A PILGRIMAGE TO TORREYA. pits 
reached at ordinary times over a mile of trestles, and now so 
overflowed that it probably could not be reached at all, cer- 
tainly not that night; that the train would stop for the night 
two or three miles back in the woods, where the agent had 
taken up his abode in a box-car; that the town of Chattahoo- 
chee, a mile away, large as it appeared on the map, consisted 
mainly of a state-prison, and a couple of grocery shops, neither 
of which was quite proper for passing a night in, even if we 
could reach it; in fine, that our only course would be to sleep 
in the car (which made no provision for it), and crave from 
the agent of the road a share of his breakfast. 
The kind and intelligent fellow-travelers as far as Talla- 
hassee and Quincy, who gave us this disheartening informa- 
tion, finding that we were not disposed to stop short of our 
object, remarked that they had set us down as eminently 
philosophical people, since we had passed a night at Live 
Oak and still possessed our souls in patience (a view which 
a couple who had stopped at the hotel there practically con- 
firmed), and so left us with their good wishes, but evidently 
faint hopes. The weekly steamboat, which was to call at the 
landing next day, would eventually relieve us; and so we 
resolved to make the best of it. The worthy young conductor, 
who was to sleep in the car also, kindly proffered a share of 
his supper; but we fortunately had a bottle of cold tea, some 
crusts of bread ten days old, and wafer-biscuits, upon which 
we scantily supped, and then, folding around us such drapery 
and wraps as we had, lay down to sleep upon the couches 
which the conductor ingeniously arranged for us, by some 
skillful adjustment of the car-seats. In the morning, after due 
ablutions made at the tank of the locomotive, we were hos- 
pitably welcomed by the agent, General Dickison, and his 
son, to a much-needed share of their breakfast in the sta- 
tionary box-car, which served both as bedroom, parlor, and 
dining-room. 
To our great delight we found that General Dickison knew 
the tree which I was in search of; and it was arranged that 
his son should conduct me to the locality, not far distant. So 
striking an evergreen tree could not fail of notice. The people 
