not give 
 way, as was generally the case, why, the packs did, and 
 then there was half-an-hour's delay in tying them on 
 again. On our way we shot a deer — so the .provision 
 enigma was solved for the present, much to our dehght, 
 but to the sorrow of the old pack-animal, who thereby 
 had his load considerably increased. Having reached 
 the other side of the lake, we crossed the mountain and 
 
2i8 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 soon established our camp in a beautiful valley, -which 
 looked as if it ought to be a perfect home for wild 
 game. 
 
 Driving is the mode of deer-hunting most geaerally 
 practised in America. The shooters are placed round 
 a certain tract which is beaten by men and hounds. 
 But it is a dull stupid business for those who do 
 not happen to be in a lucky position ; even then there 
 is not much pleasure in discharging your gun or rifle 
 at a great timid animal which has been driven up 
 to within a short distance of you, where he stands 
 trembling, and with imploring eyes seemingly begging 
 not to be shot. But the worst practice of all is that 
 of lying in ambush near some ' lick ' or spring, to 
 which the deer comes down to drink, and shooting 
 him down in cold blood, without either difficulty or 
 excitement. 
 
 Indians are extremely fond of this mode of killing ; 
 but then they do it from necessity, to supply themselves 
 with food, not for sport. Our hunting-ground was 
 much too rough and hilly for horses ; and not caring 
 about 'lying in ambush,' we always started two and two 
 in opposite directions at daybreak, and shot what we 
 could by steady walking. We certainly had no cause 
 to complain of scarcity of game around our new camp ; 
 for on the second day after reaching it one of 
 the hunters was sent home with eight deer, and with 
 
CAMPING OUT. 219 
 
 orders to return as soon as possible with the forgotten 
 plates and dishes. 
 
 In the, early morning the hills were alive with 
 deer; and it was no unfrequent occurrence to meet 
 with one before we had left our camp five minutes. It 
 was very hard walking up the mountain-sides, as 
 most of the ground was covered with loose angular 
 rocks, which turned over when trodden upon. The 
 brush too was so thick as to be almost impenetrable. 
 But the quantity of game would have compensated for 
 many more difficulties than we had to encounter. One 
 morning we counted no less than twenty-seven deer, 
 singly, or in groups of two or three. We saw also two 
 or three black bears, and once had a long shot at one ; 
 but did not manage to kill him. Sisson was very 
 confident that we should meet with others, as the woods 
 were fuU of all sorts of berries, of which they are 
 extremely fond. One morning we found the tracks of 
 a bear round our camp. One of the hunters had heard 
 him, but it was too dark to see the brute, and bears 
 are very methodical in their movements. We laid in 
 wait for some hours, near a path along which bruin 
 had lately travelled, but never got a glimpse of 
 him. His keen scent had probably told him of our 
 whereabouts. 
 
 Our valley would have been a rare spot for a 
 botanist. Some of the wild flowers were most beautiful 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 — one kind particularly so. It opened only at sunrise, 
 and had an exquisite lilac tint, its leaves glistening with 
 dew like a diamond spray. Mountain-lihes looked up 
 from the dry grass, from the crisp bracken, and from the 
 arid hill-sides, each petal richly variegated and resem- 
 bling the plumes of a pea-fowl. There were open 
 glades green with herbage, and bright with many-hued 
 blossoms; and in the centre of some of these oases 
 were little sparkling springs, surrounded with hundreds 
 of pitcher- plants, which we made use of as cups. 
 This curious plant is an admirable fly-catcher. There 
 were always several dead flies and other insects at the 
 bottom of the long stems. Sometimes, a bunch of 
 forget-me-nots, with a few wild columbines, and 
 honey- suckle clustering round the briar-roses, recalled 
 to mind many a home-scene, and lilies, pitcher-plants, 
 strange ferns, and the wild deer would be all forgotten 
 at the sight of the well-remembered shrubs and famihar 
 flowers. At such moments one is apt to feel a great 
 longing for home and rest ; yet it is wonderful how 
 naturally we take to camp life. Its freedom and 
 simplicity, with the earth for a bed and the sky for a 
 ceiling, are very captivating for a time. Then there are 
 the glorious wild haunts into which it leads us ; the 
 awakening in the fresh gray of dawn ; the delicious 
 bath in the mountain torrent ; the appetite acquired by 
 healthful exercise and appeased by trout and venison 
 
CAMPING OUT. 
 
 (when you can can get them) cooked on the glowing 
 embers ; the pursuit of game up to the high mountain- 
 tops, and at night the ruddy watch-fire, round which we 
 gather and talk over the day's events, or teU stories of 
 the most heartrending description. 
 
 One of the most horrible stories- 1 ever heard was 
 told us by a hunter who had recently arrived from 
 Texas. It related to a duel that was fought in 
 July last, and of which he had been an eye-witness. 
 
 The duel was of so atrocious a character that I 
 should hesitate to record the particulars of it did I not 
 know that they are strictly true. They show too what 
 tragedies are still enacted in some parts of America, and 
 before a crowd of eager spectators. 
 
 A man of the name of Anderson had killed another, 
 named M'Cluskey, in a drunken fray. The brother of 
 the murdered man determined to be avenged, and at 
 length found Anderson at a place called Medicine Lodge, 
 in the Indian Territory. Both men, one a Texan and 
 the other from Kansas, were well-known desperadoes, 
 as utterly reckless of their own lives as of others'. 
 
 A duel was quickly arranged, and seconds chosen. 
 Eevolvers and bowie-knives were the weapons. At sun- 
 set they met in the presence of a number of trappers, 
 hunters, railroad surveyers, gamblers, and Indians. 
 
 They were placed back to back at a distance of 
 twenty-five paces, and according to previous arrange- 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 ment were to wheel round and fire at a given signal, and 
 after that to conduct the fight as each thought best. 
 They fired almost at the same instant. A pause ensued 
 — each combatant closely scanning the other, to ob- 
 serve the effect of the shot. 
 
 Across Anderson's cheek was a deep furrow, from 
 which the blood trickled down and told of the sure aim 
 of his antagonist. 
 
 M'CIuskey remained standing ; to all appearance un- 
 harmed. But those near him saw a sudden contraction 
 of the nerves and his face blanched to a death-like pallor, 
 but none knew where the ball had taken effect. At 
 the second fire M'CIuskey anticipated his opponent, 
 and taking a deliberate aim broke his left arm. An- 
 derson uttered a sharp cry and sank on one knee, but 
 quickly recovering himself, returned the fire with dread- 
 ful effect. The ball passed through M'Cluskey's mouth, 
 carrying away several of the clenched teeth and lodging 
 in the base of the skull. He staggered forward wildly, 
 made desperate efforts to steady himself, and with 
 wonderful courage continued to advance. Anderson, 
 in his crippled state, wished to avoid a hand-to-hand en- 
 counter, and fired another shot, which broke M'Cluskey's 
 left shoulder. As if this was not enough, he sent another 
 ball after it, which striking him full, caused him to fall 
 heavily on his face. 
 
 M'CIuskey, now mortally wounded, and growing 
 
CAMPING OUT. 223 
 
 weaker every moment from loss of blood, still retained 
 his grasp of the pistol and fired at his antagonist. An- 
 derson had been closely watching for this, and tried to 
 save himself by dropping on the ground . Too late, 
 however, as the bullet struck him in the abdomen, and 
 he, Hke M'Cluskey, was now a djdng man. By a last 
 supreme effort M'Cluskey drew his knife, and feebly tried 
 to crawl in the direction of his enemy. The latter man- 
 aged to raise himself to a sitting posture, and prepared 
 to meet him. Both had dropped their revolvers, and 
 Anderson was unable to move any portion of his body 
 except his right arm. With this he raised his knife, and 
 as M'Cluskey crawled up within reach dealt him a 
 terrible blow in the neck, half-severing the head from 
 the body. The great effort caused him to pitch for- 
 ward on his face, leaving the knife sticking in the 
 wound. 
 
 Everyone supposed that the blow must instantly 
 have kUled M'Cluskey, yet before falling he twice 
 plunged his own knife into the body of Anderson. The 
 dead bodies, firmly locked in each other's embrace, were 
 taken to a house and laid out side by side on a gaming- 
 table, and in a few hours after were removed for burial. 
 
 We found in the valley two woodpeckers' stores. 
 The red-headed Cahfornian woodpecker has a great 
 talent for carpentering, and may often be seen busily 
 
224 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 engaged boring holes in the bark of a pine tree and 
 afterwards filling them up with acorns. The holes are 
 generally at an equal distance from each other, and just 
 the right size for the acorn. As these birds do not eat 
 acorns the reason for their stowing them away is not 
 very clear. Though the storing takes place in the autumn 
 yet a thorough inspection and critical examination of the 
 larder goes on all the year round. It is most amusing to 
 see one of the birds gravely examining the holes, as if he 
 were not quite satisfied that the distance between them 
 was correct. The old stump of a tree, called ' Stock im 
 Eisen,' which is still to be seen in Vienna, and into 
 which travelling artisans on passing through that city 
 used to drive nails, in order to bring luck, is very like 
 a large woodpecker's larder. 
 
 On our last day in the woods we saw a striking 
 instance of maternal afiection and courage in a doe. 
 Having killed all the deer that we wanted, we were 
 taking a stroll with our shot-guns, when a doe and fawn 
 suddenly jumped up quite close to us. The hound that 
 was usually held in a shp-knot happened to be loose, and 
 at once gave chase to the fawn, which he very soon 
 would have caught, had not the mother diverted his 
 attention by running close to him whenever he closed 
 on her child. I followed as fast as I could, and had not 
 the poor frightened creature run in a circle I should 
 not have been able to save it ; as it was, I got up just as 
 
CAMPING OUT. 225 
 
 the dog caught it, and the mother actually came to 
 within twenty yards of us, bleating most pitiably. Bret 
 Harte's lines were very applicable to this scene : — 
 
 ' And she looked me right in the eye — I'd seen nuthin like it before — 
 When I hunted a wounded doe to the edge o' the Cleai Lake shore ; 
 And I had my knee on its neck, and jist was raisin' my knife, 
 When it gave me a look like that, and — well, it got off with its life.' 
 
226 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XV. 
 
 FEOM TREE A TO THE LAVA BEDS. 
 
 Eaten by a bear— Forest fires— A desert — Sage-hens— Mountain-sheep- 
 Modocs— Indians— Belief— Cost of Indians— A liberal Government- 
 Indian agents — Present policy — Reservations— Issuing rations to 
 Indians— Sautanta and Big Tree— Bed Cloud- "War Department. 
 
 From Sisson's a forty miles' jolt on the old stage- 
 coach, through forests, up and down hills, and finally 
 across a broad cultivated valley — along one of whose 
 mountain sides ran a ' flume,' conducting water for a 
 distance of over seventy miles — brought us to the little 
 town of Yreka. From this place I was to branch off to 
 the Modoc country and the Lava Beds — a distance of 
 about a hundred miles. Yreka is a small but flourishing 
 
 O 
 
 mining town, with a temperature, when I was there, 
 exactly that of an oven. I was therefore very glad to 
 set off to the mountains, in company with two gentlemen 
 to whom I had letters of introduction. 
 
 The first part of our journey was between brown, 
 dry, and barren-looking hills, which in spring are 
 covered with herbage, and afford capital grazing for 
 sheep. Leaving these, we crossed a valley yellow with 
 stubble and dotted over with farm-houses, aud then 
 
FROM YREKA TO THE LAVA BEDS. ii-] 
 
 began the long mountain ascent. The low red rock, 
 hard foot-hills and hillocks, spiked with straggling oaks 
 and pines, were very picturesque, but reflected the heat 
 of the siin in a manner uncomfortably suggestive of sun- 
 stroke ; that evil, however, is of rare occurrence in 
 California. Presently we reached a sheep-ranch, where 
 a few weeks before a poor boy, who had gone up the 
 mountain in search of stray sheep, was killed by a bear 
 — at least such was the supposition, as the people who 
 sought for him found nothing but his cap, but saw 
 the tracks of a large bear, evidently from the marks, 
 in pursuit of some one running away. The track 
 had been followed as far as was possible, and Indians 
 skilful in following the faintest trail, had been 
 brought to assist, but nothing more had been dis- 
 covered. 
 
 After leaving the ranch we came to a splendid 
 stream, which rushed out of the bare rock after running 
 underground from its source near the top of the moun- 
 tain. The dense forest into which we soon plunged 
 afforded a most welcome shade, and we remained there 
 for the next two days — camping luxuriously in the 
 most dehghtful spots, but troubled now and then by 
 swarms of mosquitoes. On the other side of the moun- 
 tain we passed large tracts of forest on fire, sometimes 
 stretching for miles, and giving a charred, dismal aspect 
 to what would, otherwise, be a beautiful woodland scene. 
 
 ft 2 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 But the flames looked magnificent at night, lighting up 
 snowy Shasta with great effect. 
 
 In the west and north-west these vast fires rage all 
 through the autumn, their smoke covering the hills and 
 plains. And yet they appear to have very little effect 
 on the immense wooded regions in which they prevail. 
 In former times, the Indians used to encourage these 
 fires, that they might more easily hunt game and gather 
 the roasited acorns. But now, there are severe laws 
 against firing the brush and underwood. Yet careless 
 travellers and woodmen still leave their camp-fires 
 burning ; thereby often causing great damage to settlers, 
 and seriously affecting the water supply. Lakes that 
 once had water all the year round are now dry, except, 
 perhaps, in the spring-time, and streams disappear long 
 before they reach the lands through which they once 
 used to run. 
 
 Our last day's journey, before reaching the ranch 
 near which we intended to pitch our camp for a week's 
 hunting, was across a most forbidding district. For 
 miles and miles, nothing was to be seen but low sage- 
 brush and heaps of rock, with a few juniper trees 
 scattered among them. Now and then a villainous- 
 looking CO?/ (''^ would sneak across our path, making his 
 way to some distant spring, and ready to pick up any 
 sage-hen or rabbit foolish enough to come near him. 
 Eugged volcanic peaks towered in the distance, and aU 
 
FROM YREKA TO THE LAVA BEDS. 229 
 
 around was desolate and arid. The very juniper trees 
 increased the idea of thirst, as they grow only where 
 there is no water and hardly soil enough to support 
 their roots ; but they aflbrded a little shade from the 
 blinding sun, so we were grateful even for their melan- 
 choly shadows. Sometimes a snake hissed from the 
 scorching rocks and glided into the brown, dry, inter- 
 minable brush — adding to the loneliness of the vast 
 solitary desert : 
 
 ' Here silence reigned with lips of fjlue, 
 
 And, undisturbed, maintained her law, 
 Save where the owl cried, " Whoo ! whoo ! whoo ! " 
 
 Or the hoarse crow croaked, " Oaw ! caw ! caw ! " ' 
 
 The hours occupied in crossing this waste seemed 
 days, and our horses were as glad as we were our- 
 selves when we reached a small stream, whose banks 
 we followed for some distance until we arrived at our 
 camping-ground. 
 
 The following day, we amused ourselves by shooting 
 sage-hens and prairie-chickens. The former are big 
 birds, something between a pheasant and a barndoor 
 fowl. They were there in great numbers, but afforded 
 very little sport, and, as we afterwards discovered, were 
 very sagey, ill-flavoured birds. 
 
 One morning some Modoc Indians came to our 
 camp with venison for sale. One of them, who could 
 speak a few words of English, told us that in the moun- 
 tain above us there was a band of wild sheep. These 
 
230 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 animals are exceedingly shy, and difficult to approach ; 
 but as I was very anxious to obtain a head for stuffing 
 I set off the next morning to try if I could meet with 
 them. An eight- mile tramp of the most heart-break- 
 ing description brought me to the top of the mountain, 
 on the north side of which I spent the day, without 
 seeing a living animal of any sort. I then returned to 
 the camp, and found that my companions had killed a 
 deer, greatly to the disgust of the Modocs ; who had 
 refused to accompany me, because, as they said, they did 
 not like climbing after the sheep, but in reality because 
 they were too lazy to care for any shooting but that 
 obtained by lying in ambush. On this occasion my 
 friends had followed the example of the Indians, 
 but had chosen their ambush in a more fortunate 
 place. , 
 
 I made two more attempts to get at the sheep, and 
 finally succeeded in coming suddenly upon them on the 
 south side of the mountain ; just where the Indians had 
 said they would not be. I had not time to pick and 
 choose, but fortunately the head of the one I did get 
 was a very fine one with magnificent horns, and it 
 was no light work carrying it into camp. 
 
 The mountain-sides were tangled with thick chap- 
 paral and all sorts of wild berries, such as huckle- 
 berries, thimble-berries, currants, and a sort of cherry. 
 Some of the ravines ' were composed of masses of 
 
FROM YREKA TO THE LAVA BEDS. 231. 
 
 loose flints, down which I shded that evening, regardless 
 of my rent garments, and clutching at flimsy wisps 
 of grass, which parted at once from the inhospi- 
 table soil that had long ago pinched off the roots in its 
 iron grasp. But more often I was brought abruptly to 
 a stand-still, or rather sit-still, by thorny shrubs, dead, 
 perhaps, but in full possession of their prickly powers. 
 On arriving at our camping-ground I found that 
 my companions had arranged with the English-speak- 
 ing Modoc Indian, who was called ' Miller's Charlie,' 
 to guide me on the following morning to the Lava 
 Beds. They had visited them before, and did not 
 care to repeat the visit, as it necessitated a ride of over 
 thirty miles and across a wretched country without 
 any shade whatever. The Modocs who were camped 
 near us were aU known Indians. Only one of them — 
 the one who was to be my guide — had taken part in 
 the late war, and he only because compelled to it by 
 Captain Jack and his men. Still it was a matter of 
 
 surprise that they had been allowed to remain there 
 
 The settlers would have been very glad to have got rid 
 
 of them. 
 
 It may not be out of place here to say a few words 
 
 on the rights and wrongs of the Indians, and to give a 
 
 brief outline of the Modoc War. 
 
 There are altogether about a quarter of a million 
 
 of tribal Indians now remaining. Some are partly 
 
232 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 civilised, but most of them are in a state of utter bar- 
 barism. The Cherokees are the most civilised tribe, 
 and have their own written language, laws, churches, 
 and schools. The good qualities attributed to the red 
 men are, patient endurance, dignity of feeling, and self- 
 control. Yet, as a rule, they are treacherous and 
 proud, bloodthirsty, dirty, lazy, and ready to steal, 
 beg, or scalp, as it may suit their purpose. 
 
 When in need of anything, they can be humble 
 enough, and 'Eed Clouds' and 'Spotted Tails' then 
 swarm into Washington and try to gammon and over- 
 reach the ' Great Father.' The wild Indian still holds 
 to his ancient belief, that the white man is a poor weak 
 creature who can be humbugged and cheated at every 
 opportunity ; and the shifting pohcy and bad manage- 
 ment of the American Government does not tend to 
 lessen that belief. 
 
 The cost of these Indians, what with agencies, 
 army appropriations, presents, and pensioning, is about 
 eighty million doUars. The mismanagement of the 
 Legislature with regard to the Indians is proverbial, 
 and a different pohcy will be necessary before an end 
 to continual wars and outrages .can be expected. The 
 great Indian question is said to be, ' White man, got 
 any rum ? ' But that is looking at it more from a 
 social than from a political point of view. 
 
 It is not because the Government is parsimonious 
 
FROM YREKA TO THE LAVA BEDS. 233 
 
 that the Indians rise up in hostihty against the whites ; 
 for the Government is generous, and appropriates very 
 largely for the benefit and support of the Indians. 
 But it is because the Government is most indiscreet 
 in its selection of agents to carry out its compacts with 
 the Indians. The Government treats the Indians like 
 men and brethren, and makes all sorts of promises, con- 
 tracts very formal treaties, and when the big chiefs 
 appear at Washington for a ' pow-wow ' sends them 
 back to their hungry tribes with promises of beef, 
 beads, and blankets. It then furnishes unprincipled 
 agents with the necessary- goods and provisions, and 
 they for their own gain at once set to work delibe- 
 rately to swindle and cheat the Indians. While the 
 Indian agent has the opportunity he generally makes 
 the most of his chances, and robs the Indians without 
 let or hmdrance — ' Cheat the Indian while the con- 
 tract lasts,' is his motto. 
 
 There are some men who have never betrayed the 
 trust reposed in them, biit such is not the case with 
 the Indian agent generally. Eecent investigation 
 has shown that some contractors used to cheat the 
 Indians out of seven of every eight dollars appropriated 
 for their support by the Government. A very ' elastic 
 currency ' is that in which the Indian agents transact 
 their dealings, and may well be called ' Indian robbery.' 
 The record of American legislation with the Indians 
 
234 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 has been a history of robbery, murder, fraud, and pro- 
 fligacy. 
 
 Who can wonder, therefore, that the Indian, driven 
 from his home and hunting-grounds, breaks forth into 
 acts of reprisal, of robbery, and even murder, under the 
 idea that it is a duty, a right and necessary thing to do, 
 even though he be killed for it, and that he ought not 
 to submit tamely to the wrongs inflicted by the white 
 men ? How can the Legislature arm the Indian, load his 
 rifle, feed him on beef, and expect that he will not shoot, 
 whilst allowing its agents to cheat him right and left ? 
 
 The United States Government is firm in its de- 
 termination that the Indians are neither to be exter- 
 minated nor abandoned, but are to be helped and pro- 
 tected. In 1872 President Grant wrote as follows : 
 ' If the present policy towards the Indians can be 
 improved in any way I will always be ready to receive 
 suggestions on the stibject ; but if any change is made 
 it must be made on the side of civihsation and Chris- 
 tianisation of the Indians. I do not believe our 
 Creator ever placed the difierent races of men on this 
 earth with the view of the stronger exerting all his 
 energies in exterminating the weaker.' 
 
 Even ' reservations,' which it is self-evident are 
 necessary for restricting the depredations and tribal 
 fights of the Indians, present great dilficulties to the 
 perplexing character of the Indian question. 
 
FROM YREKA TO THE LAVA BEDS. 235 
 
 No 'reservation' can be large enough to herd buffaloes. 
 The red man must hunt or plough to keep himself 
 alive, and cultivate the ground he will not. The manner 
 of issuing rations on these ' reservations ' has not tended 
 to civilise the red men to any great extent. 
 
 The agent furnishes the tribe with between one 
 hundred and fifty and two hundred head of cattle at a 
 time. The Indians then drive all but twenty or thirty 
 into an inclosure. Three or four of the copper-coloured 
 wretches then take their rifles and revolvers and com- 
 mence firing on the herd, taking no aim, but just bauging 
 away promiscuously — their great object being appa- 
 rently more to maim and torture the poor animals than 
 to kill them. The wounded cattle soon set up a bellow- 
 ing that the red-skins listen to with a delight that could 
 only be excelled if the cries were those of ' pale-face ' 
 victims. After the massacre is finished the Indians 
 jump into the corral, and there is then a strife for 
 securing the tongues and other parts of the animals, 
 which eaten raw are very choice to the led man's 
 palate. 
 
 Afterwards they turn their attention to the animals 
 reserved for a hunt. These are stampeded across the 
 prairie, and are pursued by the Indians on horseback 
 with lances and revolvers, a la buffalo hunt — their tor- 
 mentors uttering those hideous yells for which they 
 have long been famous. 
 
