. 74.] TO J. D. HOOKER. 771 



ing. And there we had a nice time indeed, from Sat- 

 urday evening to Friday morning, every day, drives 

 and picnics, and botanizing, and feeding on (besides 

 strawberries) such cherries, just coming in in acres of 

 cherry-orchards, the only fruits yet in season. That 

 big fig-tree, in the branches of which I used to hide 

 and feast, or rather cram, is bigger than ever, but the 

 figs green, to my sorrow. And we cannot wait for 

 them. General Bidwell l and wife have aged little in 

 the eight years, are as good as ever, full of all noble 

 and good works, as well as of generous hospitality ; 

 have taken wonderfully to botany ; remember you 

 most affectionately and long for a real visit. His 

 great ambition is to make drives, good roads, through 

 the ranch, for pleasure as well as use ; he has now 

 over a hundred miles of them. That big oak 2 is finer 

 than ever; not a dead branch. 



Well, off at length ; at Lathrop joined our eastward 

 train at evening ; up the San Joaquin valley all night, 

 and had early morning for the wonderful Tahachapi 

 Pass. Breakfast at Mohave. (I must send you a 

 railroad map.) There took the Atlantic & Pacific 

 Railroad, over the sandy desert to the Great Colorado 

 at supper, to Peach Spring station at two A. M., and 

 next morning in an easy " buckboard wagon " twenty- 

 two miles and 4,000 feet descent into this wonderful 

 canon, a piece of it, which its explorer, Major Powell, 

 has made famous. 



This afternoon and evening we are to get up and 

 back, and on in the night and morning to Flagstaff, 

 and the ancient cliff dwellings. 



1 General John Bidwell was the Prohibition candidate for the 

 Presidency in 1892. 



2 Named the Sir Joseph Hooker Oak. 





