CHAPTER I 



NEW YORK TO TEXAS 



A YEAR of quiet at my happy home had passed since 

 my return from my last voyage to England, when 

 "the fever" as it was called began to rage in New 

 York, and as I sat, convalescent from a fever of a 

 different kind at the time, of more danger than my 

 present trip, I listened to the tales of speedily 

 accumulated fortunes. At first I heard them with 

 complete scepticism, again with less, until in some 

 degree faith in the tales began to be awakened in 

 my mind, and at last I thought it might possibly 

 come to pass that I should go to California; but 

 still it was very vague, and I scarcely dwelt on the 

 idea of so long a trip except as a dream. However, 

 I mentioned it to two or three of my friends asking 

 what they thought, and answers came, as is always 

 the case on occasions when advice is asked, so 

 various, that I was bewildered, and finally I felt I 

 must come to those in my own home to aid me in my 

 decision. But even here I was thrown back upon 

 my own judgment. My noble father could give 

 me no advice now, but in 1845, when I was in 

 Texas, he had written to me: "Push on to Cali- 

 fornia, you will find new animals and birds at 

 every change in the formation of the country, and 

 birds from Central America will delight you." 