236 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 By means of spears and pistols, the miserable brutes 
 (I refer to the cattle) are so lacerated that they are soon 
 exhausted by loss of blood and the frantic pace at which 
 they have tried to elude their pursuers. When one falls, 
 the Indians try to urge it on, by goading, to another 
 race ; but when they fail in this, they stand over the 
 fallen beast and torment it until death ends its miseries. 
 The squaws are then turned out to get the carcases into 
 camp and cut them up. There are sometimes frightful 
 contests among them for choice portions of the animal ; 
 and a couple of them may frequently be seen hacking 
 at each other with knives over a tender sirloin. When 
 the last animal is killed, the Indians return to their 
 lodges ; their "bloodthirstiness whetted to such an edge 
 that the only wonder is that they can be restrained 
 from massacring the entire post. 
 
 The Indian Department still does the most extra- 
 ordinary things. Very lately, two chiefs, named respec- 
 tively, Santanta and Big Tree, both vile Indian mur- 
 derers, were captured and imprisoned, instead of 
 being hanged. After some correspondence between the 
 Governor of Texas and the Indian Department, in which 
 the latter almost begged that the prisoners should be 
 released, Santanta and Big Tree were restored to their 
 n)iserable tribes. And now news has arrived, as might 
 have been expected, that Big Tree has shown his grati- 
 
FROM YREKA TO THE LAVA BEDS. iyi 
 
 tude by leaving the ' reservation ' and going again on the 
 war-path — robbing and murdering wherever he can. 
 Western men all agree that there is but one policy to be 
 adopted towards the red man, and that policy consists 
 in the use of the rifle and the revolver. ' Scalp 'em fust 
 and talk to 'em after,' is the sentiment. The Indian 
 Commission lately wanted the Sioux Indians to abandon 
 their reservations in Nebraska and "Wyoming. Eed 
 Cloud, their chief, had the impudence to demand eleven 
 hundred stand of arras, and one hundred choice white 
 women for squaws. The commissioners offered some 
 arms, but dechned to give the women, although it was 
 thought at the time that it would be a fine opportunity 
 for getting rid of the female suffragists. The chances 
 are, they would have received a lesson on ' woman's 
 rights ' which they would not easily have forgotten. 
 
 There are in all ninety-two reservations, and the 
 tract known as Indian Territory is so extensive that it 
 would hold 250,000 Indians, giving 150 acres to each 
 man, woman, and child ; but they care not for acres 
 without buffaloes. 
 
 Even the best Indian agents lack the force and 
 power which savages alone respect. At present, if an 
 Indian suffers wrong he is much more likely to go for 
 redress to the officer commanding the nearest military 
 post than to his agent. In the one case, he sees with 
 his own eyes evidence of a force to compel obedience, 
 
238 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 whereas, in the other, he sees nothing of the kind. They 
 do not know what influences direct the so-called policy 
 of the Government, and they see in its shiftiness only 
 inefficiency. This brings about the question, why is not 
 the Indian Bureau under the conduct of the War Depart- 
 ment, instead of under that of the Department of the 
 Interior? Such men as General Sheridan and other 
 able military officers would soon sweep away the race 
 of Indian agents and save the country many a life, as 
 well as many a dollar. 
 
 It seems evident, while the policy is pursued of 
 treating the Indians as nations or tribes of a character 
 sufficiently independent to entitle them to the right of 
 making treaties, while they are yet to be supported more 
 or less by the Government, that they should remain in 
 the charge of that branch of Government to which the 
 country looks for the enforcement of the terms of the 
 treaty on the part of the Indians ; and that branch is the 
 War Department. The military forces are stationed on or 
 near the frontiers, where they can most securely keep in 
 check the raids and forays of the red men ; and it is right 
 that they should have some voice in preventing needless 
 Indian warfare, which is more fraught with hardship 
 and danger than any other, and affords less of that 
 opportunity which is the soldier's highest incentive, and 
 which confers his truest reward. 
 
THE MODOCS. 239 
 
 CHAPTEE XVI. 
 
 THE MODOCS. 
 
 Treachery — Treatiea — War — Murders — Modoc success — Peace Commis- 
 sion — Captain Jack — An interview — ^Warning — Murder of the Peace 
 Commissioners — Marvellous escape — Lower Klamath Lake — The camp 
 
 — The Lava Beds — Panic — Savage squaws — Warm Spring Indians 
 
 Surrender — Execution— Pelicans — Graves — After dark. 
 
 The Modocs are an offshoot of the Klamath Indians, a 
 tribe which has always evinced a quarrelsome and war- 
 like spirit. During one of their insurrections a chief 
 of the name of Modocus broke off with his followers 
 from the rest of the tribe, and estabhshed an indepen- 
 dent nation. 
 
 In 1864, some horses having been stolen from 
 the white settlers, a war was commenced against the 
 Modocs. In the course of this war numbers of emi- 
 grants were waylaid, tortured, and slain, and in conse- 
 quence a company of white men proceeded to the Modoc 
 country to avenge these wrongs. After first trying 
 poison, and faihng, they got the Indians to agree to a 
 'peace-talk.' The Indians arrived at the appointed 
 meeting-place and laid down their bows. Upon a 
 signal being given, the whites, with a treachery only 
 
240 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 equalled later by the murder of the Peace Commis- 
 sioners, opened fire on the Indians, and forty out of 
 forty-five were slain. In the same year a treaty was 
 made with Schonchin and Captain Jack, chief and sub- 
 chief of the band, in which they agreed to take up their 
 residence on the ' reservation.' After a short time they 
 got tired of their new quarters and returned to the old 
 ones. Several unsuccessfiil attempts were then made to 
 get them to return to the Klamath reservation ; and in 
 1869 the Superintendent determined that if possible 
 Captain Jack, who had then become chief, should, with 
 his followers, be sent back. A message was dispatched, 
 asking him to meet the Superintendent half-way. 
 The answer retiffned was to the effect, that if the 
 Superintendent wished to see Captain Jack he must 
 come to him. 
 
 The Superintendent then visited the Modocs, and 
 found the chief surrounded by seventy or eighty 
 warriors. A feast was proposed, but declined — for Jack 
 well remembered the poisoned banquet of 1864. 
 Finally, however, he consented to return to the Klamath 
 reservation, on condition that he should be allowed to 
 choose his own dweUing-place. But the 'medicine- 
 man ' objected to this, and, drawing his revolver, said 
 that they would not go there at all. 
 
 After some discussion, Jack retired to his camp to 
 hold a council, at which, as was afterwards found out, 
 
THE MODOCS. 241 
 
 a proposal was made to assassinate the white party. 
 Whilst the latter were anxiously awaiting the result of 
 the council, a detachment of soldiers arrived. The 
 Modocs were disarmed, and removed on the following 
 day to Lake Klamath. But Jack had escaped to the 
 Lava Beds. Messengers were sent to him, and he 
 agreed to come in, provided that the Klamath 
 Indians should not be allowed to taunt him with being 
 a coward. 
 
 This was agreed to, and the Modoc band was handed 
 over to the care of the agent. Jack now made up his 
 mind to remain on the ' reservation,' but after a time 
 the Klamaths began to insult him; and having ap- 
 pealed to the agent, he was provided with a new home. 
 The same thing happened again, and at last he declared 
 he would no longer remain in a home that was no 
 home to him at all, and accordingly he left the ' reser- 
 vation.' Towards the end of November 1872 the newly- 
 appointed agent sent orders to place the Modocs on 
 their ' reservation ' peaceably, if possible, but by force 
 if necessary. 
 
 The Indian camp was surprised, and one man re- 
 fused to surrender. He was disarmed ; a fight ensued, 
 and the Modoc War was begun. The news imme- 
 diately spread to the settlers, who organised themselves, 
 and operations for attack and defence were conducted 
 with ardour. Fourteen settlers were killed, and many 
 
 R 
 
242 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 more would probably have been murdered but for 
 timely warning given by friendly Modocs who had re- 
 ceived kindness from the owners of some of the ranches 
 scattered about the district. Volunteers Avere orga- 
 nised ; 400 soldiers were sent up, who at the first 
 battle near Lost Eiver retreated under cover of a brisk 
 fire. This victory gave great encouragement to the 
 Modocs. 
 
 The feeling against the Indians on the part of the 
 settlers was most bitter, on account of the numerous 
 murders that they had committed ; and although 
 Captain Jack was willing to make peace, the majority 
 opposed him, and they determined to fight it out. 
 
 Great preparations for war followed the first de- 
 feat ; troops were concentrated, and the Modocs, who 
 had gradually retreated to the fastnesses of the Lava 
 Beds, sent out emissaries to all the tribes on the 
 north-west. 
 
 At this time the Peace Commission was resolved 
 upon, and in February it succeeded in opening com- 
 munication between head- quarters and the camp at 
 the Lava Beds. Terms of peace were continually pro- 
 posed, and were at first accepted, then rejected by the 
 Indians. But at last, on April the 2nd, 1873, the Com- 
 missioners met the Modocs about half-way between the 
 stronghold and the Lava Beds. After the usual pre- 
 liminaries the talk began, and Captain Jack stated his 
 
THE MODOCS. 243 
 
 grievances. He said he had always advised his men 
 not to fight, and that all he wanted was a home on 
 Lost Eiver. As this could not be conceded the meet- 
 ing was adjourned; and when the Commissioners re- 
 turned to the camp they felt that they had narrowly 
 escaped with their lives, and determined to trust the 
 Modocs no more. 
 
 However, two days after, Captain Jack sent a mes- 
 sage asking Mi'. Meacham, one of the Commissioners, to 
 meet him alone. This was thought very dangerous ; 
 but Mr. Meacham, who had had considerable expe- 
 rience of the Modocs, bravely determined to accept the 
 invitation. 
 
 The report of the meeting is as follows : — Captain 
 Jack said : ' I was born free. I was not made for a 
 slave. I will not ask any man where I can go. I am 
 not a boy. I am no woman. God gave me this country. 
 He put me here first. The white man found me here, 
 but now wants it ah. I only want a small place for my 
 people. I want to live like a white man. I never beg 
 or steal. I pay my debts, and no man can say I ever 
 cheated him. I do not want the President to give me 
 anything. I can take care of my people, if you will 
 take the soldiers away.' 
 
 Mr. Meacham then asked that the men who had 
 committed the atrocities on Lost Eiver should be given 
 up. 
 
244 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 ' Who will try them,' Jack asked, ' whites or 
 Indians ? ' ' Whites,' was the reply. ' Will you give 
 up the whites who killed the Indians ? ' was Captain 
 Jack's next question. He was answered ' No.' Upon 
 which he said that the law was all on one side ; but the 
 meeting terminated amicably, and Jack abandoned his 
 claim on Lost Eiver. 
 
 Three or four days elapsed before another meeting 
 could take place, and in the meantime a Modoc squaw, 
 belonging to a half-breed who acted as interpreter, 
 returned from a visit to the Lava Beds, and said that 
 she had been told that the white men must not go there 
 any more, for they would be killed. 
 
 At the first meeting, on April the 2nd, it had been 
 agreed to hold another ' talk ' at the Peace Commission 
 tent on April the 11th. By the terms of the meeting, 
 five unarmed men on each side were to discuss the 
 points in question. 
 
 The Modocs said that if the Commissioners would 
 show their confidence in them in this manner, they 
 would have like confidence, and would all come in 
 and surrender. 
 
 The terms were accepted by Doctor Thomas, by the 
 advice of General Canby; but Messrs Meacham and 
 Dyar opposed the views of General Canby and Doctor 
 Thomas, feehng sure, after the warning received, that 
 something was wrong. At length, having great reli- 
 
THE MODOCS. 245 
 
 ance on the experience of General Canby, they con- 
 sented to keep the appointment. As they were setting 
 out, the squaw who had before told them of their 
 danger held Mr. Meacham's horse, saying, ' Meacham, 
 you no go ; they kill you,' 
 
 A consultation was held, and in spite of Mr. 
 Meacham's utmost efforts to prevent it they determined 
 to keep the engagement with the Indians. Doctor 
 Thomas was strong in his faith that God would protect 
 them. 
 
 On reaching the ground the party found Captain 
 Jack and his warriors already assembled. The first 
 few minutes were passed in what was evidently manoeu- 
 vring for position ; the Indians continually making 
 changes, so as to bring the Commission party near to- 
 gether, and as far from themselves as possible. At last 
 Hooka Jim, one of the Modocs, went up to Mr. 
 Meacham's horse and secured it with a rope. He then 
 slowly and quietly put on Mr. M.'s coat, and this 
 action confirmed the belief of all, except Doctor 
 Thomas, that treachery was intended. 
 
 General Canby made a short speech, and then asked 
 Doctor Thomas to taU?:. The Doctor in a few words 
 informed the Indians that he and the others were sent 
 there by the President of the United States, and that no 
 more bloodshed was wanted. When he had finished. 
 Jack rose to his feet and stepped to the right of General 
 
246 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Canby, and Schonchin moved to the side that Jack had 
 left. 
 
 Jack then made a short speech, and while Eiddle 
 was interpreting it two warriors were seen approaching 
 from ambush, each with an armful of guns. The party 
 all sprang to their feet, with the exception of the squaw, 
 who threw herself flat on the ground. 
 
 Mi\ Meacham said to Jack, ' What does this mean ? ' 
 He replied by drawing a pistol and calling out that all 
 was ready. Many pistol-shots were fired, one of which 
 struck the General in the face. He retreated, pursued 
 by Jack and another Indian, a distance of forty yards. 
 At last he fell on the rocks, when Jack stabbed him in 
 the neck, and the other Indian shot him through the 
 head with a rifle, and stripped him of his clothing. 
 After the first shot, Doctor Thomas was taunted with 
 not believing the squaw when she told him of the 
 danger, and was almost immediately shot dead by 
 Boston Charley. Schonchin was to have been the exe- 
 cutioner of Mr. Meacham, and he approached him with 
 a revolver and knife. The first shot grazed his shoulder, 
 the small pistol that Mr. Meacham had drawn probably 
 spoiHng the Indian's aim. Mr. Meacham's pistol missed 
 fire, and he ran towards a small ridge of rocks amidst a 
 shower of bullets, one of which struck him on the temple, 
 another in the arm, a third on the head and rendered 
 him unconscious. The Indians then proceeded to strip 
 
THE MODOCS. 247 
 
 him, and Boston Charley began to take his scalp with a 
 blunt knife, and had hfted five or six inches of skin, 
 when the cry of ' Soldiers ! soldiers ! ' was raised, and 
 the work was left unfinished. The Indians then re- 
 treated to the Lava Beds, and war was resumed. 
 
 And now let us take a look at these Lava Beds, 
 where the Modocs for so long baffled all the efforts of 
 the United States troops in their attempts to dislodge 
 them. 
 
 The ride thither from our camp was over a wild 
 desolate country of rock and sage-brush. We skirted 
 Lower Klamath Lake — a vast sheet of muddy water, 
 fringed with tall rushes, from the midst of which rose 
 numerous herons and cranes. After crossing several 
 rocky ridges and levels of brown brush, scantily stocked 
 with sage-hens, we entered a long narrow valley, flanked 
 by low steep hills on our right, and on our left by a 
 stretch of mountain, level at the top and bearing the 
 name of ' Table Mountain.' Eiding along the line of 
 dust that ran through the valley of brush, and over the 
 alkali plains, was wearisome in the extreme, and the 
 heat was almost unbearable, there being no water fit to 
 drink in those parts — even the horses dechning the 
 stagnant pools of Lower Klamath Lake. Turning 
 abruptly off to the left, we gradually ascended till we 
 reached the high bluff where the camp of General 
 
248 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Gillem was pitched, and below us, spread out at our feet, 
 lay the far-famed Lava Beds. 
 
 The Lava Beds must be about three miles long 
 and about a mile broad. They are bounded on one 
 side by Tule Lake, on the other by mountains and 
 hills, and throughout are covered with natural fortifi- 
 cations. The principal part of the Modoc camp was a 
 large opening in the ravine, of about an acre in area, 
 and on all sides of which rises a wall a hundred feet in 
 height, forming a bowl with sloping sides. A flat sur- 
 face of lava extends back for more than a mile from 
 the summit of the wall, and this flat has numerous 
 holes with small openings, which widen downwards 
 into large caves. The caves communicate with one 
 another and with the camp. Huge rocks, two and 
 three hundred feet in height, rise from the earth almost 
 perpendicularly, and sometimes a narrow path leads to 
 the top of them, the summit being defended by a 
 breastwork of rock. 
 
 One man could keep a hundred at bay in these 
 volcanic caverns. 
 
 A small body of troops advanced a considerable 
 distance on one occasion amongst the beds of lava, and 
 were resting in what they considered a perfectly safe 
 position, when suddenly they were surrounded on all 
 sides, and hardly one of them escaped. It was after- 
 
THE MODOCS. 249 
 
 wards discovered that two men of this party had been 
 only wounded, and had managed to hide themselves ; 
 but as soon as it was dark the Indians came out of 
 their caves to scalp the dead, and the two men were 
 found and dragged to the camp, where the squaws 
 beat them to death with clubs. 
 
 The successes of the Modocs in their stronghold 
 led to a complete change of tactics with the Americans 
 and to a change of commanders, and such efforts were 
 then made to dislodge the enemy that four of the 
 most redoubtable of the Modoc warriors, perceiving 
 that the pursuit was going to be relentless and lasting, 
 threw down their arms and surrendered. They even 
 offered themselves as scouts, and turned States' evi- 
 dence against their comrades. They were notoriously 
 the most bloodthirsty and dangerous of the band, and 
 certainly deserved the same punishment as was after- 
 wards awarded to Captain Jack ; but General Davis 
 having accepted their services and promised them pro- 
 tection as a reward for the capture of the murderers 
 of the Peace Commissioners, the gallows was cheated 
 of some very deserving subjects. 
 
 Nettled by disasters, and roused by the cry of ven- 
 geance from all parts of the country, the troops re- 
 doubled their efforts ; the Modocs were hunted from 
 stronghold to stronghold, from ravine to ravine, and 
 finally, at the beginning of June, Captain Ja,ck gave 
 
2 so WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 himself up. A few days later the last of a band that 
 had spread terror throughout the settlements of 
 Northern California and Southern Oregon, and had for 
 a long time defied the whole of the military force sent 
 against them, also delivered themselves up, and the war, 
 unparalleled for its ferocity and murderous success on 
 the side of the Indians, was ended. 
 
 The execution of Captain Jack, Schonchin, Boston 
 Charley, and Hooka Jim, in October, at Fort Klamath, 
 was the last act in the Modoc drama. The three last- 
 named died with Indian stoicism ; but bravely and 
 courageously in comparison with their acknowledged 
 chief. Captain Jack, who was utterly broken and un- 
 nerved. When they ascended the scaffold, a mournful 
 wail from the 500 Klamath Indians who had assembled 
 to witness the execution filled the air. A few moments 
 later, and the spirits of Captain Jack and his three 
 companions departed to the happy hunting-grounds. 
 
 To return to our expedition to the Lava Beds ; 
 we descended the steep trail of the bluff, wending our 
 way towards the lake, with the hope of finding the 
 water fit to drink ; but to our disgust it was perfectly 
 poisonous, and the air was tainted with the odour of 
 myriads of dead fish which were floating on the lake, 
 having been killed by the great heat. 
 
 Hundreds of pelicans and wild fowl of various des- 
 
THE MODOCS. 
 
 criptions rose up as we approached, and my Indian 
 guide gave me a sample of his skill, by firing at a 
 string of pelicans as they flew over his head, and miss- 
 ing them all ; much to his dismay, as he had tried to 
 make me understand that he was wonderfully expert 
 with his carbine. 
 
 After tying up our horses we visited the Lava Beds 
 on foot, passing on our way a small enclosure filled 
 with the graves of many poor fellows who had fallen 
 in the late conflict. Captain Jack's cave and head- 
 quarters and other curious hollows and natural fortifi- 
 cations were next inspected ; but as it was getting dark, 
 and we had a tedious return journey to make, I could 
 not devote much time to the examination of the 
 different points of interest in these strangely desolate 
 regions. 
 
 The country round was full of rattle-snakes. I 
 managed to kill two, and was afterwards very careful 
 where I put my foot when walking on the sage-brush. 
 
 Long before we reached the camp the deep rose- 
 purple of the eastern hills had faded away, and so dark 
 a night set in that even the Indian gave up the attempt 
 to follow the trail. But, fortunately, the unerring 
 instinct of our horses enabled them to find their way 
 in the darkness as well as in the light. 
 
 By midnight we were home again, and the follow- 
 
253 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 ing week I said farewell to my hospitable friends, and 
 in company with an American artist and a German 
 traveller crossed the Klamath river into Oregon ; and 
 from Jacksonville set out for the Mystic Lake, in the 
 beautiful Klamath Land. 
 
FORT KLAMATH TO THE MYSTIC LAKE. 253 
 
 CHAPTEE XVII. 
 
 FORT KLAMATH TO THE MYSTIC LAKE. 
 
 A custom — Fort Klamath— The agency— Dead Indian country — The 
 Lake of the Woods — An Indian workshop — A canon — Snow-fields — 
 The crater's rim — A snow-camp — An alarm — 0-po-co-ninne — Mystic 
 Lake — A canoe — The medicine man— The island — Law of death — 
 Midnight — Internal fires — Surmises, 
 
 The national American custom of drinking at 'the 
 bar ' admits of many forms of invitation. At San 
 Francisco the latest mode of expression was ' Will you 
 so on a bond ? ' When we arrived at Jacksonville we 
 found that the form used was much more expressive, 
 and ' Stranger, let's irrigate,' was the one most constantly 
 in use. There is a pastoral suggestion in that invitation 
 which is not possessed by any other, and you feel, when 
 thus addressed, as if a proposal were made to extend a 
 benefit over the country in general, as well as on your- 
 self. 
 
 It certainly was excessively hot at Jacksonville, 
 which may have accounted for the perpetual dryness 
 which seemed to prevail there. If the farmers of that 
 part of the country would but irrigate their lands as well 
 as they irrigate themselves there would surely never 
 
254 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 be any cause to complain of scanty crops and dry 
 weather. 
 
 Jacksonville had few inducements to detain us, and 
 as soon as we could obtain horses and a gaiide we started 
 for Fort Klamath, which we reached on the third day. 
 
 There we saw the unfortunate Modoc prisoners, and 
 afterwards started on some delightful expeditions into 
 the Klamath country. 
 
 The Indian Agency and the military fort occupy a 
 beautiful position on Great Klamath Lake, which lies 
 close iinder the mountain shadows. Above the lake 
 a lovely prairie reaches to the mountains which enclose 
 the valley on three sides. The Indians call it • the 
 ' Beautiful Land of Flowing Water,' and it deserves the 
 name. Streams of the purest water rise from the hill- 
 sides ; and the water is so clear that the smallest pebble 
 is visible at a depth of ten or fifteen feet. These rivulets 
 wind amongst beds of willows, through green meadows 
 and clumps of evergreens, and at last flow into the 
 lake. From the Agency, which is distant about five 
 miles from the fort, the view is most romantic. The 
 distant snow-peaks encircle the valley with their white 
 walls, as if guarding the home of the Klamaths. To 
 the north, Mount Scott rises to a height of 10,000 feet; 
 to the left. Mount Pitt looks down on the valley from 
 an altitude of 11,000 feet ; and nestling at its southern 
 base is Glacier Lake, which is supplied by the melting 
 
FORT KLAMATH TO THE MYSTIC LAKE. 255 
 
 snow, and whose shores are bordered by pine forests 
 and fine grazing lands. 
 
