252 Beyond (he Sicrnifi. 



lirst time, the traveler from the aouth strikes the rciil CiiHlornia. In early 

 murning uur excursiunistd were breakfiisted at Indio; and here tlitre had 

 been i»rei»ared for ud a rare and modt agreeable surprise, first of many 

 which the enuaing month had in store for tlie members of the Society. 



The enterprising citizens of Riverside, some sixty miles further on and 

 to the left of our course, had prepared fur our company its lirst feast of 

 fruits, and had sent the same by a committee to meet us at Indio. Here, 

 on our arrival, we found a commodious room at the station stored with 

 beautiful baskets laden with the choicest fruit, one basket for each member 

 of the Society. Each of these packages contained surh a store of samples 

 and varieties as would be hard to i)arallel anywhere in the world. First of 

 all, there were in the basket three or four of those tremendous and luscious 

 Washington Navel oranges, as big as cocoa-nuts, entirely seedless, and rich 

 with meat and Hivor. Next, a half-dozen little mandarins, with their kid- 

 glove fmi^h and pungent juice, were added. Tlien came two or three splen- 

 did bunches of that great grape called the Muscat^ famous everywhere in 

 California as the best of the raisin-producing varities. To these were added 

 clusters of the raisins themselves, made from bunches of the same grape- 

 Finally, there were in the interstices some excellent sjiecimens of figs, jirunes, 

 ajiricots, English walnuts and almonds, the whole covered with flowers. 



All these choice fruits were grown at Riverside, in that splendid citrus re- 

 gion which we were afterward to visit. It is not impossible that the people who 

 sent us, in advance, these three hundred baskets of fruits and the committee 

 who delivered them into our hand.s, and who rode with us on our way as far 

 as Colton, hid 3om3 justifiible pride in their contribution to our knowledge 

 and happiness. I say happiness, my friends; for you should have been par- 

 takers of thvt lunch of Paradisa. Th3 appetite of a m in who has traversad a 

 thousand miles of plateau and desert is fearfully and wonderfully made. 

 The travelers took each his basket to his respective Pullmm, and there he 

 did devour it as to its contents till nothing thereof rem lined. Some thought 

 to preserve a residue for the future ; but, like humm wrath, which is said to 

 disappear with sundown, that fruit melted aw.iy. The Riverside committee, 

 with the companionable Mr. H. J. Rudiaill as its chairman, made the ac- 

 quaintance of our company, and left us for their own place at the t(»wn of 

 Col ton. 



This pirt of the journey was still through a region which was only a 

 modified form of the desert behind us. At Colton you p;iss between the two 

 flourishing towns of Riverside, on the left, and San Bernardino, on the 

 right, both almost in sight of the train. Immediately after leaving this 

 place the scene begins to change. The landscape shows evidences of reviv- 

 ing vegetable life. At the town of O.itario these traces of revival are 

 distinct, and promising young orchards appear of oranges and apricuts. 

 To most of the excursionist*, this was thgir first glimps3 of that great fact 

 in the prophecy of California, the orchard of orange trees. The sight 

 especially in midwinter, is baautiful, inspiring. The orange is a tree of 



