162 



PSYCHE. 



[January 1898. 



usually secure meals at least at the sec- 

 tion-houses, and if blankets are carried 

 may sleep out with comfort almost any- 

 where. To reach points in unsettled 

 districts it is often necessary to go with 

 an "outfit" consisting of pack and 

 saddle animals. These, with guides, 

 may generally be secured at hotels or 

 livery stables at prices proportionate to 

 the labor involved and the service ren- 

 dered, ranging from $i to $53 day for 

 animals and $2 to $10 for guides. 



Baggage. This should consist of, 

 I St, a trunk to contain extra clothing, 

 blankets when not in use, reserve appa- 

 ratus, supplies, etc., and at times more 

 or less of the material collected (150 

 lbs. weight free on railroads, — stages 

 and transfers extra) ; 2nd, a good-sized 

 gripsack or its equivalent to contain 

 clothing and supplies for immediate use, 

 guide-books, maps, etc., — which is 

 usually carried free anywhere and is all 

 that is necessary for short side-trips ; 

 3rd, a collecting-outfit and packing- 

 boxes ready for instant use, — often of 

 service during stops of the train for 

 water, at sidings, and in breakdowns or 

 delays of any description. 



Weather. From May i to Oct. i 

 the weather is very rarely unsuitable for 

 collecting, though near the extreme 

 dates it may be unsettled. On the 

 shore the early morning and late after- 

 noon are quite often foggy. In the 

 mountains showers may occur in any 

 month, but are rare. Rubber wraps 

 and blankets to protect from rain are 

 never carried in summer, but light ones 

 to protect from dust are very desirable. 



especially when traveling by team or 

 stage on much-used roads, e. g., to the 

 Yosemite Valley. 



Temperature. To tlie northerner 

 the climate of southern California in 

 midsummer is liable to prove trying. 

 Personally 1 felt no inconvenience until 

 the mercury reached 110° to 115° in the 

 shade. In these circumstances every- 

 thing, even growing plants and sub- 

 stances othervvise invariably cool, was 

 uncomfortably warm to the touch, and 

 the utmost lassitude and indisposition 

 to eflbrt of any kind were felt. This 

 temperature, however, was experienced 

 for but a few days while in the Colo- 

 rado Desert, and the lassitude may have 

 been partly due to other causes. At 

 100° to 105° whole days were spent in 

 the field, tramping about and collecting, 

 and though the sun was tr\ ing less 

 discomfort was felt than in the sultry 

 heat of the east at 90°. 



In the Yosemite Valley the nights, 

 and especially the early mornings, were 

 cold relatively to the rest of the day, 

 but over most of the district traversed 

 there was less diurnal range of tem- 

 perature than in the east and much less 

 change from day to daj-. 



Clothing. No change in the amount 

 or character of the clothing from that 

 customarily worn in New England was 

 found necessary. Immediately on the 

 siiore light-weight woolens were needed. 

 In the interior thinner clothing was 

 more comfortable except at high alti- 

 tudes. At San Francisco during the 

 latter part of the day and on the ferries 

 a light-weight overcoat was desirable. 