 Towards the west is discerned the ' Snowy Chester,' 
 a circle of twelve snowy peaks, enclosing a lava bed 
 twenty miles in circumference, and dotted with small 
 circular lakes, probably the craters from which the 
 peaks were thrown up long before the Indian made it 
 his favourite resort. 
 
 To the east lies Dead Indian Country, and beyond 
 it there is a beautiful sheet of water, called the ' Lake 
 of the Woods,' enclosed by a forest so dense and dark 
 that the sun's rays cannot pierce and brighten its 
 gloomy depths. Near this lake, Ave were shown what 
 must have been the spot used by Indians in olden 
 times as a manufactory for arrow-heads and spears. 
 The remains of a log-hut, and a few circles of stones, 
 evidently fireplaces, from their blackened litter, were 
 aU the signs of an Indian camp that we could see. But 
 our guide told us that numbers of chipped arrow and 
 spear heads and the rough rocks on which they had 
 been sharpened, and some pieces of flint and obsidian, 
 had been found there a short time ago. 
 
 Now, of course, the Indians use firearms, and when 
 they want arrow-heads and spears they buy metal for 
 the purpose from the white men. But it is not so very 
 long ago that they chipped the agate, jasper, and chal- 
 cedony, and laughed and sang in the pine woods by the 
 
2S6 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 quiet lake — knowing nothing of the pale-faced race, 
 and living on in the happy thought that the home of 
 their ancestors was to be thei=r own for ever. 
 
 One bright morning we mounted our ponies and 
 started for the Mystic Lake, in the Cascade Mountains, 
 distant about twenty-five miles. The trail ran through 
 a gently rising thickly wooded country, fragrant with 
 the laurel and pine, and abounding with wild flowers. 
 Sometimes the tall grass in the narrow meadows swept 
 up to our stirrups ; sometimes no trace of vegetation 
 was to be seen — save the stunted hemlock growing 
 amidst lava boulders and pumice-stone rocks. 
 
 As fast as possible we made our way till we reached 
 an elevation where undergrowth became scarce, and we 
 then found ourselves on the brink of a splendid canon 
 whose walls were supported by basaltic columns several 
 hundred feet in height. A foaming torrent dashed 
 through the gorge, and many thread-hke waterfalls 
 tumbled into the deep abyss amidst a luxuriance of 
 madrona and manzanita bushes. 
 
 Our artist companion was very anxious to make a 
 halt for the purpose of sketching the scene ; but it could 
 not be, for the sun was already sinking, and we had miles 
 of snow yet to cross. Taking the snow-field, we pressed 
 up the mountain-side towards the black Hne above 
 us, which the guide told us was the rim of the crater. 
 
 Soon we entered a belt of dwarf hemlock, whose 
 
FORT KLAMATH TO THE MYSTIC LAKE. 2y; 
 
 tops had been cut by the strong winds to an even 
 height, thus giving it the appearance of a well-cHpped 
 hedge. 
 
 We crunched over the snow without hindrance ; for 
 it was so hard in most places that the horses' hoofs made 
 no impression, beyondsending myriads of fi'ozen particles 
 flying from the hard crust and sparkling like diamonds 
 in the light of the afternoon sun. Occasionally, m more 
 exposed parts, the animals would flounder in through 
 the yielding surface, and we had to zigzag upwards to 
 avoid the swift torrents fed by the melting snows and 
 descending the narrow ravines. At last, after crossing 
 an open stretch, we reached the black line on the ridge 
 that forms part of the wide circling rim of the Mystic 
 Lake, which lay fifteen hundred feet below us. But the 
 dark shadow of the mountains already covered it when 
 we arrived at the summit, and nothing could be distin- 
 guished in the sombre depths beneath. We therefore 
 busied ourselves in preparing our camp for the night. 
 
 In a small ravine sheltered by snow-walls we kindled 
 a huge fire of the broken boughs of hemlock and pine ; 
 then we cut or scooped out a cave in the hard congealed 
 mass, in which we spread our blankets. After supper 
 we turned in, and found our snow bedroom as snug, 
 comfortable, and warm as a brick walled chamber, and 
 decidedly more picturesque. 
 
 The night was bitterly cold and the winds swept 
 
 s 
 
258 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 mournfully around us, but we slept tlie sound sleep of 
 'tired nature' after our long mountain ride; our sur- 
 roundings of snow and fire shielding us from the cold 
 blasts. Towards midnight we were suddenly awakened 
 by a hoarse hideous yell, which echoed from every peak 
 and crag of the neighbouring mountains. The war- 
 whoop of a hundred wild Indians close upon us could 
 alone be hkened to it. The profound stillness that 
 followed made us doubt whether we had not been dream- 
 ing ; when suddenly the light of a very bright moon 
 revealed to us a dark creeping object stealing round the 
 shadowed corner of a steep rock, and before we could 
 well distinguish its outhne another burst of music told 
 us that ' 0-po-co-ninne,' our pack-mule, or rather 
 donkey, had broken his tether, and was about to pay us 
 a visit. In a few moments he had found out our where- 
 abouts, and was enjoying the warmth of our big fire, 
 sublimely unconscious of the confusion and alarm he 
 had created. 
 
 One of our poets (Coleridge, I think) says of the 
 donkey — 
 
 ' Poor foal of an oppressed race, 
 I love the languid patience of thy face ; 
 And oft with gentle hand I give thee bread, 
 And clap thy ragged coat, and pat thy head.' 
 
 When he behaves himself, I do the same, but when 
 he awakes me in the middle of the night, and then, after 
 stumbling over my feet and kicking me, finally settles 
 
FORT KLAMATH TO THE MYSTIC LAKE. 259 
 
 himself down across my legs, just too as 1 am dozing off 
 into a comfortable sleep, why, it is necessary to use means 
 more forcibly striking than ' a pat on the- head ' to 
 bring him to his senses. At the first gleams of day- 
 light we were up, ready to welcome the sun when it 
 should light up the dark waters of the lake with its 
 cheering beams. A marvellous sight is the Mystic, or 
 Crater Lake, as it is sometimes called. It is about 
 ten miles long and seven or eight broad, and the moun- 
 tain wall which surrounds it is a sheer chff rising from 
 fifteen hundred to three thousand feet. The height we 
 reached was about 9,000 feet above the level of the 
 sea. The walled-in waters look up to grey cliffs edged 
 with ragged pinnacles of red lava. 
 
 At the water's edge is a rim of boulders, but no 
 beach, no friendly shore — the solid smooth basalt 
 closely encircling the deep blue water. 
 
 By-and-by the sun's rays glimmered on the crest 
 of Mount Scott, throwing a shadow half across the 
 lake ; then other peaks shone out, and a little later the 
 rim of the crater was struck, and in about an hour the 
 waters below were sparkling and gleaming in the full 
 glow of sunshine. Gazing down we saw the perpen- 
 dicular walls reflected in those waters of unknown 
 depth. The mountains and shrubs appeared as distinct 
 below them as above. It was impossible to say where 
 the land ended and the lake began, so mirror-hke was 
 
 s2 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 the surface of the water. So still, too, so unruffled, 
 alraost death-like in their calmness, were these azure 
 blue waters lying at the base of the steep grey rocks, 
 and forming, with the surrounding lofty mountains, 
 whose snow-covered sides afld peaks towered high 
 above us, a grand, strange, and most impressive scene 
 — ^the haunt of the Nereids below, the abode of the 
 Snow King above. 
 
 On the south-west side of the lake an island juts 
 up, formed of volcanic rock, and having a crater on its 
 summit. The cone of lava is nearly two hundred feet 
 in height, and the sides from a distance looked smooth 
 and symmetrical. Suddenly, near the island, a little 
 speck appeared, and 
 
 ' O'er the water floating, flying, 
 Something in the hazy distance, 
 Something in the mists of morning, 
 Loomed and lifted from the water, 
 Now seemed floating, now seemed flying, 
 Coming nearer, nearer, nearer. 
 Was it Bhingebis the diver ? 
 Or the pelican, the Shada ? 
 Or the heron, the Shiih-shuh-gah f 
 Or the white goose, Waw-be-wawa, 
 With the water dripping, flashing 
 From its glossy neck and feathers ? 
 It was neither goose nor diver, 
 Neither pelican nor heron, 
 O'er the water floating, flying, 
 Through the shining mist of morning, 
 But a birch canoe, with paddles, 
 Rising, sinliing on the water, 
 Diipping, flashing in the sunshine.' 
 
 The guide knew an old Indian trail leading down 
 to the water's edge; we therefore agreed to descend 
 
FORT KLAMATH TO THE MYSTIC LAKE. 261 
 
 and persuade the occupant of the canoe to take us to 
 the island. The trail was partly covered with brush- 
 wood and small pines, which proved very useful in 
 aiding our descent. The glaciers and the snow-walls 
 •"which overhung the cliffs made our journey rather a 
 perilous one ; but we reached the water's edge safely, 
 and there found a hideous old Indian, just about to 
 land — the trail down which we had come being the 
 only road to and from the lake. The guide understood 
 from the Indian that he was a ' medicine man,' and had 
 come there ' to hear the whispers of unseen beings 
 borne on the breath of the wild winds that swept over 
 the waters, and to talk with the Great Spirit who lived 
 on the shores of the dread lake ; that, when he had 
 concluded his business with Manitou, and had seen the 
 fairy canoes sailing over the goblin waters, and had 
 given his messages to the departed spirits who bathed in 
 its mystic depths, he would return to his tribe with a 
 charmed life and possessed of supernatural powers.' 
 
 As the canoe could only hold two persons, and that 
 with great difficulty, the artist and our guide remained 
 on shore, and the German and myself, after a couple of 
 hours' paddling, reached the island, and landed on the 
 lava beach. We found the cone, which had looked so 
 smooth from a distance, rough and rugged, and aided 
 by the hemlock which grew over the surface we soon 
 climbed to the top. There we found a crater about a 
 hundred feet deep and over two hundred feet across. 
 
262 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 On one side there were traces of steps cut into the lava, 
 but so broken and dangerous as not to invite a descent. 
 This island seems to have been the last effort of the 
 volcano, when the mountain had nearly burnt itself 
 out, and from its base a ridge of lava reached for a 
 long distance towards the western shore. The depth 
 of the lake is unknown, but it is said to have been 
 sounded unavailingly to the depth of one thousand feet. 
 We reached our camp that evening very hungry and 
 tired, and were greeted by ' Opo-co-ninne ' in his best 
 musical style. As we intended to have a moonlight 
 view of the lake we kept ourselves awake by giving an 
 impromptu entertainment, consisting of stories, singing, 
 and recitations, to the wandering spirits who chanced 
 to be floating around. 
 
 One of the poems recited by the artist, who was an 
 admirable elocutionist, had been read in many a deso- 
 lated house in Memphis during the dreadful yellow 
 fever pestilence which had lately depopulated the 
 town. 
 
 At my request he wrote it out, and it runs as 
 follows : — 
 
 THE LAW OF DEATH. 
 
 BY JOHN HAT. 
 
 The song of Kilvany — fairest she 
 In all the land of Savatthi. 
 She had one child, as sweet and gay 
 And dear to her as the light of day. 
 
FORT KLAMATH TO THE MYSTIC LAKE. 263 
 
 She was so young and he so fair, 
 
 The same bright eyes and the same dai'k hair ; 
 
 To see them by the blossomy way, 
 
 They seemed two children at their play. 
 
 There came a death-dart from the sky — 
 Kiivany saw her darling die ; 
 The glimmering shade his eyes invades. 
 Out of his cheek the red bloom fades ; 
 His warm heart feels the icy chill, 
 The round limbs shudder and are still. 
 And yet Kiivany held him fast 
 Long after life's last pulse was past; 
 As if her kisses could restore 
 The smile gone out for evermore. 
 
 But when she saw her child was dead 
 She scattered ashes on her head, 
 And seized the small corpse, pale and sweet, 
 And rushing wildly through the street, 
 She sobbing fell at Buddha's feet. 
 
 ' Master ! all helpful ! help me now ! 
 
 Here at thy feet I humbly bow ; 
 
 Have mercy, Buddha ! help me now ! ' 
 
 She grovelled on the marble floor. 
 
 And kissed the dead child o'er and o'er; 
 
 And suddenly upon the air 
 
 There fell the answer to her prayer: 
 
 ' Bring me to-night a lotus, tied 
 
 With thread from a house where none has died.' 
 
 She rose, and laughed with thankful joy, 
 Sure that the god would save the boy. 
 She found a lotus by the stream : 
 She plucked it from its noonday dream. 
 And then from dour to door she fared, 
 To ask what house by death was spared. 
 Her heart grew cold to see the eyes 
 Of all dilate with slow surprise. 
 ' Kiivany, thou hast lost thy head ; 
 Nothing can help a child that's dead. 
 There stands not by the Ganges' side 
 A house where none hath ever died.' 
 
264 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Thua through the long and weary day 
 
 From eyery door she bore away 
 
 Within her heart, and on her arm, 
 
 A heavier load, a deeper harm. 
 
 By gates of gold and ivory, 
 
 By wattled huts of poverty, 
 
 The same refrain heard poor Kilvany : 
 
 ' The living are few— the dead are many.' 
 
 The evening, came so still and fleet, 
 
 And overtook her hurrying feet, 
 
 And, heart-sick, by the sacred fane 
 
 She fell and prayed the god again. 
 
 She sobbed and beat her bursting breast : 
 
 ' Ah ! thou haat mocked me ! Mightiest J 
 
 Lo ! I have wandered far and wide — 
 
 There stands no house where none hath died.' 
 
 And Buddha answered, in a tone 
 
 Soft as a lute at twilight blown, 
 
 But grand as heaven and strong as death 
 
 To him who hears with ears of faith : 
 
 ' Child, thou art answered ! Marmur not ! 
 
 Bow, and accept the common lot.' 
 
 Kilvany heard with reverence meet, 
 And laid her child at Buddha's feet. 
 
 At midnight the view of the Mystic Lake was not 
 merely grand, but perfectly fairy-like in its weird 
 splendour. The crater-peak of the island rose like a 
 silver piUar from a mass of molten gold— no magical 
 was the effect of the moon's rays as they fell on the 
 still lake. The shadows of the high chffs mingled with 
 the moonbeams, and everything floated in a silver haze 
 before us. Nothing seemed real.- The crags and snow 
 pinnacles stood out with distinctness, but as if seen 
 through silver gauze. The stars looked down from 
 
FORT KLAMATH TO THE MYSTIC LAKE. 265 
 
 the steel-blue sky, like great eyes gazing into the deep 
 waters, from whose clear depths they were reflected 
 back with a briUiancy scarcely less than their own ; 
 whilst the cold glittering moon shed a mysterious light 
 over the sUent volcanic region, and gave to it that 
 appearance of eternal death which is said to reign in 
 her own exhausted bosom. Once only, as we watched 
 and listened, a gentle moaning wind swept over the 
 broken tops of the gnarled pine trees around the rim 
 of the vast crater, and after ripphng the smooth surface 
 of the lake into golden ladders died away as gradually 
 as it had arisen. 
 
 Nothing would have seemed more natural than to 
 have beheld fairy barks gliding over the deep lake 
 waters, and urged on by unseen hands to the music of 
 the spirit voices ; nor would it have appeared strange 
 to have heard issuing from the silvery vapour clear 
 familiar tones, whispering the prayers that perhaps were 
 uttered far, far away. 
 
 Silently we turned from the too-bewildering scene ; 
 and having looked our last on the Mystic Lake, with 
 a sense of relief we threw ourselves down on our rugs 
 by the pine-fire and talked till we fell asleep. 
 
 There is httle doubt but that ages ago there stood 
 here a vast volcanic mountain, higher perhaps than any 
 in the world, the clustered heights and peaks around 
 us forming but a small portion of its chffs and spiu-s, 
 
266 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 and reaching only a comparatively short distance jip 
 the original central cone. 
 
 Where the vast sheet of water forming the lake 
 comes from is an interesting question. There is no 
 visible outlet, but it probably finds an underground 
 passage leading to the waters of the Eogue Eiver, 
 which rises near the western base of the mountain, 
 and to Wood Eiver, which feeds the Klamath Lake, on 
 the south-east. 
 
 The waters of the lake do not rise or fall, and their 
 depth is unknown. Where the waters go to, may be 
 surmised, but where they come from, who can tell ? 
 
 The Western Land furnishes many memories of 
 grand and striking scenes, but none awaken such 
 feelings of solemn wonder as those of the Mystic 
 Lake. 
 
JACKSONVILLE TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 267 
 
 CHAPTEE XVIII. 
 
 FROM JACKSONVILLE TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 
 
 Oregon forests — The Umpqua Canon — A poultry fancier — A female 
 hermit — Willamette Valley — Eugene City — The Three Sisters — The 
 Mackenzie River — Oregon City — Falls of the Willamette — Portland — 
 The Columbia Eiver — Scenery — The Multanomah Falls — Castle Eock 
 — Cape Horn — The Cascades — A portage — Coffin Rock^Dalles — A 
 Sahara — Catching salmon — Great Salmon Falls — Fish eagles — A 
 crane story. 
 
 From Jacksonville to Eosebury is only about a hundred 
 miles, and there, -thank Heaven! good-bye to the old 
 coach. 
 
 After crossing Eogue Eiver — a splendid stream, and 
 full of fish — we entered the Umpqua mountains. In 
 Oregon the size of the forests is much greater than in 
 California. The trees themselves too are larger. Firs 
 are more numerous than pines, and the splendid madrona 
 laurel gives the country a semi-tropical appearance. 
 Birch, balsam, spruce, and other trees of more Northern 
 climes grow everywhere, and the oaks spread themselves 
 almost as grandly as in Northern California. There, 
 they grow in groups or clumps, and preserve just so 
 much distance between each other as allows of their 
 full development, at the same time presenting a mass of 
 
268 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 foliage of great beauty and fine form. A rare maple, 
 called from its curious grain the ' curly ' maple, is also 
 found in Oregon. When pohshed, it is one of the most 
 beautiful woods I ever saw. 
 
 The Umpqua Canon was formerly an iU-omesed 
 pass for travellers. It is the resort of the Eogue Indians, 
 who infest the country, and are very quarrelsome and 
 dangerous. When an emigrant train was approaching, 
 the Indians would send a party on in front to form 
 an ambuscade, and others would follow the doomed 
 waggons into the melancholy canon, where nothing but 
 bleached bones would remain to tell the murderous 
 tale to the next travellers. Numbers of little wooden 
 crosses still point out the spot of many a ruthless 
 slaughter. 
 
 At one of the small farms where we stopped for 
 dinner — or rather supper, as any meal after breakfast 
 is always called — we were regaled on fowls (not chickens) 
 in all sorts of disguises, but in one respect all ahke — 
 their extreme toughness. Our driver afterwards told me 
 that the proprietor of the farm was a little mad on the 
 subject of poultry, and that it was generally supposed 
 he fed the fowls on sawdust instead of corn-meal. 
 There was a story, he said, of one strong-minded hen 
 having laid a nest-full of bureau-knobs, and that after 
 sitting on them for three or four weeks she had hatched 
 a complete set of drawing-room furniture. 
 
JACKSONVILLE TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 269 
 
 There was certainly an immense number of aged 
 hens running about, and each had her name — to which, 
 by the way, she never answered — thereby causing much 
 sorrow to the proprietor, who seemed to me to pass his 
 time in chasing the unfortunate birds about the grounds 
 and throwing sticks at them. 
 
 He reminded me of a strange character who hves 
 at a place called Oak Bluffs — an old woman of ninety 
 — taU, crooked, and with a grim face surrounded by 
 unkempt grizzly hair. In her youth she had been jilted 
 by her sailor lover, whereupon she vowed to retire 
 from the world, and has since lived alone at the above 
 desolate dreary spot. Her dwelling is a low wooden 
 shed, surrounded by old haystacks, and near a wood of 
 brush and oak trees. A red cow and about a dozen 
 hens are her only companions. To these she has given 
 the most extraordinary names, and she sings and talks 
 to them as if they were human beings. A graveyard 
 is set apart for her favourites, and tombstones mark 
 their graves. 
 
 She is called a poetess, most of her effusions being 
 in blank verse. 
 
 Not long before our visit one of her chickens was 
 carried off by the ' pip,' upon which she composed a 
 pathetic lament, concluding with ' Then the Lord 
 thought best to take her from evil to come.' 
 
 She has also written a lengthy treatise on ' Doctoring 
 
270 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Hens,' which with her ' poetry '- she sells to visitors. 
 She must have made a nice little sum by this time, as 
 all who visit the neighbourhood go to see her. 
 
 Oregon is a grand country for sheep, and Oregon 
 wool is celebrated for its fineness and flexibility. At 
 one place a farmer told me he had that season sheared 
 a Spanish merino sheep whose fleece weighed twenty- 
 three pounds. 
 
 Eoseburg at last ! The shrill scream of the iron 
 horse betokened that we were once more in civilised 
 regions ; and soon after we were on our way to Port- 
 land — about two hundred miles distant by rail. Leav- 
 ing Eoseburg, we entered a most charming gorge, thickly 
 clothed with dark pines, silver cedars, and magnificent 
 laurel trees. Grand rocks, softened by mosses and 
 clingincf vines, towered far above us ; and at our feet 
 a swift, bright stream ran through groves of azaleas 
 and golden willows. From the number of tents and 
 waggons we passed, the greater part of the popula- 
 tion from the adjacent villages must have been camp- 
 ing out in the ravine, and it certainly looked most 
 cool and inviting. A lovely spot indeed to sojourn 
 in, if one could only be satisfied with the delights of 
 mountain scenery and clear blue waters dancing in the 
 sunlight ! 
 
 Following the banks of the Willamette Eiver, we 
 arrived at Eugene City, where the snow-clad summits of 
 
JACKSONVILLE TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 271 
 
 the 'Three Sisters ' loomed in sight. The Indians believe 
 that these three peaks were three giantesses who had 
 rebelled against their husband, Manitou, and were in 
 consequence turned into stone. They rise from a range 
 of volcanic hiUs, and are of an exact pyramidal form 
 and of equal size. 
 
 A broad belt of forest encircles them and extends 
 to an altitude of 6,000 feet. Above this belt, untrodden 
 snow lies in broad glittering fields. 
 
 The Mackenzie Eiver flows through the plain, and is 
 singularly beautiful. Great blocks of basalt come sheer 
 down to the water's edge, and are divided naturally with 
 great exactitude into huge segments. Their yellow 
 and brown colours are reflected with wondrous efiect 
 on the surface of the stream. After a few most pleasant 
 days, passed in the neighbourhood of Eugene City, I went 
 on to Oregon City, and there remained to visit the Falls 
 of the Willamette. 
 
 The river narrows near the town, and the water, 
 rushing very swiftly, is precipitated down a fall of about 
 50 feet. The rocks on either side are of deep black 
 basalt ; and these huge walls, when viewed from the 
 south, are extremely grand. It is only when they are 
 seen from below that the mind is fully impressed with 
 the magnificence of these falls. They have been worn 
 into a horse-shoe form by the action of the stream, 
 and the river plunges into the depths below in great 
 
272 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 curves and sweeping currents. Masses of broken basalt 
 show their heads amidst the rush of foaming waters, and 
 altogether there is noise, mist, and confusion enough to 
 justify the Oregonians in their pride of their miniature 
 Niagara. Formerly, these falls were the only obstruction 
 to the free navigation of the river, but now it is over- 
 come by the construction of locks, which have been 
 built in the most substantial manner. The scenery of 
 the river is very picturesque and diversified, and a 
 lovely panorama of hill and dale, water and forest is 
 continually passing before the view. 
 
 Portland had lately been nearly destroyed by fire, 
 consequently I had not a good opportunity of judging 
 of the town. It is, however, beautifully situated on the 
 Willamette Eiver, and is surrounded by magnificent 
 forests. There are some delightful drives through the 
 woods, one especially to a place called the White 
 House, through a succession of glades and glens full of 
 splendid trees and sweet-scented shrubs, and with views 
 of peculiarly quiet loveliness. 
 
 The Willamette runs into the Columbia Eiver 
 about twelve miles below Portland ; so, taking the 
 morning steamer, I prepared to ascend that river, which 
 for grandeur of scenery is npt surpassed by any river 
 (with the exception, perhaps, of the Fraser) on the 
 American continent. 
 
 We started so early that a grey fog swallowed up 
 
\IIO\V (I.N- TIIW (_()!. UJIUIA lliVER. 
 
JACKSONVILLE TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 373 
 
 everything, and the only objects visible were the paddle- 
 boxes and the funnel. 
 
 We steamed very slowly and cautiously down the 
 Willamette, and as we approached the junction of 
 that river with the Columbia the mist lifted. As it 
 slowly crept back to the shores and up the hills and 
 away to the north, mountains sky and river came 
 out with intense brilliancy and colour under the rays of 
 the rising sun. 
 
 Wonderful forests extended from the far distance 
 down to the very edge of the river. Beeches, oaks, 
 pines, and firs of enormous size formed a sombre 
 back- ground, against which the maple and ash flamed 
 out in their early autumn tints. On the north, the 
 four stately snow-crowned mountains, Rainier, St. 
 Helen's, Jefferson, and Adams lifted themselves, rose- 
 flushed, high up in the heavens ; the great river 
 flowed rapidly and smoothly between mountain shores, 
 from a mile to a mile and a quarter apart, and the 
 bold rocky heights towered thousands of feet in the 
 air. 
 
 These mountains line the river for miles. When 
 occasionally a deep ravine opens you catch a glimpse 
 of distant levels, bounded, in their turn, by the never- 
 ending chain of mountains. 
 
 There is a rare combination, too, of beauty about 
 these mountains ; vegetation and great variety of colour 
 
 T 
 
274 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 heightening the picturesque effect of the huge masses 
 of bold bare rock. 
 
 Now and then the chffs impeded the flow of the 
 river, which then ran, disturbed and dangerous, between 
 rocky islands and sand-bars. Often the agitated waters 
 became gradually calm and formed long narrow lakes, 
 without any apparent outlet,^ until a sudden turn 
 showed a passage through the lofty walls into another 
 link of the water-chain. 
 
 Sometimes a cataract of marvellous beauty came 
 leaping down the rocks from a height of 200 and 300 
 feet. 
 
 The Multanomah Falls in particular are most 
 beautiful, possessing both the swift resistless rush of 
 the steady downpour of water and that broken pic- 
 turesque outline which is the principal charm of a 
 fall. 
 
 Castle Eock, a huge boulder with basaltic columns 
 like those of Staffa, stands out grandly and alone from 
 a feathery mass of cotton- wood, whose golden splendour 
 rivals in beauty that of the spreading dark green 
 boughs of the pines, whilst the contrast of colour 
 heightens the effect of each brilliant hue. 
 
 On the crest of the rock a fringe of pine-trees, grow- 
 ing out of the bare stone and dwarfed to insignificance, 
 shows the vast height of this rifted dome. 
 
 And now we are approaching Cape Horn, whose 
 
JACKSONVILLE TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 275 
 
 ramparts rise sheer and straight, like a columnar wall, 
 800 feet high. 
 
 This majestic portal forms a worthy entrance to the 
 cascades. Fierce seething rapids extend for six miles up 
 the river, and the track of the ' portage ' runs near the 
 water's edge for the entire distance. The river is 
 narrowed here by lofty heights of trap rock, and the 
 bed itself is nothing but sharp gigantic rocks, some- 
 times hidden by the water and sometimes forming small 
 islands, between which the foaming torrent rushes with 
 tremendous uproar. 
 
 Near where the ' portage ' begins, a relic of Indian 
 warfare, in the shape of an old block-house, stands 
 under the fir-trees. 
 
 A small party of white men held a very large body 
 of Indians at bay there for several days in 1856 ; and 
 as the provisions ran short, a grand attack was made 
 on the red men, who were totally routed with great 
 slaughter. 
 
 The scene in this gorge is wild in the extreme. 
 Passing Eooster Eock, the mountain sides approach 
 each other, and the river flows faster and fiercer ; the 
 pillared walls rise sometimes to a height of nearly 
 3,000 feet, and the wind roaring through the ravine 
 beats up huge waves and adds to the wild grandeur of 
 the view. Whenever the mountains recede , to the 
 South, Mount Hood fills the horizon. Eising 14,000 
 
 t2 
 
276 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 feet, its snow-covered head shines out magnificently 
 against the blue sky, with unvarying grandeur and a 
 strangely attractive form. 
 
 Soon we pass an Indian burial-ground called Caffin 
 Eock, a bare desolate slope, covered with rude monu- 
 ments of rock and circular heaps of piled grey 
 stones. 
 
 Dalles City, where we now arrive, ranks as the 
 second place of importance in Oregon. It takes its 
 name from the ' dales,' or rough flag-stones, which 
 impede the river, making narrow crooked channels, and 
 thereby causing another ' portage ' for a distance of 
 fifteen miles. Above the town the scene changes ; 
 the clifis disappear, and from splendid forests and moun- 
 tains we pass into a region of sand and desert. One tall 
 pillar of red rock, overlooking the sandy waste, stands 
 up forlorn and battered, as if it were the last fragment 
 of a giant peak ; and numbers of birds hovering over 
 it seem to regard it as their special observatory. 
 
 Hot white sand is everywhere, and the wind scatters 
 it about in a most uncomfortable manner, covering the 
 track and half-stifling you in its bUnding showers. 
 The river scenery is very fine aU along this passage, the 
 Dalles being a succession of rapids, falls, and eddying 
 
 currents. 
 
 Although it was late in the season hundreds of 
 salmon were still ascending, and on the flat shore- 
 
JACKSONVILLE TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 277 
 
 rocks were several Indian lodges ; their occupants busily 
 engaged in spearing and catching the fish. 
 
 Their usual mode of catching salmon is by means 
 of nets fastened to long handles. They erect wooden 
 scaffolds by the riverside among the rocks, and there 
 await the arrival of the fish — scooping up thirty or 
 forty per hour. They are also very skilful at spearing 
 them ; rarely missing a fair mark. 
 
 At one of the falls we saw a most treacherous con- 
 trivance. A large tree with all its branches lopped off 
 had been brought to the edge of the river and there 
 fastened, with its smaller end overhanging the foaming 
 faU. A large willow basket, about ten feet deep and 
 over twenty feet in circumference, was suspended at 
 this end. The salmon in its efforts to leap the fall 
 would tumble into the basket, and an Indian seated in 
 it would then knock the fish on the head with a club 
 and throw it on shore. 
 
 This mode requires relays of men, as they soon get 
 almost drowned by the quantity of spray and water. 
 N&^j often, between two and three hundred salmon are 
 caught in a day in this manner. We saw about twenty, 
 averaging in weight from five to twenty pounds, caught 
 in the hour during which we watched the process. But 
 the hook-nosed salmon — coarse, nasty fish — were the 
 most abundant. They always appear in the autumn, 
 and are found everywhere, 
 
278 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 The salmon are in their greatest perfection in the 
 Columbia Eiver towards the end of June. The best 
 variety is called the ' chinook,' and weighs from twenty 
 to forty pounds. This species is generally accompanied 
 in its ascent by a smaller variety, weighing on an 
 average about ten pounds, and which is also extremely 
 good eating. Gradually, as the salmon go higher and 
 higher up the river, their flesh changes from a bright 
 red to a paler colour until it becomes quite white. 
 There are such enormous quantities of them that they 
 can be easily jerked on shore with a stick, and they 
 actually jostle each other out of the water. It is esti- 
 mated that over 500,000 salmon were taken out of the 
 Columbia Eiver during the year 1872. 
 
 There is a perfectly true story told of a traveller 
 who, when riding, had to cross a stream running from 
 the Cascade Mountains, at a spot where the fish were 
 toiling up in thousands; and so thickly were they 
 packed as to impede the progress of the horse, which 
 became so frightened as almost to unseat his rider. 
 
 When the salmon are caught, the squaws cure them 
 by splitting them and drying the pieces upon wicker- 
 work scaffoldmgs. Afterwards they smoke them over 
 fires of fir branches. The wanton destruction and 
 waste of these fish is terrible. In the season the 
 Indians will only take the fish in the highest condition, 
 and those that do not satisfy their fastidious tastes are 
 
JACKSONVILLE TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 279 
 
 thrown back mutilated and dying into the water. Even 
 when they have killed sufficient to last them for years, 
 they still go to the falls and catch and spear all they can, 
 leaving the beautiful silvery salmon to rot on the stones. 
 
 Salmon ought certainly to have ' Excelsior ' for a 
 motto. Always moving higher and higher, they are 
 never content, but continue the ascent of the river as 
 far as it is possible. They go on tUl they drop, or be- 
 come so weak and torn from rubbing against the rocks 
 and against one another, that they are pushed into shal- 
 lows by the stronger ones and die from want of water. 
 
 Out of the hosts that ascend the rivers, it is generally 
 supposed that a very small proportion indeed ever find 
 their way back to the sea. 
 
 Just below the Great Salmon Falls the whole 
 volume of the stream rushes through a channel hardly 
 one hundred and fifty feet in width. 
 
 At the falls themselves the river is nearly a mile 
 across, and pours over a rocky wall stretching from 
 shore to shore and about twenty feet high. It is 
 fascinating in the extreme to watch the determined 
 creatures as they shoot up the rapids with wonderful 
 agility. They care neither for the seething torrent nor 
 for the deep still pools, and with a rush — and with 
 clenched teeth, perhaps — they dart up Hke a silver 
 arrow, and defying rock and fall, are at length safe 
 in the smooth haven above. 
 
28o WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Sometimes a speckled beauty, too weak to take the 
 grand leap, falls back into the rapid — wounded by the 
 sharp stones and dying. This is the opportunity for 
 the great wbite-headed fish-eagle, which is as fastidious 
 in his tastes as an Indian, and prefers a fresh-killed, or 
 rather dying fish, to any other. With one fell swoop 
 he seizes the victim in his talons and carries him off. 
 Now and then a tall crane may be seen standing on a 
 rock or in the shallow water, and out of mere spite 
 pecking at a poor exhausted fish. 
 
 I never see a heron or crane fishing without 
 thinking of the clergyman who sought eveiy oppor- 
 tunity to impress upon the mind of his son the fact 
 that God takes care of all His creatures. Happening 
 one day to see a crane wading in search of food, the 
 good man pointed out to his son the perfect adaptation 
 of the bird to his mode of getting his living. ' Look ! ' 
 said he, ' how his legs are formed for wading ! What 
 a long slender bill he. has ! Observe how nicely he 
 folds his feet when putting them in or drawing them 
 out of the water ! He causes no ripple, and is thus 
 able to approach the fish without giving them notice of 
 his arrival. My son,' continued he, ' it is impossible 
 to look at that bird without recognising the goodness 
 of God in thus providing him with the means of 
 obtaining his subsistence.' ' Yes,' rephed the boy, ' I 
 think I see the goodness of God as far as the crane is 
 
JACKSONVILLE 70 THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 281 
 
 concerned ; but, after all, father, don't you think the, 
 arrangement a Httle hard on the fish ? ' 
 
 With the Salmon Falls my trip up the Columbia 
 ended, and I returned to Portland, to resume my journey 
 to Victoria — the chief town of British Columbia, and 
 situated on the southern extremity of Vancouver's 
 Island. 
 
282 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 KALAMA TO VICTOEIA. 
 
 A tedious journey — A temble threat — An epithet — Olympia — Puget 
 Sound — Snokomish City — ^An Indian cemetery — Flat-heads — Use of 
 Indians — American diplomacy — Washington Territory — Salmon not 
 taking a fly — San Juan — Victoiia — Dull times — Terminus — A view — 
 Climate — Eoads — EsC[uimalt harbour — Sport — Indians — ^A red ad- 
 miral — Superstition — Hospitality, 
 
 Down the Columbia for some miles to Kalara^a, a little 
 village, in Washington Territory ; thence, by the new 
 Northern Pacific Eailway for fifty miles, to Sinino. I 
 think we must have been over five hours doing that 
 fifty miles. In some places the trees were so near the 
 newly-laid line that it was like pushing one's way 
 through a growth of brushwood, and now and then the 
 removal of a branch, or perhaps the whole tree, fallen 
 across our road, would afibrd pleasant occupation for 
 half an hour or so. It was, in fact, a primeval forest, 
 thick with cedar, spruce, arbor vits, and firs; the 
 trunks covered with orange-green moss, the branches 
 hung with brown Spanish moss, and the marshy 
 ground brilliantly coloured with yellow and purple 
 
 flowers. 
 
 Our journey was enlivened by a brief wordy war- 
 
KALAMA TO VICTORIA. 283 
 
 fare between an irascible old gentleman and a man 
 •whom he accused of having taken his seat in the 
 carriage. After an exchange of very doubtful com- 
 pliments the elderly gentleman produced a little pistol, 
 saying, ' Do you see that ? iTow, don't speak to me, or 
 touch me, or even look at me again, or I'll blow your 
 head off.' Upon which the other coolly retorted, ' Do 
 you see that umbrella settin' thar ? Now, you touch 
 that umbrella, or even look at that umbrella, and I'll 
 ram it down your throat — and then I'U spread it.' 
 This terrible threat had the effect of somewhat appeas- 
 ing the old gentleman, but not before he had vented 
 his wrath on an inoffensive clergyman who had en- 
 deavoured to assuage his anger, and whom he effectu- 
 ally silenced, after a round of abuse, by designating him 
 ' an ecclesiastical old pelican.' 
 
 From Sinino a pleasant drive of fifteen miles brought 
 us to Olympia, a small town, situated at the head of 
 Puget Sound. Great dissatisfaction and anger reigned 
 there, because it had just been decided that Tacoma, 
 instead of Olympia, was to be the terminus of the new 
 railway. The Olympians poured down their wrath 
 on the railway, the new site, and on everything 
 and everybody outside their own domains. Such ' a 
 storm in a tea-cup ' could never have been witnessed 
 before ! 
 
 Puget Sound is one of the lovehest sheets of water 
 
284 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 tliat can be imagined. It is bounded by forests sloping 
 down to its very edge, and hundreds of islands are 
 dotted over its surface. The view of Mount Eainier 
 from Olympia is magnificent, the vast mountain, ap- 
 parently, being snow-covered from base to peak. The 
 mountain views all down the Sound are delightfiil, and 
 the whole journey as far as Snokomish was like sailing 
 on a lake in the midst of high woodland. The water, 
 very deep and transparent, rippled into gleams of gold 
 away to the bases of the glorious mountains, which are 
 shaded from the deepest purple softened off to the 
 clearest grey, and their rounded contour varied by 
 many a dim rift, wooded glen and slope. 
 
 Snokomish City is decidedly a ' one-hoss settlement,' 
 as an Anglo-American, whose acquaintance I made on 
 the steamer, expressed it, and ' biled ' shirts are looked 
 upon as quite out of place. The hotel accommodation 
 was not, strictly speaking, good, and those who were 
 effeminate enough to like washing had to take their 
 turn at a tin basin, with a cake of musty yellow soap 
 and to dry themselves on a fortnight-old towel, hung 
 from a broomstick in the bar-room. However, as I 
 was able to obtain ponies, Indian guides, and provi- 
 sions for a ten days' shooting expedition into the 
 interior, in search of elk, the aspect of the collection of 
 Avooden huts denominated a 'city' did not matter. 
 The country through which we passed was replete with 
 
KALAMA TO VICTORIA. 2?5 
 
 picturesque beauty, and the mountain streams were 
 stocked with trout, which furnished us with many an 
 evening meal. 
 
 The weather was so beautiful that we took no tents ; 
 but, as it was very cold at night in the mountains, we 
 were provided with blankets. Our ponies were poor 
 creatures to look at, but they were hardy, and willing 
 to go any distance. On the third day one of the 
 Indians refused to go any further. We were approach- 
 ing, he said, the territory of a hostile tribe, who, he 
 asserted, would kill him. On that day I shot two 
 deer, lots of grouse, and a wolf. On the fourth day we 
 arrived at a small lake, near where the elk were 
 supposed to be ; and as the Indians found some of their 
 tracks I went to bed in the expectation of having a 
 shot at one the next day. Before dayhght we were 
 up, and started with two other Indians who came 
 into the camp with an offer of their services, and after 
 a long and hard walk we reached the north side of the 
 lake. I was stationed in a beautiful wood, while the 
 Indians were beating in an opposite direction, and had 
 not been there half an hour when I heard a crackhng 
 in the bushes, and out walked a fine elk. He did not 
 see me, and as he stood stUl at about a hundred yards' 
 distance I had only to take a deliberate aim, and down 
 he fell. He was not very large, but his horns were 
 remarkably fine, and, being stUl in the velvet, con- 
 
286 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 sidered quite a curiosity. The head was stupidly cut 
 off too near the ears to look well when stuffed. To 
 my disgust we met with no bears ; but I shot a beautiful 
 golden eagle, measuring nearly nine feet across the 
 wings, and in splendid plumage. I came near him only 
 by creeping on my hands and knees, for about two 
 miles, up and down the sides of mountains — for when- 
 ever I got almost within shot he would sail off for a 
 few hundred yards and wait until I again nearly reached 
 him ; then off he went again, though I do not think that 
 he really saw me. I had a long shot at another much 
 larger elk, but unfortunately missed him. 
 
 In one very lonely spot we found an Indiaji burial- 
 place. These Indians — ' Flat-heads ' — ^have a peculiar 
 way of depositing the remains of their dead The corpse, 
 dressed out in its best apparel, which usually consists 
 of a bit of old blanket, one leg of a pair of trousers, 
 and a feather, is placed in a box about three feet high 
 and long, and about two feet wide. The knees are 
 thus brought up level with the head, in about the same 
 position as the deceased would adopt when sitting by 
 his camp-fire. The box is then fastened high up in a 
 tree, out of the reach of wild animals, and his weapons 
 and any Httle knick-knack — such as an enemy's scalp- 
 lock, an old boot, a beaver hat with no crown — in fact, 
 anything of which he was particularly fond, are then 
 hung around it. Under one of these boxes we saw the 
 
KALAMA TO VICTORIA. 287 
 
 remains of a canoe, and from the signs of luxury shown 
 by other articles hanging about — the barrel of an 
 old musket, the skeleton of a dog, a paddle, half a 
 panther's skin, and what was once a blanket — it was 
 conjectured that it must have been the tomb of a 
 great chief. The ' Flat-heads ' derive their name 
 from their custom of bandaging their children's heads 
 between two flat pieces of wood as soon as they 
 are born, one being placed on the forehead, the other 
 at the back of the head. This bandage is kept on 
 night and day until the child is nearly three years 
 old, by which time the head has acquired the desired 
 beautiful shape which it afterwards retains. They are 
 the most hideous and repulsive-looking Indians I ever 
 saw. The ' bandaging system,' I hear, is dying out 
 with them, or rather, the tribe is dwindling away, as 
 there are not many of them left. 
 
 It is difficult to imagine for what end Indians were 
 placed upon the earth. Perhaps they were merely 
 intended to live with wild animals amidst wild vegeta- 
 tion and enjoy their wild life, until races of greater 
 capacity were ready to occupy the soil. A succession 
 of races, like a rotation of crops, may be necessary to 
 turn the earth to the best possible account, and conse- 
 quently the Indian must be removed to make room for 
 others. 
 
 Eeturning to the Sound, some distance north of 
 
WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Snokomish, we coasted down, then crossed to Fort 
 Townsend, and took the steamer to Victoria. 
 
 Soon we sighted the Island of San Juan, lately- 
 handed over by us to the United States, in accordance 
 with the decision of the Emperor of Germany. 
 
 This island and Washington Territory are examples, 
 on the North-West of America, of the unscrupulousness 
 of the Government of the United States and the supe- 
 riority of its knowledge to that of ours. The clauses in 
 the ' Eights of -Fishing ' treaties, on our Eastern shores, 
 exhibit a hke capacity. 
 
 The Emperor Napoleon said truly, ' America is a 
 fortunate country. She grows by the follies of our 
 European nations.' 
 
 Eegarding Washington Territory, surely the Co- 
 lumbia Kiver is the natural boundary; therefore, why in 
 1846, when Oregon was ceded by Great Britain, was not 
 this river considered the rightful limit, instead of the 
 imaginary line (the 49th parallel) which now constitutes 
 the southern boundary of British Columbia ? Simply 
 because American diplomatists knew the value of their 
 claims, and British diplomatists knew nothing about it. 
 It is not easy to conceive what reasons for claiming 
 the country north of the Columbia could be urged by 
 the United States Government. But they knew the pro- 
 spective value of the magnificent inland waters of 
 Puget Sound, and acted upon that knowledge. With 
 
KALAMA TO VICTORIA. 289 
 
 the possession of that grand inlet, British Columbia 
 could easily compete with California and Oregon ; 
 "without it, it becomes a difficult matter to do so. 
 
 Whether there is any truth in the story told of a 
 certain naval officer who at the time of the dispute was 
 stationed on the Pacific Coast, and who wrote home to 
 his brother, the then Prime Minister, that the salmon in 
 the Columbia wouldn't take a fly, and that the country 
 was not worth making a fuss about, I do not know, 
 but at all events the story has obtained popular credence 
 in British Columbia. 
 
 The Island of San Juan commands everything 
 British on the West and North ; and though its military 
 occupation by the British would be utterly useless, yet 
 in the hands of the United States it becomes a per- 
 petual menace to us, and places the command of the 
 Straits in American hands. 
 
 It is only fair to say that, according to the 
 wording of the treaty of 1846, the island does belong 
 to the United States, but according to facts and the 
 spirit of the treaty it certainly does not. 
 
 We soon crossed the Straits of Fuca and passed into 
 the harbour of Victoria. Its entrance is narrow and 
 crooked, and it only accommodates vessels drawing 
 about 18 feet of water ; but dredgmg is constantly going 
 on when funds permit. 
 
 u 
 
ago WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Men-of-war always lie in the harbour of Esquimalt, 
 which is about three miles from Victoria. 
 
 A walk through the streets of Victoria impresses 
 the traveller with the idea that more than half the 
 population is Indian, and the remainder composed of 
 every nationality under the sun. The town itself is a 
 pretty, cheerful, bright place, and Tooked business-like 
 enough when we saw it ; but, on enquiry, we were 
 told that everything was at a stand-still and ' times 
 were never so bad.' It is a remarkable fact that go 
 where you will, no matter at what season, ' times were 
 never so bad ' within the memory of the oldest inhabi- 
 tant as they are sure to be at that very moment when 
 information is sought on the subject. 
 
 Victoria, like Mr. Micawber, is ' waiting for some- 
 thing to turn up,' and that something must be the rail- 
 road. This ' waiting ' retards the growth of the city, 
 and is hardly in accordance with the true spirit of 
 trade. The railroad will doubtless be of immense 
 service when made. But, at present, men hold on to 
 ' business lots ' and ' real estate ' near the town, in the 
 uncommercial but hopeful spirit of making large sums 
 in the future at one stroke ; or they demand such a high 
 price for their land as discourages emigrants and 
 intended settlers. 
 
 The position of Victoria indicates a bright future 
 in store for her. 
 
KALAMA TO VICTORIA. 291 
 
 The products of China, Japan, and Austraha must 
 all converge towards that terminus whose line of railway 
 wiU ere long extend from the Pacific to Newfoundland, 
 passing through the splendid provinces of the North- 
 west, and forming the quickest and surest route to 
 European markets. 
 
 The harbours of Vancouver's Island and the inlets 
 of the mainland are many and deep. The wealth in 
 minerals, forests, and fish in British Columbia, is un- 
 limited ; and there is no reason why the Straits of 
 Fuca should not form a commercial highway of vast 
 importance, and eventually become another ' Golden 
 Gate ' between the Old World and the New. 
 
 The town of Victoria slopes gently up from the 
 water's edge, and the view firom the church eminence 
 overlooking the harbour is strikingly beautiful. Across 
 the straits the snowy range of the Olympian mountains 
 rises abruptly from the shore. 
 
 Towards the Gulf of Georgia masses of rock of 
 singular form, bare and rugged in some places, 
 clothed with shrubs in others, contrast in the most 
 picturesque manner with the calm and lovely scene 
 over the harbour. The blue waters run far up into 
 the undulating country, in deep fiords, bays, and inlets ; 
 and these innumerable indentations of the rocky shore 
 are fringed with luxurious vegetation. Here and there 
 are scattered beautiful little islets, amongst which the 
 
 V 2 
 
292 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Indian canoes glide stealthily about. A little farther 
 off, hills broken by misty glens, the haunts of the wild 
 deer, slope gradually away, backed by the dim outhnes 
 of graceful mountains, towering tier above tier, and 
 flanked by purple and gold-tinted headlands rising 
 from the sea. Over all there floats a soft dreamy haze, 
 a charmingly effective finish to a landscape so sugges- 
 tive of peace and rest ; so soft and harmonious, that 
 many a spectator must have turned away with a 
 tightening of the throat and a misty gaze not altogether 
 
 ^the effect of the atmosphere. 
 
 The climate of Victoria is dehghtful. It is a crisp 
 invigorating climate — a climate of elastic lungs and 
 rosy English cheeks. Fruit and flowers grow with a 
 Californian luxuriance. The flowers especially have an 
 extraordinary brilliancy of colour ; but, unfortunately, 
 labour is so scarce that a weU-kept-garden is very 
 seldom seen, and the suburbs do not present that culti- 
 vated appearance which might be expected with the 
 
 advantages of such splendid soil and climate. 
 
 The town and the environs are blessed with most 
 
 capital roads ; and if the state of the highways is a test 
 
 of civilisation, Victoria must be far advanced indeed. 
 
 Beautiful drives and rides extend in every direction, 
 
 and it is quite a luxury to walk on the roads, so free are 
 
 they from dust or mud. 
 
 A very pleasant walk of three miles along one of these 
 
KALAMA TO VICTORIA. 293 
 
 fine roads or by a path through the woods brings you 
 to Esquimau. The first view of this harbour is of 
 magical efiect. The road runs through a diversified 
 counti-y of rock and forest, with the sea on the left. 
 Suddenly, a break in the rocks on the right reveals an 
 apparently circular lake, on which three or four men- 
 of war are lying sleepily at anchor. This harbour is 
 a perfect gem ; it is surrounded by thickly-wooded 
 hiUs, has excellent anchorage, and is almost land- 
 locked. 
 
 Plenty of sport, too, all around. Grouse and deer 
 abound in the woods, and the popping of guns may be 
 heard aU day, in the shooting season ; and, alas ! out of 
 it too.' There is also capital trout and salmon fishing ; 
 but the great drawback to this amusement is that the 
 fish will not take a fly. 
 
 Now and then you hear of somebody having had a 
 successful day's fly-fishing ; but the ' spoon bait ' is most 
 generally resorted to, and with dire efiect. In the 
 morning, canoes full of salmon may be seen entering 
 the harbour. The price of a big fish varies from a 
 ' bit ' up to half-a-doUar, but the latter is considered an 
 extravagant price. The Indians, however, are getting 
 too lazy even to fish, and many of them prefer buying 
 a salmon irom a white man to paddling out a short 
 distance in their canoes and catching as many as they 
 want. 
 
294 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 I think the Indians — or '■Si-washes,' as they are 
 called here, a name derived from the French sauvage — 
 of Vancouver's Island are, with the exception of the 
 Diggers, dirtier and wilder-looking than any I 
 have seen ; but they give very httle trouble, and are 
 quiet and contented, so long as they have a coloured 
 blanket to dress in. "I used to be much amused with 
 one of them, whose ideas were evidently far grander 
 than those of his neighbours, as he always paraded 
 up and down the streets in a full suit of naval uniform, 
 including a cocked-hat and feathers. Both the uniform 
 and the hat he had embellished with more gold lace 
 than could possibly have fallen to the share even of the 
 Lord High Admiral in the days of Queen Elizabeth ; 
 but it added considerably to the respect he inspired 
 among his tribe. His proud martial appearance was, 
 moreover, heightened by floating streamers of red 
 riband with which he decorated his long black greasy 
 hair, and which at a distance gave him the appearance 
 of a drunken recruiting sergeant, who had dressed him- 
 self in the wrong uniform, and hung himself out as a 
 scare-crow. 
 
 The Australians have a superstition that boring the 
 ears of children is sure to give them large and beauti- 
 ful eyes. The Indians, I think, must have the same 
 idea, with the addition that bormg their noses will give 
 them large and beautiful mouths. 
 
KALAMA TO VICTORIA. 295 
 
 They have undoubtedly succeeded as far as size 
 goes, but their beauty may be questioned, and I do not 
 think anyone who has ever seen these people could 
 answer the question, ' Who can tell where the lips end 
 or the smile begins ? ' 
 
 Victoria, and indeed British Columbia in general — 
 that is, as far as my very limited experience goes — is 
 most hospitably inclined : everybody seems glad and 
 willing to do the honours of the country to strangers, 
 and you are seldom at a loss for pleasant companions 
 for shooting excursions and trips of all sorts up the 
 coast and across to the mainland. One of the plea- 
 santest expeditions we made was up the Eraser Kiver. 
 But I must reserve that for another chapter. 
 
296 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XX. 
 
 UP THE FRASER. 
 
 New Westminster — Stumps — Halcyon days — Fishing — A panther — 
 Ferns — Sal-lal — Burrard Inlet — Steam saw-mills — Up the Fraser — 
 Anonymous gifts — Providence — Wood-cuttera — Hope — A silver-mine 
 — Kapids — Yale — Hudson's Bay Company — Christianised Indians — 
 Missionaries — A waggon-road — A trail— Fatal accident — Hell's Gate 
 — Suspension-bridge — Scenery to Boston Bar — ^Indian larders— Salmon 
 — Fishing establishments — Boundary line — Haro Straits — The Driard 
 House — British Columbia. 
 
 The Gulf of Georgia, which we had to cross before 
 reaching the mouth of the Fraser Eiver, is flecked all 
 over with lovely islands, thickly wooded, and in many 
 places afibrding rich pasture-land. The beauty of this 
 archipelago is best seen when coasting up Vancouver's 
 Island towards Nanaimo and Comox, an excursion we 
 were to make after our return from the Fraser. The 
 angle at which we crossed the Gulf made the distance 
 about fifteen miles ; and as a strong wind was blowing 
 and there was a heavy swell, the passage bore a most 
 unpleasant resemblance to that between Dover and 
 Calais. 
 
 The entrance to the Fraser is graced by immense 
 mud-flats, which are connected with rich bottom-lands 
 
UP THE FRASER. 297 
 
 extending far into the interior, and forming a delta of 
 great agricultural importance. New Westminster, the 
 capital of British Columbia, and the only town on this 
 delta, is situated very picturesquely at a distance of about 
 twenty miles from the mouth of the Fraser and seventy- 
 five from Victoria. It was dark when we arrived ; so 
 we could, therefore, form no opinion of the merits of the 
 town till the following morning. Then the feeling was 
 forced upon us that a more desolate, forsaken-looking 
 place we had never seen. 
 
 The site is a splendid one : a magnificent stretch of 
 the river, with gently sloping hills rising behind the 
 town, and covered with fine forests. But close round 
 the town the huge cedars and pine trees have been cut 
 down or burnt, and the huge blackened stumps give it 
 a very dismal, neglected appearance. These stumps are 
 left standing in every direction, in the straggling streets, 
 around the church, and in the ill-kept gardens. The 
 houses for the most part are empty, and ruin and decay 
 are the chief features (besides the stumps) of this now 
 ' deserted village.' 
 
 Once it was a gay, flourishing little town, with plenty 
 of society and amusements ; but that was in the ' golden 
 days,' when the Government House was occupied, when 
 sappers and Marines filled the little barracks, and nug- 
 gets rolled down from the mines of Cariboo. The 
 energy and varied talents of one man alone keeps New 
 
298 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Westminister from fading away into utter oblivion. 
 He is magistrate, captain of the Volunteers, general au- 
 thority on Government matters, school inspector, and 
 tovfn-councillor ; he plays the harmonium in the church, 
 attends to church business, manages the school feasts, 
 rings the church bells,^ and in fact is the presiding genius 
 of the place. He put his house at our disposal as head- 
 quarters during our visit, and turned what would other- 
 wise have been rather a melancholy sojourn into an ex- 
 tremely pleasant one. There are only two walks in 
 New Westminister; one goes to Burrard Inlet, and 
 the other follows the bank of the river to an old rifle 
 range, and crosses the Brunette, a small stream that runs 
 into the Eraser. In this stream we one day saw a num- 
 ber of large trout and white fish ; so a day's fishing was 
 arranged, which resulted in a perfectly empty bag, the 
 fish, as usual, declining a fly, and even the ground-bait 
 which we temptingly displayed. We were gratified, 
 'however, by the sight of a big panther which walked 
 out of the wood and across the road close to us. It would 
 have been a capital shot, as it moved along quite slowly 
 and gracefully, never even turning his head to look at 
 us ; but, of course, I had not my gun with me, and if 
 I had had it I should most probably have seen a fish 
 walking across the road. 
 
 ' This peal of bells was originally intended for the church in Vic- 
 toria, but by mistake it was sent from England to New Westminster, 
 where it has remained ever since. 
 
UP THE ERASER. 299 
 
 Burrard Inlet is reached from New Westminster by 
 a very good corduroyed stage-road nine miles long. 
 The entrance to the inlet from the Gulf of Georgia is 
 fifteen miles north of the mouth of the Eraser Eiver. 
 The drive thither was a most pleasant one. A collec- 
 tor of ferns could have gathered a charming variety 
 from the banks and dells on the road-side. There were 
 various sorts of shrubs, too ; one, called the sal-lal, with a 
 berry like our berberry, only much larger, and edible, 
 struck me as being very suitable for English woods, as 
 it is very hardy, and would make a most splendid cover 
 for pheasants. At all events, I shall make an attempt 
 at growing it, and its failure, I think, will be very 
 improbable. 
 
 When we arrived at the Inlet we found a tiny 
 steamer ready to take us across to the large steam saw- 
 mill on the opposite side. A beautiful sheet of deep 
 water is this Inlet. It is twenty-five miles long, with 
 an average breadth of over a mile. 
 
 Three natural divisions form three distinct harbours, 
 the middle one narrowing at both extremities — thus 
 making an outer and inner harbour. Vessels of the 
 largest size can enter, and there is safe anchorage for 
 500 ships. The woods all round the shores are 
 stocked with deer. The usual way here of hunting 
 them is to send dogs into the forest to drive the 
 animals down to the water's edge, where they are shot. 
 
30O WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 Forests, as a means of wealth, are perhaps the 
 greatest resource of the country, and our visit to the 
 saw-mills gave us an insight into the lucrative business 
 of ' lumber-making ' from an almost inexhaustible supply 
 of the most splendid material. There are two steam- 
 mills on the Inlet, and although they run night and day, 
 yet their proprietors are compelled to refuse numerous 
 orders. 
 
 The mill on the south side of the Inlet is the more 
 picturesque of the two. The white workmen live in 
 what look like very comfortable little houses, and are 
 evidently well cared for. The workmen represent all 
 nationalities. Whites, Chinese, Sandwich Islanders, ' Si- 
 washes,' and negroes. The natives cannot be depended 
 upon for work, for as soon as they have made enough 
 money to keep them in idleness for a time they withdraw 
 their services, and return to their dirt and squalor 
 until necessity drives them back again. 
 
 The houses of the aborigines are the most com- 
 plete ' whited sepulchres ' one can imagine. The fronts, 
 facing the harbour, are generally clean-looking and 
 weU whitewashed ; but the backs, the sides, and the 
 interiors are filthy beyond description. 
 
 We left Burrard Inlet thoroughly well up in the 
 intricacies of ' lumber ' and edified by a most interest- 
 ing visit. 
 
 The next dav we started for Yale, which is the 
 
UP THE FRASER. 301 
 
 head of the navigation of the Eraser, and about ninety 
 miles from New Westminster. The course of the 
 Eraser is full of dangers and difficulties. The extreme 
 swiftness of the stream and under-current renders a 
 capsize almost certain destruction, as the river is as full 
 of ' snags ' and ' sawyers ' as the Mississippi. 
 
 Our flat-bottomed vessel, the ' Onward,' had a first- 
 rate captain, who knew all the snags and rocks in our 
 course, and was able himself to take the wheel in any 
 of the bad parts of the river. 
 
 The voyage at first was rather monotonous, but as 
 the dense woods were putting on their autumn tints 
 there was always plenty of colour to relieve the dulness 
 of the low overhanging banks. Sometimes we stopped 
 at new settlements, consisting of about two or three 
 houses ; at other times at places where there was 
 no appearance of a house at all, on which occasions a 
 box, a parcel, or whatever there was to leave was de- 
 posited on the bank, and we resumed our journey. 
 These articles, I presume, were destined for some person 
 in particular, but it rather looked as if they were in- 
 tended generally for anybody who chose to appropriate 
 them, and that if a Eobinson Crusoe or a man Friday 
 should happen to be wandering that way he might accept 
 the consignment as a Providential gift. By the way, how 
 is it that the hand of Providence is always apparent in 
 that which pleases us, never in that which displeases ? 
 
302 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 For instance, how constantly we hear the expression, 
 ' Providentially saved,' but never ' Providentially lost ; ' 
 yet calamitous results, I presume, are as much per- 
 mitted by Providence as fortunate ones. 
 
 ' Wooding up ' was a cause for continual lying-to, 
 the appetite of the furnace being insatiable. 
 
 Wood-cutting and rail-splitting are regarded here as 
 the last resource for a living that a man can descend 
 to ; but from the good price paid per foot, and the 
 enormous quantity of wood used, I should have thought 
 them very profitable occupations. The lonehness and 
 utter isolation of the life of the woodcutter must be their 
 chief drawbacks, and the possession of a squaw wife, 
 and the accompanying blessings, are perhaps not hkely 
 to conduce to a high state of civilisation. 
 
 As soon as night came on the boat was tied up to a 
 convenient tree, and there we remained till daylight. 
 As we approached Hope the scenery became much 
 grander ; high mountains sloped down to the river- 
 side, and sand bars, from which melancholy miners 
 were endeavouring to extract gold, were frequently met 
 with. Hope is a pleasantly-situated little settlement. 
 We stopped there to visit a silver-mine which had 
 lately been discovered in the mountain above the 
 town. We could trace one seam of silver ore for two 
 hundred feet up and for about one thousand feet along, 
 with a breadth of from four to eight feet. This mine 
 
UP THE FRASER. 303 
 
 has raised great expectations ; and if they are justified 
 by the results, the companies ought before long to be 
 in a very flourishing position. 
 
 Between Hope and Yale there is a point where the 
 stream runs so swiftly that for two or three minutes the 
 vessel seems standing still, and it requires a consider- 
 able rising of the steam-gauge and many extra heaps of 
 resinous wood to be piled on the furnaces, to enable 
 the panting boat to stem the current and glide once 
 more into comparatively still water. 
 
 Yale has a thriving appearance, and the scenery in 
 the neighbourhood is superb. Hills rise in wooded 
 slopes for nine and ten hundred feet, then bare rocks 
 and crags shoot up for another thousand feet, and 
 streams dash down in cataracts and falls from the dis- 
 tant mountain-heights. 
 
 The Hudson's Bay Company has a very nice house 
 here, in which we were most hospitably entertained. 
 But where in America is there a Hudson's Bay post 
 where travellers are not welcomed and received in the 
 kindest possible manner .? 
 
 Since this wonderful old English company first 
 received its charter, in 1670, times have indeed 
 changed ; and the policy of the company has also 
 changed. Instead of keeping the country closed, as in 
 former days, their efforts are directed to opening it up 
 as much as possible. 
 
304. WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 This change has perhaps been forced on them, now 
 that they are no longer the rulers of the North-West ; 
 but they have gracefully given way to existing circum- 
 stances, and still carry on their trade with the skill 
 which characterised it in former days. The old out- 
 cry against the company, accusing them of sacrificing 
 colonists for the sake of minks and silver foxes, had no 
 foundation. The company attended to its own busi- 
 ness ; and if the real value of the country was not 
 known, it was not for the H.B.C. to destroy its own 
 prospects by pointing it out. 
 
 At Yale we attended service at the Indian church 
 one Sunday morning. The impression left on my 
 mind by the deportment and the apparent general 
 feeling of the congregation was of a mixed character. 
 
 The outward tokens of a religious ceremony were 
 manifest, but there seemed to be a mere parrot-Hke 
 rendering of the devotions, which excluded — at least 
 according to my view of the matter — any idea of the 
 true sentiment of Christianity being either felt or 
 understood by the Indians. The good pastor, however, 
 assured me that they understood and appreciated all 
 that was said. The service was of course conducted 
 in the Indian tongue, and, certainly, a hymn, one of 
 the 'Ancient and Modern,' was sung in a very creditable 
 manner ; yet I have strong doubts as to the efficacy of 
 the ceremony. I certainly saw many of the congrega- 
 
UP THE FRASER. 305 
 
 tion indulging in their favourite vices a few minutes 
 after leaving the church, yet wearing the same sanc- 
 timonious expression they had assumed during the 
 service. But the missionaries themselves know best 
 whether their labours are well rewarded or not ; those 
 whom I have met have been satisfied with the past 
 and are sanguine for the future. The world cannot 
 judge of the value of missionary labour ; it must be 
 judged from a far higher standpoint, and the reward 
 of many earnest men, whose lives have been passed in 
 preaching the Gospel to a few poor Indians, will not be 
 found wanting when good works are summed up in the 
 balances of eternity. 
 
 The waggon-road from Yale to Cariboo is hardly 
 surpassed on the continent for the engineering skill 
 exhibited in its construction ; and considering the in- 
 fancy of the colony that undertook the work, it is a 
 perfect marvel. 
 
 Formerly, an old Indian trail alone led to the mines 
 of Cariboo, 300 miles from Yale. This trail wound up 
 and down steep mountains, crossed rivers and gorges, 
 and in one place led over a ravine by a bridge not two 
 feet wide, over which the traveller had to crawl with 
 his heavy pack, and with -the sure knowledge that if 
 he shpped he would fall over perpendicular rocks 
 nearly 2,000 feet into the Eraser below. JSTow, a fine 
 
3o6 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 but dangerous- looking road runs the whole distance. It 
 has been hewn out of the rocks and cut through them, 
 and is built up with masonry and wood, sometimes run- 
 ning at a height of 1,200 feet above the Eraser, and some- 
 times descending almost to its edge. The chief danger 
 consists in the faU of rocks, and in landshps occasioned 
 by heavy rains or the melting of snow ; but the road 
 is so narrow and the rocky wall so perpendicular that 
 loosened rocks and stones generally fall clear of the 
 road and descend into the foaming river .^ 
 
 The least want of care in driving, or the horses 
 shying, would instantly hurl the waggon down a. steep 
 of several hundred feet on to the rocks below. 
 
 Strange as it may appear, fatal accidents seldom 
 happen. The only one that had occurred for years 
 took place the day before we reached Yale, and within 
 a quarter of a mile of the town. One of the stage- 
 drivers had driven his wife and child for a short dis- 
 tance along the road ; on returning, the horses shied at 
 a wheelbarrow by the road side, and the carriage was 
 immediately thrown on to the rocks, which at that place 
 stretched out below the road and over the river. The 
 drop was about twenty feet ; a few yards further on or 
 further back, and all would have been dashed from those 
 precipitous heights into the river. As it was, the poor 
 mother died on the following day, but the father and 
 child escaped with but few injuries. One of the horses 
 
UP THE FRASER. jO? 
 
 was killed on the spot ; the other kicked itself free 
 and fell over into the river. 
 
 The scenery of the Fraser between Yale and Bos- 
 ton Bar, a distance of about five-and-twenty miles, is 
 grand in the extreme, and I think even excels that of 
 the Columbia Eiver. At ' Hell's Gate,' about ten miles 
 above Yale, the river rushes through a channel only 
 about fifty yards wide, the rocks on either side being 
 perpendicular. The difference between the height of 
 the river in summer, at the melting of the snows, and in 
 the winter is not less than ninety feet, as may be seen 
 by the high-water marks on the rocky walls. 
 
 Eugged and inaccessible mountains rise to a height 
 of several thousand feet, and are so precipitous that a 
 feehng of giddiness is experienced when looking up at 
 their snowy summits. A very pretty suspension-bridge 
 crosses the river about ten miles above Yale, and makes 
 a picturesque break in the stupendous character of the 
 scenery. Just imagine grand canons and giant chffs, 
 along whose rugged sides the road runs, and whence 
 the swift-rushing river, far far below, looks hke a mere 
 silken-thread ; wild heights, sometimes bare, some- 
 times pine-clad ; snow-capped peaks, rising above 
 ranges of lofty mountains, the narrow pass dwarfed 
 by the altitude ' of the towering rocks on both sides, 
 and you have some of the ingredients of the Fraser 
 scenery. 
 
3o8 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 All along the- road were tiny houses high up in trees, 
 round the trunks of which were pieces of tin and iron, 
 turned over at the tops, to prevent animals from climb- 
 ing up. These houses (' cache ') are the Indians' larders, 
 and contain quantities of dried salmon ready for the 
 winter's consumption. The salmon in the Eraser are 
 as numerous as in the Columbia, and between Yale and 
 Boston Bar the atmosphere was often quite tainted by the 
 smell of the dead fish. Spearing and netting were going 
 on everywhere, although the season was far advanced. 
 A very dehcious little fish, called the ' eulaehon,' is 
 caught in the Fraser at certain seasons in immense 
 quantities. The season lasts for about a fortnight, and 
 during that period they appear in such shoals that they 
 are actually raked into the boats ; buckets, nets, and all 
 sorts of queer contrivances being put into requisition for 
 their capture. 
 
 A short distance below JN^ew Westminster there is 
 a large establishment for canning and barrelhng the 
 salmon, but there is room enough and plenty of occu- 
 pation for many more fisheries, without causing any 
 diminution of the salmon ; for the fish swarm in every 
 portion of the river, and they often vary their course 
 according to the state of the weather. On warm calm 
 days they play along the shore, and when it is cold and 
 rough they seek the mid-channel or shelter under the 
 blulTs and rocks. 
 
UP THE FRASER. 309 
 
 Three systems are in use for fishing — gill-net fishing, 
 the ' weir,' and ' dragging the seine.' In the former, 
 nets are used with a mesh of sufiicient size to allow the 
 head but not the body of the fish to pass through. This 
 mode of fishing is employed on dark nights. The net 
 is thrown into the channel which the fish generally take, 
 and the current carries it down for three or four 
 miles. It is then hauled into the boats, the fish being 
 killed by knocking them on the head with clubs. The 
 salmon caught in these nets are larger than those 
 procured in any other way, as the small fish can pass 
 through the meshes. 
 
 The weir is simply a large trap made of twigs and 
 poles. The catch is often enormous, four and five 
 hundred salmon having been caught in a single haul. 
 Fishing with a ' seine ' is done by day and on moonlight 
 nights. The net is placed in the stern of the boat, a 
 man on shore holding on to a rope attached to it ; the 
 boat then pulls out on the river, paying out the net as 
 it goes, and when it meets the current it is swmig 
 round until it reaches the shore again when all is paid 
 out. The ' seine ' is then puUed ashore at both ends 
 and emptied of its spoil. 
 
 The Fraser did not seem to me to ofier so good a 
 site for fisheries as the Columbia. Nevertheless, most 
 profitable establishments might be erected in many 
 places ; as near the salt water as possible, that the fish 
 
3IO WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 which are of the finest quahty might also be in the best 
 condition. 
 
 As we returned to Victoria we caught a glimpse of 
 the boundary line between the United States and British 
 Columbia. This boundary line cuts through the forest 
 from east to Avest, parallel with 49° of North latitude, 
 and extends from the Gulf of Georgia (where a 
 pillar marks its commencement) right across the con- 
 tinent to Manitoba, and then inclines southward to 
 Lake Superior. For several hundred miles a broad dis- 
 tinct cutting, which has a very singular appearance, has 
 also been made through the thick woods. The sail 
 through the Haro Channel presents a combination of 
 water, island, and mountain scenery that for variety and 
 beauty cannot easily be surpassed. On the mainland 
 there is the long line of the Cascade mountains, from 
 which we had just descended by the Fraser. The grand 
 Mount Baker, the principal feature in the landscape, 
 stands out, in its snowy covering, monarch of aU the sur- 
 rounding heights. Further south, Puget Sound stretches 
 far inland, while the Olympian range extends towards 
 the sea, sheltering the island of Vancouver from the 
 rough winds of the Pacific. 
 
 On returning to Victoria harbour we again estab- 
 lished ourselves in our quarters at the ' Driard House ' — 
 a comfortable hotel, but unfortunately at that period 
 employing a most execrable cook, who, I trust, has long 
 
VP THE ERASER. S" 
 
 since entered on his proper occupation in the Shoe-black 
 Brigade. 
 
 The accounts given of British Columbia are so 
 various and contradictory, and the country has been 
 so praised by some and run down by others, as it has 
 suited their different interests, that it might be pictured 
 . either as a Garden of Eden or a howling wilderness by 
 those who have never visited it. 
 
 The little that I saw of the interior of the mainland 
 does not warrant my saying much about it ; but from 
 what I beheld myself and gathered in conversation with 
 people who lived there, the following remarks may be 
 received as facts. 
 
 The climate, although a few places suffer from 
 the extremes of heat and cold, is on the whole exceed- 
 ingly healthy and pleasant. The vast extent of the 
 mountain ranges forms an almost insuperable barrier to 
 great commercial intercourse. 
 
 A sparse population and difficult intercommuni- 
 cation, which is in fact solitude, give the conditions of 
 barbarism ; and until good roads and highways are con- 
 structed the colony cannot make much progress. 
 
 The lands in the interior where cultivation has been 
 employed are wonderfully rich and fertile ; wheat and 
 oats, with straw six feet long, and producing seventy 
 bushels to the acre, grow with comparatively imperfect 
 
312 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 culture. As a fruit-garden it equals Oregon. Its graz- 
 ing regions are immense, and would be of enormous 
 profit, if tliere were average means of transportation ; 
 but at present, timber, the fisheries, and mining offer 
 the richest prizes to capitalists, whilst the very high 
 rate of wages that labour commands soon places the 
 working classes in comparatively affluent circum- 
 stances. 
 
 The delta lands of the Fraser are of great extent 
 and richness, and they are at present occupied only by 
 a few farmers. The future prosperity of this part 
 of British Columbia will doubtless depend to a great 
 extent on its ditches and dykes. Those lands situated 
 on the Lower Fraser are subject to overflow at certain 
 seasons. 
 
 The work of dyking looks formidable at first for 
 individual effort, but in reahty is much easier than 
 clearing away forests. ■ Land, too, that has-been sub- 
 ject to inundation is twenty times more valuable than 
 forest land. 
 
 But it is to the Government we must look for large, 
 and important works of reclamation by dyking. And 
 when these are begun, and the sound of the locomotive 
 is heard in the land, they will attract thither a multi- 
 tude of steady and permanent immigrants. The present 
 state of torpor and inactivity will then give place to 
 the energy and business-like habits necessary for the 
 
UP THE ERASER. 313 
 
 development of the industries and resources of the 
 country. British Columbia will then be advanced to 
 the front rank of the Dominion, as a vigorous and 
 prosperous province. 
 
314 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XXI. 
 
 RETURN TO NANAIMO. 
 
 Miners— Difficulties and dangers— Good and bad luck— Gulf of Georgia 
 — Calculating birds — Nanaimo — Duck-sliooting — An Indian guide — 
 The beaver dam— Fishing— A river— Stars— Merit — An entertainment 
 — The coast. 
 
 During our absence from Victoria the town had had 
 an influx of visitors. New gold-mines had lately been 
 discovered on the Stickeen river, and hundreds of men 
 stricken with the ' yellow fever ' were on their way to 
 the north-west of the Territory — men of all classes, all 
 ages and occupations ; men of refinement and education, 
 and others who had never opened a book ; desperadoes 
 and law:abiding men of all nations and creeds ; and all 
 wearing the same weary, anxious, and care-worn look 
 alike habitual to the steady and the improvident 
 miner. 
 
 ' There is an order 
 Of mortals on the earth who do become 
 Old in their youth, and die ere middle age, 
 Without the -violence of warlike death ; 
 Some perishing of pleasure, some of study, 
 Some worn with toil, some of mere weariness, 
 Some of disease, some of insanity, 
 And some of wither'd or broken hearts ; 
 For this last malady is one which slays 
 More than are number'd in the lists of Fate, 
 Taking all shapes, and bearing many names.' 
 
RETURN TO NANAIMO. S'S 
 
 The difficulties and dangers encountered by miners 
 on their way to new diggings are of no common order. 
 Very often — as in the case of the Stickeen miners — no 
 trail exists along which even an animal could pick its 
 way. Obstacles that would stop an engineer have to 
 be faced and overcome. You must trudge, with your 
 provisions on your back, up and down mountain 
 precipices, over rocks and snow, through a country 
 probably infested by unfriendly Indians. When hungry 
 you must cut wood before you can cook and eat. In 
 wet weather you must remain moist and chilled till 
 it is fine again. Your hands and clothes will be torn 
 to pieces; and if you are unfortunate enough to 
 possess a tent, it will probably be only just large enough 
 to crouch in, besides adding considerably to the weight 
 of your pack. 
 
 And the difficulties do not diminish when your 
 destination is reached. 'Prospecting' is a work of 
 incredible toil in a mountainous region covered with 
 thick forest ; and though gold may be everywhere, it 
 must be found in large quantities to enable the miner 
 to live. Provision-dealers and hucksters of aU kinds, 
 who, with gamblers, &c. foUow close in the wake of 
 the army of gold-hunters, will only sell their goods at 
 fancy prices, consequently the greater part of the 
 earnings goes into their pockets. 
 
 Two or three may make fortunes in less than a 
 
3i6 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 fortnight, and a few may by degrees accumulate large 
 sums, but hundreds will only just make sufficient for a 
 living, and tens of hundreds nothing" at all. Mining is 
 lilie any other kind of gambling — once taken to, the 
 difficulty then is to leave oif. The excitement of 
 knowing that at any moment, by a ' lucky hit,' a for- 
 tune may be grasped, acts like a stimulant and urges 
 on to exertion long after expectation is dead. Success 
 in mining depends on ' luck,' and therein it differs from 
 success in the ordinary affairs of hfe. In the latter 
 case good luck is a man of pluck, with sleeves turned 
 up to meet difficulties, and working to make things 
 come right; while bad luck is a man with his hands in 
 his pockets and a pipe in his mouth, looking on to see 
 how things will come out. 
 
 In Calaveras County, Cahfornia, an instance of 
 really bad luck came under my observation. 
 
 The original locator of a claim worked for years 
 running a tunnel through the hard rock. After he 
 had bored a distance of about 800 feet his pecuniary 
 affairs became so involved that he was obhged to give 
 up the mine before reaching gold. Broken down in 
 health and spirits, he was nevertheless obliged to seek 
 employment, and again went to work at the tunnel for 
 wages, the new proprietor having determined to con- 
 tinue the boring. He had been employed there about 
 a fortnight, when he struck through to gravel, from 
 
RETURN TO NANAIMO. 3i^ 
 
 which uuprecedentedly large returns have been ob- 
 tained ; so that after labouring for years the poor man 
 was obliged to relinquish work just as wealth was 
 within his grasp. 
 
 Once more in the beautiful Gulf of Georgia ! but 
 this time coasting up the island over a smooth sun-lit 
 sea. Every mile discloses some new charm in the 
 beautiful landscape. The numerous islands are com- 
 posed of rock and sandstone, and the action of the sea 
 has worn the soft material into caves, hollows, and many 
 curious and fantastic forms, aU of which are overhung 
 with luxuriant vegetation, while above thick woods 
 extend to the summits of the undulating heights. 
 Winding through the straits and among the countless 
 islets requires good steering, not only on account of the 
 narrowness of the passage, but because of the almost 
 invisible shoals and the swiftness of the current. Wild- 
 fowl of all sorts abound in these waters— the uneatable 
 species fluttering lazily about close to the vessel, 
 widgeon, teal, and mallards keeping carefully just out 
 of gunshot. 
 
 It is extraordinary with what nicety birds can cal- 
 culate distances. They even appear to know what 
 weapon is to be used against them, and will keep 
 their distance accordingly. With an increased range 
 of rifle or fowhng-piece, birds adapt themselves to the 
 
3i8 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 circumstances, and contemplate their enemy from just 
 outside the limit of his range, and no more. It is the 
 same force of instinct, I suppose, which enables birds 
 of passage to strike their exact destination in pre- 
 cisely the calculated period. 
 
 For a yachting man, the Gulf of Georgia would be 
 most attractive, as, irrespective of the scenery, deer 
 and grouse are in abundance on most of the islands, 
 and the bays, inlets, and natural harbours afford most 
 ample anchorage.. A sketch-book, too, might soon be 
 filled with innumerable ' bits ' of charming effects of 
 colotir and formation. 
 
 Our course was past the farming districts of Saanich 
 and Cowichan and other smaller settlements, at each of 
 which we stopped to dehver letters and freight, and 
 towards evening arrived at Nanaimo, where we intended 
 to remain for some days. 
 
 The whole coast of Vancouver's Island and a great 
 part of the mainland of British Columbia is a series of 
 magnificent bays and inlets, and the scenery of Nanaimo 
 is of the same character. The town itself occupies a 
 most picturesque site, and the view overlooking the bay 
 from the residence of our extremely hospitable host and 
 hostess was charming. Although a coal-mining village, 
 Nanaimo possesses but few of the unpleasant features 
 common to such places. The neat little white cottages 
 are scattered about in pleasant nooks and on rocky 
 
RETURN TO NANAIMO. S'O 
 
 crags ; often they are surrounded by shrubs, trees, aud 
 patches of cultivated land, not very neat, perhaps, or 
 well-tended, but still garden-like and pleasing. 
 
 Wild ducks frequent these parts in great force ; and 
 we determined one day to visit them at their head- 
 quarters — a beaver dam, situated a few miles from the 
 inland extremity of the bay. The Indians paddled lis 
 over in canoes, and after a short walk we arrived at the 
 entrance of the narrow valley, at the top of which was 
 the dam. My two companions posted themselves in 
 the valley, down which the ducks were obliged to come 
 when disturbed, and I started off to the dam with one 
 of the Indians. This individual was a most ludicrous 
 object. He had got himself up for the occasion in his 
 Sunday best, which consisted of a striped blanket worn 
 like a toga, one boot, covering a lame foot, and a piece 
 of blue Hnen wrapped round his head. He had given 
 his face an extra bright coating of vermihon, and had 
 softened the colour by a few white hues across his fore- 
 head. His countenance was melancholy in the extreme 
 and as he hopped on his lame foot over the marshy 
 land his appearance was something between that of a 
 flamingo and a disappointed heron. 
 
 After a long walk we arrived at the dam— a large 
 square swamp, surrounded on three sides by high rocky 
 hills covered with trees. The dam itself was so covered 
 with willows and treacherous little islands made of 
 
320 WESTERN WANDERINGS 
 
 sticks and rushes, which afforded no footing, that it was 
 an admirable stronghold for the wild fowl as well as for 
 the beavers. No dog or human being could swim or 
 walk inside it, as the former would inevitably have 
 been drowned by entanglement with the weeds, loose 
 sticks, and brush, and the latter have immediately sunk 
 over his head in the yielding mud and quicksand. The 
 consequence was no ducks could be gathered except 
 those that fell on shore. I made my way as well as I 
 could along the dam-bank which ran across the valley, 
 and when I had got as far as I could I raised a shout. 
 Instantly the air was ahve with hundreds of ducks and 
 teal, and as they flew over my head on either side of me 
 down the valley I banged away to my heart's content. 
 This went on for about ten minutes, until the ducks — 
 many of which kept circling round backwards and for- 
 wards — got tired of the sport and took their departure. 
 All this time plenty of shooting had been going on at 
 the entrance of the valley, and I was sure a capital bag 
 would be the result. Unfortunately, numbers of my 
 ducks fell into the dam. I had a very good retriever 
 with me, and he made one attempt to get a duck that 
 fell within a few yards of us ; he was unsuccessful, and 
 very nearly got drowned. As for old Flamingo, he was 
 well acquainted with the dangers of the deep, and I 
 could not induce him to make the slightest effort to 
 retrieve. 
 
RETURN TO NANAIMO. 321 
 
 So we picked up those that fell on land, and after 
 many a regretful glance at the dozen or so we had to 
 leave, returned to see what the others had done. No- 
 thing is so annoying as losing dead game ; clean missing 
 your shots is nothing, but not being able to gather 
 what you have killed is terrible. 
 
 My hopes of a large bag were not to be reahsed, as 
 most of the ducks had flown so high that they were out 
 of shot, and our total only numbered about fifteen or 
 twenty head after aU. 
 
 The following day we passed in salmon-fishing 
 (spoon bait) on the other side of the bay, and in less 
 than two hours we had caught about twenty very nice 
 fish. An Indian who had been fishing all day came in 
 the same evening with between forty and fifty. 
 
 The Nanaimo river is a very beautiful one, and to 
 be paddled up the stream lying on soft mats stretched 
 at the bottom of the smooth-going canoe, only rising 
 now and then for a shot at some wild fowl, or occavsion- 
 ally landing for grouse, of which there are innumerable 
 quantities all over the island, is a most deliciously lazy 
 way of passing a day. 
 
 The stream winds tortuously through luxuriant 
 meadows and wooded hills, past overhanging rocks, at 
 the-^base'of which many species of ferns and wild 
 flowers grow. Sometimes the stream flows swift and 
 deep, and often so shallow that paddles have to give 
 
 Y 
 
322 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 place to long poles with which to push the canoe up 
 the ripphng rapids. 
 
 Now and then rich vales appear among the rolUng 
 hills, unoccupied save perhaps by an Indian hut, while 
 in the distance the prospect is bounded by the giant 
 forms of the mountains. 
 
 In such amusements we occupied the daytime, nor 
 was there a want of entertainment for the evenings. 
 Programmes had lately been posted about of a perform- 
 ance to be given by a star of the first magnitude. 
 
 It is a fact that directly any third, fourth, fifth, or 
 sixth rate actor or singer sets foot in the West he or 
 she is at once changed into a planet, or even a whole 
 constellation, and becomes invariably either the ' admit- 
 ted rival of the great Queen of Song ' or the quintes- 
 sence of every talent that has ever endowed the chief 
 artistes of the theatrical world. 
 
 Success does not always follow merit in any country, 
 but in America there cannot possibly be any success 
 without gigantic ' puffing,' by which means an average 
 street-singer is made to rank as a prima donna, and 
 every clown as a Grimaldi. The performance in 
 question, though hardly up to our expectations, was 
 nevertheless very creditable, especially considering the 
 circumstances under which it was conducted. 
 
 At the appointed hour our party of four arrived at 
 the hall. As we had the room entirely to ourselves we 
 
RETURN TO NANAIMO. 323 
 
 found we had mistaken the time. Nobody else appear- 
 ing, we strolled out for half an hour. Presently we 
 heard a great noise of drums and tin-kettles, with which, 
 as we afterwards discovered, a number of boys had been 
 engaged by the manager to beat up spectators. But 
 as not the slightest attention was paid to this invitation 
 the performance at last commenced, and was gone 
 through before an audience of about ten people, in- 
 cluding the band, whose services were remunerated by 
 a free admission. 
 
 I never wish to be the tenth part of an audience 
 again, however admirable the performance may be. 
 
 The reason given for the wretched attendance was, 
 first, that so many professors, operatic stars, and wizards, 
 aU coming under the head of ' humbugs,' had visited 
 the town, that the people were determined not to be 
 taken in again ; but the second reason, and the likelier 
 of the two, was, that it was the beginning of the month, 
 and the miners had not the money to pay the entrance 
 fee. 
 
 The manager and company left JSTanaimo at day- 
 break on the following morning, and proceeded in 
 canoes to New Westminster, where I hope a better 
 reception awaited them. 
 
 The scenery all along the coast north of Nanaimo 
 differed very little from that which we had already 
 
 T 2 
 
324 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 passed through. Everywhere beautiful islets abounded 
 shimmering in green. The reflection of these wooded 
 islets in the calm deep blue water was often as per- 
 fect as the reflection in a mirror, but sometimes a silvery- 
 spray from the swell — almost unfelt within the estuary 
 — would suddenly shoot across their shadows and raise 
 a white ripple along their shores. 
 
 Afar off", the slopes and mountain ravines displayed 
 a thousand bright tints of velvety blue, grey, and green, 
 enamelled with variegated wild flowers, while the fervid 
 heat of the sun spread a diaphanous vapour over the 
 dreamy picture indefinite as 
 
 ' The twilight that surrounds 
 
 The horder-land of old romance, ' 
 
BRITISH COLUMBIA. 325 
 
 CHAPTEE XXII. 
 
 BEITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 Game in British Columbia — Grouse — Mud Bay — A day's shooting — 
 Raccoons — ^No woodcocks — Summer ducks — Bears — Indians of British 
 Columbia — Carving — Canoes — Chinook — Indian houses — Burials — 
 Door-poata — Smuggling — Civilieed and Chriatianised Indians — The 
 'Prince Alfred' — The coast — Grumbling settlers — A Bohemian — 
 Sunset — The Golden Gate. 
 
 The shooting in Vancouver's Island and on the main- 
 land of British Columbia is excellent — bears, panthers, 
 elk, deer, grouse, quails, and wild-fowl everywhere. 
 Mountain-sheep, prairie-chickens, and fool-hens are also 
 found on the mainland. The fool-hen simply sits up in 
 . a tree and allows a noose to be put round its neck. 
 The gcouse are not much more sensible, for after a 
 short flight they generally perch up in the branches, 
 and there remain until shot or frightened away by a 
 volley of stones and sticks. 
 
 The grouse are of two sorts, the blue and the 
 common or spruce grouse. The blue take to the 
 mountains about October. When the grouse are found 
 in the open the cold weather sets in and the leaves are 
 Dffthe trees. They afford capital sport, as their flight 
 
336 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 IS very swift and they take a good deal of killing. The 
 Indians bring them into Victoria by the hundred. 
 Their method of killing them is by sitting under the 
 trees to -which they come for the berries, and then 
 shooting them through the head ; for when the bird 
 is shot only in the head a much better price is obtained 
 for it. The only time an Indian is at all picturesque is 
 when he is so covered with grouse that he himself is 
 invisible. I once counted forty-six brace on one man ; 
 they were hung on poles across his shoulders, and 
 they formed necklaces and chains down to his feet — in 
 fact, he was draped in grouse. The same thing may 
 be seen every morning, and I daresay the number I 
 saw is often exceeded. 
 
 Towards November the flocks of wild-fowl which 
 congregate on all the waters is perfectly marvellous. 
 Snipe cannot be depended on, for where there are 
 thousands one day there may be none the next. 
 
 But ducks, teal, widgeon and both the blue and 
 green-winged geese are always to be found in great 
 abundance. At Mud Bay, near the mouth of the 
 Fraser river, between two and three hundred shots per 
 diem may be had without the slightest exertion. You 
 have simply to he concealed, and the birds flock down 
 in scores. Of course this is not such sport as walking 
 them up, but on large level flats you must suit your- 
 self to the occasion, though there are many places 
 
BRITISH COLUMBIA. 327 
 
 where you can walk all day and enjoy splendid 
 sport. 
 
 We drove out once to a swamp about ten miles 
 irom Victoria, and after shooting away all our cart- 
 ridges — and we had taken a good many, too — at snipe, 
 ducks, geese, &c., towards evening we had the mortifi- 
 cation of seeing flight after flight of teal coming in 
 everywhere around us, and all we could do was to look 
 at them. 
 
 Our game-bag was very varied on that occasion, as 
 we shot two raccoons. These animals are terrible 
 poachers, and destroy enormous numbers of eggs as 
 well as birds. 
 
 A friend of mine was out duck-shooting once near 
 San Erancisco, and after knocking down a great 
 number of ducks it appeared to him and the man who 
 was with him that they disappeared as fast as they fell. 
 Watching very closely, they presently saw a httle black 
 thing moving slowly towards a dead duck, which pre- 
 sently vanished. They then rowed over to a small 
 island near to which most of the ducks had fallen, and 
 there they found numbers of ducks with their heads 
 bitten off", and innumerable remains of others. On 
 searching they discovered a quiet family of seven 
 raccoons, one of which was of very large size, and 
 actually showed fight. 
 
 There was no doubt then how the ducks had dis- 
 
328 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 appeared, and probably for years these animals had 
 been fattening on canvas-backs and other ducks. Float- 
 ing quietly down the stream, with only their black 
 noses above the water, they would seize the unsus- 
 pecting bird, drag it under to the land, and after 
 eating their favourite bits return for another fat duck. 
 
 Their greediness at length brought them to grief, ai 
 the whole family was destroyed. 
 
 It is curiou^s that the woodcock is never found in 
 British Columbia, nor, I believe, anywhere on the con- 
 tinent west of the Eocky Mountains. The woodcock, 
 of aJl birds, loves a moderate climate, and it is very 
 strange that it is never at any season met with in those 
 parts where one might expect to find it perennially. 
 The beautiful summer or wood duck is occasionally 
 found in British Columbia, but is there regarded more 
 as a curiosity than as the familiar bird so well known 
 in the United States. 
 
 In a country where all sorts of unlikely birds perch 
 on the trees, this duck — which is the only one of the 
 duck family in America that roosts and spends the 
 greater part of its existence among the branches— ought, 
 one would thJnk, to be met with more frequently. The 
 beauty and glossy splendour of the plumage is so great, 
 and the birds are so domestic in their habits, rarely 
 moving far from their native haunts, that it is wonder- 
 ful they are not more often seen on ornamental water. 
 
BRITISH COLUMBIA. 329 
 
 In appearance they are to other ducks, with the excep- 
 tion of the Mandarin, as superior as the golden pheasant 
 is to the rest of his species. 
 
 The black bear is the commonest in British 
 Columbia ; and as they are not dangerous, the Indians 
 kill a great many of them in the winter in the follow- 
 ing way : — ^Bruin prepares for the winter by making 
 himself a nest with about a cartload of leaves, ferns, &c. 
 . in some sheltered place, and covers it with boughs and 
 sticks, 'leaving an air-hole. The snow then gives it an 
 outer coating, and the proprietor passes a comfortable 
 warm winter, sucking his paws being his sole amuse- 
 ment — a ceaseless one with bears. The Indians find 
 out where they are by the air-hole. A blank cartridge 
 is fired, and Bruin then comes out to see what is the 
 matter, and is immediately shot through the head. 
 
 Before leaving British Columbia let us take a glance 
 at the aborigines. There are twelve nations, consisting 
 of about twenty-eight thousand Indians. The Indians in 
 the interior are far superior to those on the coast, the 
 natural depravity and corruption of the latter being 
 augmented by contact with the lower grades of white 
 men. Many of the tribes are cannibals, and also eat 
 dogs ; and at the great medicine feasts they kill and 
 devour slaves. Gambfing is their favourite occupation. 
 
 Their commercial instinct is very. keen. . They will 
 
333 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 steal anything they can lay their hands on ; and when- 
 ever they can take the scalp of a white man they 
 fail not to do so. Where education has been pushed 
 they exhibit great mental capacity, and some of them, 
 particularly the Hydaks, show great skill in wood and 
 stone carving. They also make tasteful jewellery out 
 of coins and pieces of gold. 
 
 Their canoes are very graceful and accurate both in 
 design and workmanship. It is said that the lines of 
 the first chpper built by an eminent shipbuilder in 
 Boston were taken from a Nootka canoe. Their canoes 
 are made from large cedar logs, which they scoop 
 out and steam. The proper shape is secured by putting 
 in stretchers, and after a little painting and carving the 
 canoe is complete. 
 
 The language spoken by the Coast Indians has a 
 most dreadfidly guttural sound ; but in the interior it 
 is softer and more hquid. Chinook is a sort of lan- 
 guage corresponding in some measure with the ' pigeon 
 English ' spoken in China. It was first introduced by 
 the Hudson's Bay men, and is now generally spoken all 
 through British Columbia. A few words of it go a 
 great way and make a great show. 
 
 The Indians have very remarkable winter quarters ; 
 we saw a few of them along the Fraser. A deep hole 
 is dug in the ground ; a strong pole is then stuck in 
 the centre, and the hut is built up with logs in conical 
 
BRITISH COLUMBIA. 33 ' 
 
 form, from the ground to nearly the top of the pole. 
 Sufficient space is left at the top, not only for the 
 smoke to issue, but also to allow of the ingress and 
 egress of the family ; and strong cross-bars are fastened 
 to the centre pole, thus forming a ladder by which they 
 ascend and descend. 
 
 As it is troublesome work to climb up and down, 
 the inmates leave their hut only three or four times 
 m the winter ; and as their dogs live with them, and 
 when once in cannot get out, the filthy state and suf- 
 focating odours of these habitations may be imagined. 
 Often fever and other diseases make a sweep of the 
 entire family, whose grave is thus ready-made. 
 
 Amongst other strange modes of burial they have 
 the following : — They cut down a cedar tree, and in the 
 thick end they make a hole, in which the body is placed. 
 They then reverse the tree, planting the thin end in the 
 ground. It is curious that a cedar will look fresh and 
 green for ages after this operation. 
 
 The Hydak Indians cut down trees for a diiferent 
 purpose. After felling a tree sixty, seventy, or eighty 
 feet in height they carve it the whole way up in 
 quaint figures and devices, and with great correctness. 
 They then set it up again and cut out a hole for the 
 door, and this forms the entrance to their huts, which 
 are built out behind, juggling is carried on to a 
 great extent amongst the Indians, and hardly a canoe 
 
332 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 goes up the coast that does not contain wMsky, or what 
 is called whisky. The liquor law prohibiting the sale 
 of intoxicating drinks to the Indians does not appear to 
 be a very wise one. 
 
 Indians will have liquor, and like getting it all the 
 better on account of the prohibition. It is worse than 
 useless to make laws that cannot be enforced. The 
 vilest liquor is sold to the Indians, yet they are willing 
 to pay for the best that can be obtained. 
 
 The bad liquor maddens them, and crime is the 
 consequence. If they had to pay high prices for their 
 liquor it would be an inducement to them to work, in 
 order to obtain the necessary money. A law prohibit- 
 ing a drunken Indian from approaching within a mile 
 of a white settlement, and the enforcement of severe 
 penalties on its infringement, would be very effective, 
 and could easily be carried into execution. 
 
 In spite of all their faults, the Indians of British 
 Columbia who live near settlements and have come 
 under the influence of civilisation and Christianity are 
 quiet and industrious. They find plenty of employment, 
 sometimes fill places of trust, and are often em- 
 ployed as messengers and trusted with large sums of 
 money. The conduct of the British Government, aided 
 by the Colonial authorities, in protecting the property 
 and persons of the Indians, and in punishing any who 
 may wantonly injure them, is the principal cause of 
 
BRITISH COLUMBIA. 333 
 
 the satisfactory state of afiairs among the Indians of 
 British Columbia. 
 
 The influence, too, of clergymen and missionaries, 
 both Protestant and Eoman Catholic, is very great with 
 these people ; and the fruits of the religious training, 
 so perseveringly persisted in, already warrant the 
 belief that the moral life of the Indian will improve as 
 he advances in civilisation. Some philosopher has 
 weU said : ' There are two men in every man ; it is 
 childish to see only one ; it is sad and unjust to look 
 only at the other.' 
 
 Of all vessels calhng themselves mail steamers the 
 ' Prince Alfred,' in which I returned to San Francisco, 
 must certainly be the most wretched. Her accommo- 
 dation is indifferent, her food supply bad, and her 
 engines are of no power at all. 
 
 There was little to see on the voyage down, although 
 we were in sight of land a great part of the time. It 
 is curious that between Puget Sound and San Fran- 
 cisco there are no indentations on the coast, with the 
 exception of the mouth of the Columbia river, at which 
 place Astoria makes but an indifferent harbour. 
 
 This absence of inlets was all the more conspicuous 
 after the splendid inland seas we had lately visited. 
 Most of the passengers were men who had gone up to 
 British Columbia with the idea of settling, but had left 
 
334 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 with the impression that false representations had been 
 used to induce them to go there. Many of them, how- 
 ever, had not gone farther than Victoria ; and having 
 found that they could not be allowed to buy up Govern- 
 ment land, which had been set aside for the public use 
 and benefit, had left in disgust. I remember one case in 
 particular which occurred when I was at Victoria, in 
 which an intending settler had been very much offended 
 because he was not allowed to settle on, Beacon Hill. 
 
 Beacon Hill is an eminence commanding charming 
 views over the Sound and the surrounding country, 
 and is the public park of Victoria. The race-course 
 runs round it ; the cricket and foot-ball grouad is in- 
 cluded in its area, and it is the general afternoon place 
 of rendezvous. 
 
 As this individual could not obtain so desirable a 
 site, he departed and spent some time in writing letters 
 to the newspapers, abusing the Government in parti- 
 cular and British Columbia in general. 
 
 There was one very clever agreeable Enghshman on 
 board, who had led a Bohemian Hfe for some years ; 
 mining, sheep-farming, and trying all sorts of employ- 
 ments. He was an Oxford man, and among his other 
 accomplishments was an admirable draughtsman. He 
 showed me several very beautifully executed drawings. 
 Marvellous to relate, he had cultivated his artistic 
 talents all through his wild hfe ; and I doubt not that 
 
BRITISH COLUMBIA^ 335 
 
 it was owing to the refining influences of art that he yet 
 retained such unmistakable signs of a graceful culture 
 of mind and manner, so unusual amongst those who 
 have passed much of their life amid such rough scenes 
 and amongst still rougher companions. He had lately 
 been struck down with mountain fever, a malady 
 often fatal, and never very easily recovered from. 
 Perhaps it was in some measure due to this disease 
 that he had acquired an almost morbid dislike to 
 returning to England. He said he had no friends there 
 who would care particularly whether he returned or 
 not ; and if he had not been advised, on account of his 
 health, to go back to his native land, he would much 
 rather have remained at the Cariboo mines. 
 
 I had just finished reading one of (I think) Miss 
 Thackeray's works, and amongst a hundred other 
 charming passages was the following : — 
 
 ' People who have been through trouble, and who 
 have necessarily been absorbed in themselves, some- 
 times feel ashamed when time goes on and they come 
 back to some old home and discover what faithful 
 remembrance has followed them all along, and a love 
 which perhaps they never expected.' 
 
 I gave him the book ; and afterwards, on meeting 
 him in San Francisco, where he was obliged to wait a 
 few^ days for the vessel which was to take him home, 
 he seemed quite reconciled to his return, and even 
 
336 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 anxious to start. I do not know whether the happy 
 touching words had anything to do with the change in 
 him, but it is pleasant to think that perhaps they had. 
 
 His sketches had brought him a very considerable 
 sum, and there was no doubt that his future as an 
 artist would be more profitable to him than his 
 farming and mining career had been. I have a httle 
 water-colour of his, a sunset on the Pacific, quite 
 Tumeresque in its glorious misty colouring — one of 
 those scenes when the day is stealing away to the other 
 side of the world, all the colours of the rainbow 
 melting into each other ; above, a broad deep violet 
 belt, from whose centre the radiating streaks of fire 
 shoot upwards, as if from God's lantern from below 
 the sea. 
 
 After five days of the smoothest possible passage 
 we passed through the ' Golden Gate,' and very soon 
 were again on shore in San Francisco. 
 
SAN FRANCTSCO TO THE GEYSERS. 337 
 
 CHAPTEE XXIII. 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO TO THE GETSEES. 
 
 The race for the blue riband — ' Coasting ' — Grames in America — To the 
 Geysers — Oalistoga — The Petrified Forest — Fosa — The summit — Speed 
 —The Geyser Hotel— The Devil's Canon— The Witches' Cauldron— 
 — The Pulpit— Indian legend — Indian duns — The Indian bath — Quick- 
 silver mines — Quails — Return. 
 
 I FOUND on arriving at San Francisco that the only- 
 topic of conversation was a great race for 20,000 
 dollars which was shortly to conie off. The race was 
 open to the world, but the interest centered on two horses, 
 one called ' True Blue,' the Eastern champion, from 
 New York ; the other called ' Thad Stevens,' a Cahfornia 
 bred horse of much renown, and consequently the 
 Western favourite. 
 
 The excitement was not confined to San Francisco 
 and the West, but extended all over the United States 
 to the eastern verge of the continent. Crowds of men 
 came from New York and other great cities in the 
 East, and on the eve of the race San Francisco was as 
 full as London on the night before the Derby. Eaces 
 in America, either trotting or running (the latter is the 
 
 z 
 
338 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 term applied to a simple horse-race), do not flourish, to 
 use the mildest term ; but this race was undoubtedly 
 the most important that had ever been run in the 
 United States, and was one in which it was felt that 
 each competitor would really do his best to win. The 
 distance was four miles and repeat ; and the Ocean 
 House Driving Park, situated some miles from the 
 town, was the scene of the race. The day was hot, the 
 dust stifling, but the whole of San Francisco turned 
 out to see the fun. 
 
 The road to the course, indeed, the whole of the 
 intervening country, was alive with the usual acces- 
 sories of a great race. From the millionaire's magni- 
 ficent turn-out — which competed in a struggle for the 
 front place with the pedlar's donkey-cart — ^there was 
 every kind of vehicle, down to a hand-barrow ; and 
 the fast trotter, the winner of many a hard contest, had 
 to accommodate his pace to the more dilatory move- 
 ments of a dray-horse. On ordinary occasions it is 
 painful to see a true American handling the reins, he 
 drives so fast and pulls so hard. Holding the reins in 
 both hands, and with his legs well stretched forward 
 for leverage, he pulls as if he intended to pull the head 
 off the horse. What a waste of labour there must be 
 before a horse is properly trained to this ! 
 
 But to return to the course. ' Thad Stevens ' did 
 not give one the idea of being able to compete sue- 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO THE GEYSERS. 339 
 
 cessfuUy with first-class racers ; but his condition was 
 everything that could be desired. ' True Blue ' looked 
 a perfect racehorse, and was greatly admired for his 
 beauty and grace of form. Four horses started; the 
 winner might, therefore, have to travel twenty miles — 
 the heats being four miles each. The first heat was 
 run in seven minutes forty-five seconds, and was won 
 by a horse called ' Daniels ' ; the second, in eight 
 minutes eight seconds, was won by ' True Blue.' In 
 the third heat poor ' True Blue ' strained the tendons 
 of his off hind leg and broke down, this heat being 
 won by ' Thad Stevens ' in seven minutes fifty-seven 
 seconds. 
 
 As it was then almost a certainty that ' Thad ' 
 would win the next heat, and consequently the race, 
 the excitement was intense, the Cahfornia spirit rising 
 to boiling-point. From the first ' Thad Stevens ' took 
 the lead and maintained it throughout, winning in 
 eight minutes twenty and three-quarter seconds. He 
 was so little distressed at the conclusion that he looked 
 ready to start on another sixteen-mile race. 
 
 The announcement that the Californian horse was 
 the winner caused a scene of the wildest enthusiasm. 
 One man was so excited, and tossed up his hat in the 
 air so often that at last he lost it, when he relieved his 
 feelings by throwing up those of other people. Finally 
 he was seized by two men who had lost their hats by 
 
 z 2 
 
340 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 his reckless enthusiasm, and after receiving a pommel- 
 ling which must have greatly cooled his ardour, he 
 was kicked out of the Park. 
 
 ' True Blue's ' accident was by some people thought 
 to have been caused by the sandy soil giving way with 
 him in a badly prepared part of the track; but 
 others affirmed that he was intentionally struck by 
 ' Thad Stevens.' However it may have been, the 
 beautiful creature was crippled for life, and probably 
 just in the moment of victory. 
 
 This unfortunate occurrence diminished in some de- 
 gree the interest felt in the result of the race, but did not 
 lessen the high merit and wonderful staying powers 
 of ' Thad Stevens,' the winner of the blue riband for 
 California. Whether sixteen-mile races can be in- 
 dulged in with impunity is a question which others 
 better acquainted with horse lore than I am must 
 answer. 
 
 I have at last discovered the use of the steep hills 
 which abound in San Francisco. ' Coasting ' could not 
 be indulged in without them ; and ' coasting,' as far 
 as I have observed, is the only popular amusement — 
 with the exception of an occasional game of base-ball 
 in a sand-field — amongst the juvenile portion of the 
 population. And it is a game much enjoyed by the 
 three genders, masculine, feminine, and tom-boys, 
 whose ages vary from three to about fifteen. A 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO THE GEYSERS. 341 
 
 ' coaster ' is a small sledge on wheels, on which you 
 sit while you glide down the wooden side- walk, from the 
 top to the bottom of the hills. The best performer is he 
 who, when approaching a cross-road, can most adroitly 
 turn thecorner without getting upset. Sometimes a string 
 of perhaps half-a-dozen of these ' coasters ' comes down 
 upon you with the speed of a fire-engine as you are 
 ascending the hill ; but they are more generally en- 
 countered when turning a corner, and then the meeting 
 is disadvantageous to some one. 
 
 What a difference there is between an American 
 youth and an English one ! At a time when the latter 
 is accustomed to cricket, foot-ball, racquets, hare-and- 
 hounds, &c., the former is amusing himself with his 
 marbles and tops, skating a little or playing at base-ball— 
 which is merely a game of ' rounders ' deprived of half its 
 fun — but ' coasting ' a good deal, and fitting himself for 
 anything rather than vigorous and sustained bodily 
 effort. The apathy displayed towards our splendid 
 English games may perhaps arise from the want of 
 opportunity of witnessing and understanding them ; 
 for it is difficult to imagine any boy, who has once been 
 accustomed to play cricket not entering heart and soul 
 into that and the various other athletic games. 
 
 The Harvard men may row on for years, row on for 
 centuries, but they will never win a race from English 
 University crews, until American habits accustom the 
 
342 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 youth of the country to downright hard work long 
 before the time arrives for entering the college- 
 gates. 
 
 No one ought to leave California without seeing the 
 Geysers. I started one morning with some friends to 
 make the excursion. We crossed the bay to VaUejo ; 
 then we went on by train as far as Calistoga Springs, 
 passing through JSTassa Valley, which is one of the most 
 fruitful of the many beautiful valleys in the State. 
 Calistoga is a most unattractive-looking place. It con- 
 sists of a group of small houses in the middle of a hot 
 dusty plain, on which there is only some very scanty 
 shrubbery, affording no shade ; and trees wdl not grow 
 on the hot sulphurous soil. Enormous sums have been 
 spent by the proprietor of the hotel on the grounds and 
 baths, in order to make it the Saratoga of the West ; 
 but from appearances I should think the attempt has 
 turned out a failure. 
 
 From Cahstogo we drove to the * Petrified Forest.' 
 Picture to yourself a vast wood of stony trees in full 
 leaf, petrified shrubs with petrified flowers ; petrified 
 pines covered with petrified cones ; birds' nests with 
 eggs, all in a state of petrifaction ; ferns and bracken 
 which break when you try to gather them ; here and 
 there a petrified bird, perched on the hard branches, 
 and whose song may have been petrified as it issued 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO THE GEYSERS. 343 
 
 from his throat. Imagine all this — still you will have 
 no conception of the Petrified Forest. 
 
 The drive there was pleasant, more on account of 
 the lovely weather than the beauty of the scenery. 
 We passed two or three deserted houses, in front of 
 which dangled an old hoop-skirt, a gaiter, and an odd 
 boot or two, which our driver informed us were the 
 inevitable signs of the family having moved. Perhaps, 
 we thought, they were afraid of being petrified too. 
 When, at last, we arrived at the forest we found it 
 consisted of a few scattered old stumps, of the 
 most uninteresting description. The only curiosity 
 in the collection was a large petrified pine-trunk, 
 out of which was growing a fine young tree, 
 which somebody remarked ' was like Lot's wife, 
 with a Uve baby in her arms.' We did not linger long 
 in the so-called ' Petrified Forest,' and we left it with 
 a keen sense of having been taken in. The next 
 morning we drove to the Geysers, over the hUls some 
 twenty-seven miles away. 
 
 Foss, the part owner of the six-horse stages which 
 run between Calistoga and the Geysers, is renowned 
 throughout California as being the first whip in the 
 State, and probably in the world. He is a large man, 
 with immense power of arm, chest, and shoulders. 
 There is a look of mastery and will, such as is not often 
 seen, in his hard face and firm jaw ; and younger drivers, 
 
344 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 who have mostly been trained by him, regard him 
 as the unapproachable king of the coach-box. His 
 driving impresses you with a feeling of confidence in 
 his great pow^r and skill ; and even when going at his 
 terrific pace down the steep hills, it seems to be impos- 
 sible that any accident should happen. 
 
 The drive, after leaving the main road, was fuU of 
 enjoyment. It lay along a wild winding lovely moun- 
 tain track. The hills were covered with brushwood 
 and shrubs about half-way down, and then sloped away 
 into the valley. They were decked with what in the 
 spring had been great crops of wild oats, but which 
 when we drove by was merely a mass of close-cropped 
 yellow stubble. For many miles we toiled up the 
 mountain-sides till we reached the summit, the view 
 from which, at sunset, eclipsed everything I had seen 
 in California. It strongly reminded me of that almost 
 unequalled view from the garden of the monastery of 
 Camaldoli, near Naples. 
 
 The Eussian Eiver Valley took the place of the 
 Solfatara and the region towards Bai^ and Cumaj ; a 
 dark sombre lake supphed the place of Lake Aver- 
 nus ; and Naples, Pozzuoh, and the Mediterranean had 
 their counterparts in San Francisco, Yallejo, and the 
 
 Pacific. 
 
 The Eussian Eiver Valley is diversified by dark 
 groves of noble oaks and huge lava-hke eminences, in 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO THE GEYSERS. 345 
 
 some parts covered with vegetation, vividly green, in 
 others bare and bleak. 
 
 The beauty of the golden yellow plain,through which 
 the course of the silvery river can be traced, was en- 
 hanced,, by the white farm-houses and ranches which 
 peeped out from the crimsoned fohage of the changing 
 maple ; whilst here and there the dark cypresses 
 heightened the colour of the red trunks of the grace- 
 ful madrona. 
 
 Our descent to the Geyser Hotel was performed in 
 a most reckless style. A mountain-wall on one side, a 
 precipice on the other, and continual curves of such 
 sharpness that the leaders were frequently on one side 
 of the chasm when the coach was on the other. For 
 the whole eight miles, the road twists and winds and 
 crosses brooks and ravines. The horses, which had 
 been eagerly listening ever since their arrival at the 
 summit for their orders to ' Shake out,' dashed down 
 the narrow road as only Cahfornian horses can do, and 
 completed the entire distance in about twenty minutes. 
 
 The Geyser Hotel we found remarkable for nothing 
 except its extremely bad food, a circumstance quite 
 inexcusable, considering the great number of visitors 
 it receives in the season. 
 
 We heard afterwards that a lawsuit was pending 
 about the ownership of the property, and till it was 
 settled the people who rented it would not improve 
 
346 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 r 
 
 the place or make it even moderately comfortable, as 
 they might be turned out at any moment. They were 
 therefore content to gain what they could during their 
 reigu. A dirtier or worse-looked-after domain I never 
 saw ; but, fortunately, the interest of the spot lies in its 
 natural phenomena, and not in the hotel. 
 
 The hissing and roaring of steam, which sounded 
 through the night, was sure evidence of our proximity 
 to the infernal regions. Everything about the place is con- 
 nected with the Devil in some way— at least by name — 
 whereas, names designating the properties of the mnne- 
 rous springs would be rather more appropriate and 
 equally euphonious. The first view of the Geysers is 
 very striking. 
 
 From the verandah of the hotel, which is just 
 opposite to the Geyser caiions, the whole scene can be 
 viewed at once. 
 
 Clouds of steam issue from the earth in. a 
 hundred different places in the canons and from the 
 sides of the sloping hills. Pluton Canon, which is 
 crossed at right angles by the Great Geyser, or Devil's 
 Canon, lies at our feet. The whole country is moun- 
 tainous, and the steep hill-sides are covered with oak, 
 manganita, madrona, and buck-eye. Even among the 
 sulphur springs vegetation flourishes, and shrubs and 
 flowers peep out from the most unlikely spots. Far 
 into the distance, hills succeed hills, and the ' Hog's 
 
VULCAN'S STEAM WOEKS. - From Pluton Creek, 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO THE GEYSERS. 347 
 
 Back,' celebrated in old coaching days for the perilous 
 character of its precipitous grades, forms a bold back- 
 ground. 
 
 Our first duty was to explore the Great Canon ; so, 
 crossing the wooded ravine which separated us from 
 the hot district, we entered a mysterious gorge, running 
 up into the mountains directly from the river. 
 
 A smaU stream of water which rises at the head of 
 this canon flows through its entire length — pure and 
 cold where it issues, but gradually growing hot and 
 medicated as it receives the waters from the springs 
 along its banks. The first part of this ravine is ex- 
 ceedingly picturesque, and trees and shrubs over- 
 hang the deep shady pools, in which many a 
 delightful bath can be enjoyed. ' Proserpine's Grotto ' 
 is a charming retreat among the rocks, surrounded with 
 the fantastic roots and tangled branches of the madrona 
 and bay-trees, and roofed in by luxuriant fohage. 
 
 Gradually, the sulphurous odour becomes stronger 
 and the puffing noise of underground engines increases ; 
 springs bubble and boil in every direction, and clouds 
 of steam roll through the gorge, wetting you through, 
 and making it difiicult to distinguish the boulders, 
 upon which you have to hop to avoid the boiling 
 water of the stream. The subterranean roar becomes 
 almost terrifying. You fear every instant that the thin 
 crust of hot mineral deposits over which you are walk- 
 
348 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 ing will give way, and your Geyser trip end in a visit 
 to black Tartarus. 
 
 Carefully picking your way, and almost stifled, you 
 arrive at the brink of the ' Witches' Cauldron,' a black 
 opening in the solid rock, about eight feet in diameter, 
 and of unknown depth. This Plutonic reservoir is the 
 grandest of the Geyser springs, and its roar is like 
 that of Vesuvius. It is filled with a bubbling surging 
 liquid of intense blackness, and throws up its dusky 
 spray to a height of three or four feet. Mr. Muybridge, 
 the artist photographer of Messrs. Bradley and Eu- 
 lophson, of San Erancisco — whose photographs, as well 
 as those of Mr. Watkins, are world-renowned — grouped 
 three ladies about this cauldron in the attitude of the 
 witches in Macbeth, and made a very telling picture — 
 
 'Double, double toil and trouble; 
 Fire burn and cauldron bubble.' 
 
 Leaving the boiling well, we crossed endless living, 
 dying, and dead geysers, and climbed a rocky height 
 called ' The Pulpit '—the Devil's, of course. It is just 
 above ' The Cauldron,' and opposite ' The Steamboat ' 
 geyser, whose shrill scream can be heard above aU 
 other sounds. From it there is a splendid view of the 
 canon, and the steaming and boiling fountains around. 
 So numerous are they, it seemed marvellous that we 
 had been able "to thread our way through them up to 
 ' The Pulpit.' Some enthusiastic pilgrims bad planted 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO THE GEYSERS. 349 
 
 the Stars and Stripes on its summit ; but we Tound the 
 flag on the ground and the pole broken, his Satanic 
 majesty having thus resented foreign interference in his 
 affairs. 
 
 Passing over the 'Mountain of Fire,' we were 
 attracted by a loud whistling noise. This we found 
 came from a small pipe that had been placed over an 
 aperture, whence, with terrific screeching and screaming, 
 issued volumes of steam. Leaving the ' infernal 
 regions,' our pathway crossing strata of sulphur, 
 magnesia, alum, Epsom-salts, &c., we made our way 
 down the mountain-side back to the hotel. 
 
 The caiion is a large laboratory, and the ground 
 is strewed in all directions with a great variety of 
 mineral deposits and chemical compounds. The waters 
 are impregnated with acids and salts, and the number 
 of highly-charged springs is enormous. Amongst 
 others there are the ' Alkah,' the ' Eye-water,' the 
 ' Boiling Alum,' the ' Iron,' the ' Eed,' the ' White,' and 
 the • Black ' Sulphur Springs. The ' Devil's Inkstand ' 
 is a small spring, from which flows a liquid which has 
 the quality of being indelible, and is a very good sub- 
 titute for ink. An earnest request is always made that 
 visitors will taste the different waters. To comply with 
 it would be almost as agreeable as trying the contents 
 of the bottles in a chemist's shop-window. The healing 
 properties, however, of some of the springs have been 
 
3SO WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 proved, and many cures have been effected by the 
 waters. It is said, that the Indians first discovered the 
 vahie of them as baths in the following manner. 
 
 A wandering tribe happening to pass near this 
 canon, and one of them being very ill, was, with the 
 customary Indian kindness, left there to die, a little 
 dried meat being all the provision thought necessary 
 for hi^ sustenance. Finding it cold, and seeing the 
 vapour issuing from the ground, he crawled towards it 
 and laid himself down there to sleep. In a few days 
 this vapour-bath cured him, and he was able to rejoin 
 his tribe. Previous to this, the canon itself had been 
 carefully avoided by the red men, as they thought 
 the Devil was always lying in wait there, because 
 he had once been made a fool of on that spot by an 
 Indian. • 
 
 The tribe being encamped on the other side of 
 the canon, the Devil called one day on a wicked 
 ' hram' and told him that his time was come, and that 
 he must accompany him to the unhappy hunting- 
 grounds of the bad Indians. ' All right,' said the hrave ; 
 'but first I have a little business to transact, some 
 money to collect,^ and a game of poker to win. If your 
 
 1 The Indian has a peculiar mode of reminding a debtor that he has 
 a claim on him. Ho never duns him, but cuts a number of small 
 sticlf's and paints a rim round the end of each ; these he throws into his 
 debtors wigwam, and forthwith, without speaking a word, goes his way. 
 The hint is generally taken, the debt paid, and the sticks destroyed— for 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO THE GEYSERS. 351 
 
 majesty will go over to the opposite canon I will join 
 you as soon as the sulphurous vapour has passed away.' 
 
 As the vapour has never ceased ascending the 
 wicked ' hrave ' has never appeared, and the Indians 
 say that the ' bad spirit ' is still waiting and watching 
 there for his victim. 
 
 The rude ' sweating-booth ' at the old Indian 
 Spring was just as luxurious as the bath-house over 
 the river. The latter place was in keeping with the 
 inn, and was far more likely to impart disease than 
 to expel it. 
 
 Edwin Forrest, the great tragedian, was cured of 
 rheumatism in 1869 by the use of the Indian Spring, to 
 which he was daily carried, the severity of the attack 
 entirely precluding the use of his Hmbs. 
 
 One of our excursions was to some new and 
 valuable quicksilver mines, in one of which the ' Eattle- 
 snake ' pure quicksilver is found. The rock is crushed, 
 and out rolls the quicksilver. It is the only mine in 
 which the pure ore has been discovered, cinnabar 
 being the mineral from which quicksilver is usually 
 obtained. 
 
 The process of reducing the ore is very interesting 
 and easy' of comprehension. The object is to awaken 
 the sleeping mercury, and this is accomplished by fire. 
 
 it is considered a disgrace by an Indian to have dunning-sticks thrown 
 into his dwelling. 
 
352 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 THe cinnabar is put into furnaces, and after three or four 
 days' heating the vapours are allowed to pass through 
 small openings into condensing chambers, on whose 
 walls the mercury globules form, and ghde at once into 
 small troughs, which conduct them to a large iron 
 cauldron. They are then transferred to iron flasks, 
 and are. ready for the market. 
 
 On our way home we obtained some good speci- 
 mens of the mountain and valley quails. Both are 
 beautiful birds, about the size of a partridge ; but the 
 former has a long feather on its head, and the under 
 part of its body is very distinctly marked in coloured 
 bars, whereas the valley quail has a little top-knot, and 
 is not so plainly striped. Its throat, too, is black, with 
 a little white border, therein differing from the moun- 
 tain-quail, whose throat is reddish-brown, and only 
 white at the sides. The horse-shoe can be almost as 
 plainly distinguished on these birds as on the male 
 partridge. Both species afford capital sport, and are 
 stronger in their flight than any other bird ; but they 
 are uncommonly diflJcult to find without dogs. As 
 soon as flushed they are off with a rapid, wild flight, 
 but seldom travel far, and soon pitch again in the 
 thickest neighbouring coverts. 
 
 I am told mountain-quails are getting rare, and 
 are being rapidly thinned off by the wild cats, which 
 abound in California. But as these and other destruc- 
 
SAN FRANCISCO TO THE GEYSERS. 353 
 
 tive animals have always existed, I do not see why the 
 present scarcity of birds should be ascribed to them. 
 
 After a few days' sojourn in these ' lower regions,' 
 our visit rendered none the less interesting and instruc- 
 tive by the Geyser Spring chicken-soup, and the appro- 
 priate sulphur and brimstone condiments with which 
 our liberal host regaled us, we bade adieu to Pluto and 
 Proserpine, and returned to San Francisco by Healds- 
 burg and Petaluma. 
 
 This route was as picturesque as that which we took 
 on our way to the Geysers, and possessed the advantage 
 of only sixteen instead of seven-and-twenty miles' 
 staging. The superb driving of Clarke Foss is missed 
 on this road ; but when the great ' whip ' rests from 
 his labours or has disappeared from the coach-box, I 
 think the Healdsburg route will become the favourite 
 one to the California Geysers. 
 
 A A 
 
354 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXrV. 
 
 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 
 
 Healdsburg — Porters — Jewellery — An art — Eainy season — Catarrh — ■ 
 San Diego — Theabalona hunter — Shooting — ^Hotel mania — Americans 
 abroad — The West. 
 
 We remained for the night at Healdsburg, and a more 
 unpleasant one I never passed. The hotel was full 
 of travellers, apparently all going in different direc- 
 tions, from the different hours at which the porter 
 roused the whole house in his efforts to awaken the 
 light man. In the room next to mine there was a man 
 of the name of Brown, and the porter thumped at his 
 door at intervals of about half-an-hour aU through the 
 night, in spite of the reiterated assurances of the un- 
 fortunate lodger that he was not going anywhere. The 
 porter, however, said he knew better than that, as he 
 had been told to call Mr. Brown at 2 A.M., and call him 
 he would. Eventually, at about five o'clock, he once 
 more came round to Mr. Brown to ask him what his 
 initials were, and then found out that they did not cor- 
 respond with those of the Mr. Brown he was in search of. 
 Travellers owning names that are not very uncom- 
 
CONCLUDING REMARKS. 355 
 
 mon would do well at hotels to leave their initials 
 outside the door with their boots, for though the latter 
 are seldom attended to in America, the former always 
 command respect. 
 
 During our short journey by rail on the following 
 day we saw nothing remarkable, except the enormous 
 gold watchchain worn by the conductor. The mascu- 
 hne mind in .America has a strong weakness (if there 
 can be such a thing) for jewellery. 
 
 Railway conductors and attendants are considered 
 very unbusiness-like if, after their first month, they have 
 not secured sufficient means to purchase a handsome 
 watch and chain. The sight of a diamond becomes 
 quite distressing after a few weeks in America ; diamond 
 studs worn in the daytime, diamond pins stuck into 
 neckties of the sailor-knot type or into the shirt between 
 the studs, are so constantly seen, that these stones are 
 conspicuous only by their absence. 
 
 ' What kind of a chain would you like ? ' asks the 
 jeweller. ' Well, I don't hardly know,' rephes the 
 young man. ' What kind of a chain do you think I 
 ought to have ; that is, what style do you think would 
 be the most becoming for a young man who carries 
 groceries to the best famihes in town ? ' 
 
 Such and similar conversations are not unfrequently 
 heard, and an idea of the all-pervading love of adorn- 
 ment may be gathered from it. Bar-keepers, invari- 
 
 A A 2 
 
356 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 ably, are splendid in their decorations, and their trade 
 offers good opportunities for displaying their jewelled 
 fingers. 
 
 America may not equal Europe in the cultivation of 
 the arts and sciences, but it can point with pride to the 
 nimble ' bar-keeper ' as he manipulates ' a smash, a 
 julep, or a corpse reviver.' Such dexterity and sleight- 
 of-hand is seldom seen off the conjuror's stage ; and it 
 is no small accomplishment to be able to keep a six- 
 foot liquid arc oscillating in the air from tumbler to 
 tumbler. 
 
 A few days after our return to San Erancisco a 
 change in the weather betokened the approach of the 
 rainy season. An abnormally high barometer was 
 observed to be advancing on the Pacific coast and 
 travelling eastward — a pretty sure sign that the annual 
 ' November wave ' was at hand. It is strange that of 
 the many storms that yearly arise in the Eocky Moun- 
 tain regions and sweep to the Eastern coast, this annual 
 November storm is the only one which has its origin on 
 the Pacific slope. 
 
 Predictions were soon verified ; the many months 
 of dust being followed by some weeks of constant rain, 
 accompanied by mist and fog. 
 
 Fogs in California are not equal to the celebrated 
 London species, which idle boys are said to cut up into 
 thick pieces and throw at one another ; but they are 
 
CONCLUDING REMARKS. 357 
 
 cold clammy concerns, and not to be encountered with 
 impunity. They are apt to engender colds and sore- 
 throats, of a more obstinate unconquerable kind 
 than those of any other quarter of the globe. ' You 
 may doctor and bandage your throat as you will, but 
 the sense of its soreness will hang round you still.' 
 Then is the time to hasten down to Southern California 
 and enjoy the mild sunny winter climate of San Diego, 
 which for invalids is said to be far superior to Nice, 
 Mentone, and the Eibiera generally. Amusements of 
 all kinds are to be found there, and plenty of occu- 
 pation for sportsmen, botanists, and artists. 
 
 Conchologists, too, will find many beautiful shells 
 on the coast near San Diego ; amongst others the 
 abalona, or Cahfornia shell, the search after which 
 is liable to end in a manner not altogether satisfac- 
 tory. 
 
 The following casualty, which at the beginning of 
 this year befell an abalona-hunter near San Diego, 
 equals in horror Victor Hugo's account of the Devil- 
 fish, in his ' Toilers of the Sea.' But first let me observe 
 that the meat of the abalona, which is tougher than an 
 old pair of leather gaiters, is esteemed a great delicacy 
 by the Chinese. 
 
 The shells abound chiefly in the very south of Lower 
 Cahfornia, and two Chinese companies have been en- 
 gaged there for several years in gathering them. They 
 
358 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 cleave the shells from the rocks at low tide, and after 
 cutting the meat out they boil, salt, and dry it. It is 
 then packed in bales and shipped to their own 
 country. 
 
 In the neighbourhood of San Diego are precipitous 
 rocks, sometimes quite abrupt in their formation, but 
 occasionally broken. They are called the Coronades. 
 To these rocks a Chinaman, a professional fisherman, 
 known by the nickname of ' Chowder,' went out in his 
 boat to hunt for abalonas. 
 
 His subsequent movements can only be surmised, 
 and the supposition is, that after mooring his boat to 
 begin his search he observed a large abalona in a cleft 
 of the rock at a part covered with water at high tide. 
 Throwing himself on his stomach, he reached over the 
 ledge to wrench the delicacy from its fastness. 
 
 Abalonas are univalvular, and if in detaching one 
 from the rock, to which it can fix itself almost immov- 
 ably, it happens not to be wrenched away at once, it 
 has the power of closing its single shell on the rock 
 and imprisoning the hand, thus causing intense agony 
 to the captive. 
 
 This was poor Chowder's fate. 
 
 The abalona was an unusually large one and the 
 wretched man, unable to release himself, must soon 
 have become conscious that he was doomed. From 
 his position, leaning over the rock, he had not the 
 
CONCLUDING REMARKS. 359 
 
 power, even at the sacrifice of his hand if necessary, 
 to tear himself free. 
 
 Imagine the agony of mind, as well as bodily pain, 
 the unfortunate creatiu-e endured as he waited long 
 hours for the rising of the tide which should end his 
 misery by death. 
 
 The actual pain must have been excruciating, and 
 there was no help within miles. The inexorable waters 
 did their work at last, and when Chowder's body was 
 recovered by a brother Chinaman, his dead hand was 
 still clutched in the remorseless grasp of the abalona. 
 The shell, which is in my possession, measures about 
 thirty inches in circumference. 
 
 There is excellent wild- Fowl shooting near San 
 Diego, and at Kern-Eiver and Tulare Lake, near Visalia ; 
 and game of aU sorts, ' grizzlies ' included, abounds there. 
 But some of the best wild-fowl shooting I ever had was 
 in the neighbourhood of San Francisco. I started off one 
 morning with a man who made wild-fowl shooting his 
 business, and a capital companion and thorough sports- 
 man he proved to be. 
 
 We went up the Sacramento river, and at last 
 arrived at his shooting-ground. For miles round 
 nothing was to be seen but swamps, pools, and a 
 wilderness of tules, or rushes, the haunts of thousands 
 of wild-fowl. 
 
36o WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 After passing the night in his little sloop, early 
 morn saw us astir and paddling off to our respective 
 positions, wliich we reached before daybreak. At the 
 first streak of dawn a sound of the fluttering and flap- 
 ping of wings was heard, and over came the ducks, at 
 first singly, then in flights. 
 
 So fast was the shooting that, although I had two 
 guns, I had to wait now and then tiU they cooled suflS- 
 cently to hold. 
 
 Splendid canvas-backs passed over with the velocity 
 of a cannon-ball, and I think I must have missed a 
 dozen of them in the first half-hour. Other ducks 
 seemed hardly to move, so slow was their flight in 
 comparison with that of the canvas-back. 
 
 This went on for about an hour, when the flights 
 gradually ceased ; so we gathered our ducks and 
 returned to the sloop for breakfast. Afterwards my 
 companion sculled me about the creeks, flushing endless 
 ducks, and at one point where we landed making a 
 good bag of snipe. 
 
 Towards evening we heard the well known 
 'Hawnk — Hawnk — Ee-awnk,' and presently the wild 
 geese flew over us, but too high for a shot. This was 
 only an advance flight, and before long endless strings, 
 of them were flying round and filling the air with 
 their peculiar cry. One flight came so near us that 
 we each bagged three, and as they feU it looked, 
 
CONCL UDING REMARKS . 36 1 
 
 as my companion observed, as if it snowed geese. There 
 was no moon, so we were unable to continue our sport 
 after five o'clock, although we heard, and could just 
 distinguish, long streams of birds winging their way- 
 past us. Up to seven o'clock the flights continued 
 — then all was silent. Our total bag for that day was 
 twenty-three canvas-backs, thirty mallards, twenty 
 teal, eight couple of snipe, nine geese, a few widgeon 
 iind pintails, and a bittern. 
 
 In comparison to the number often shot our bag 
 was small. But I had never had such shooting before, 
 and was therefore perfectly content, and returned to 
 San Francisco with the hope of some time or other 
 enjoying a few more days of such sport. 
 
 On returning from British Columbia I had been 
 astonished to find that the buildings opposite my 
 windows had all been pulled down, and on enquiry I 
 learnt that another giant hotel was to occupy the site. 
 There is a perfect mania for giant hotels in America. 
 I hope in this new one they will study the art of 
 boiling potatoes and roasting meat as well as that of 
 profuse and useless decoration. 
 
 I believe that, in spite of the universal hotel-life in 
 -America, the discomfort of those dwellings has a great 
 deal to do with driving Americans to Europe ; but of 
 course they would not confess so much. 
 
 I wonder whether Americans enjoying themselves 
 
362 WESTERN WANDERINGS. 
 
 abroad are aware of the abuse heaped on them by 
 their less fortunate brethren who are obhged to remain 
 at home ? 
 
 There is some reason for complaint too, as thousands 
 of Americans who know every corner of Paris and 
 every studio in Rome have never seen Niagara, much 
 less California. Patriotic persons shake their heads and 
 sigh over the enormous amount of money taken out of 
 the country and spent in London, Paris, Switzerland, and 
 Italy, whilst the magnificent scenery of their own 
 country is neglected. But it must be remembered 
 that — irrespective of the fact that travelling is much 
 cheaper in Europe than in the United States, and that 
 the cost of living at American watering-places and at 
 all favourite resorts is so enormous that a whole family 
 can enjoy some months of European travel for the same 
 sum that a short sojourn at any of these fashionable 
 places would entail — the Old World offers many 
 attractions that are wanting in the New World. 
 
 In the first place, the social attractions afforded by 
 the capitals of Europe are vastly superior to those of 
 America. Then there are the charms of antiquity, of 
 historical and artistic association ; the wonderful 
 picture-galleries, the museums, the sculpture ; every- 
 thing, in short, to gratify the tastes of the merest tyro as 
 well as those of the most cultivated connoisseur. 
 
 Can there be a more memorable era in the 
 
CONCLUDING REMARKS. 363 
 
 life of anyone than that of the day when he first 
 enters Eome ? After having seen Eome, Naples, and 
 Athens he is not hkely to care for Chicago or San 
 Francisco. 
 
 Ergo., it would be well for Americans first to study 
 thoroughly their native land and afterwards to cross the 
 Atlantic. The delights of European travel for ladies far 
 outbid anything that can be oSered in the New World. 
 But for men, or rather for sportsmen, America ofiers 
 an unrivalled field. After all, those who complain 
 of American absenteeism must remember that the 
 majority of their countrymen, having once seen Europe, 
 are imbued with an irrepressible longing to return to 
 their own land ; firmly resolved not to leave it again. 
 
 To this class belong those who are always craving 
 for change of scene and fresh excitement ; those who 
 rush through grand scenery, and who after several 
 days' journey to some celebrated spot remain there two 
 minutes, ' just to say they have been there.' 
 
 Not that this class is confined to America, though 
 I think it thrives there in greater perfection than else- 
 where. 
 
 Californians, above all, are eager to return to their 
 country. But they have their unrivalled climate to 
 urge as an excuse for hurried visits to less favoured 
 lands. And truly the climate of California is mar- 
 vellous. Eresh and exhilarating air, a clear blue 
 
364 WESTERN WANDERTNGS. 
 
 sunny sky — equalled perhaps in Colorado and British 
 Columbia, but in few other places — and a wonderful 
 evenness of temperature, combine to make California a 
 most charmingly attractive country to those .who have 
 once had experience of its delights. 
 
 The great, strong, and wildly rushing rivers, and 
 the grand scenery of the West, seem to have imparted 
 something of their freedom and character to the inha- 
 bitants. There is an absence among them of that 
 narrowness, that mental tight-lacing, which squeezes 
 all charity out of human nature, and which is so 
 characteristic of the Old World; and there is the 
 presence of an open-hearted fellowship between man 
 and man, of a rare and generous kind. 
 
 With this tribute to the Far West I close the record 
 of my ' Western Wanderings.' To those who have 
 perused its pages, and have thus, as it were, wandered 
 with me, I will only say — I shall be content if they lay 
 it down with a better knowledge than they had before 
 of the distant Evening Land. 
 
 LONDON : PRINTED BY 
 
 8P0TT18W00DB AND CO., NBW-STRBBT 8QFAEB 
 
 AND PAttLIAUENT STREET