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laid aside a& a subject of conversation ; and, moreover, as Sunday was a leisure 
day,— and one that generally hangs the heaviest of the seven on those who are 
shut out from social intercourse with friends, as many, many CalifoiTiians 
unfortunately are,' — the tidings were gladly welcomed ; especially as the pro- 
position was suggestive of a day's excitement. 
"Nothing loath, they were soon ready for the start. Tlie camp was almost 
deserted. On, on they hurried, with Dowd as their guide, through thickets 
and pine groves ; crossing ridges and eaiions, flats and ravines ; each relating 
iu turn the adventures experienced, or heard of from companions^ with grizzly 
bears and other formidable tenants of the forests and wilds of the mountains ; 
until their leader came to a dead halt at the foot of the tree he had seen, and 
to them had related the size. Pointing to the immense trunk and lofty top, 
he cried out, * Boys, do you now believe my big tree story ? That is the large 
grizzly I wanted you to see. Do you still think it a yam ?' 
'* Thus convmced, their doubts were changed to amazement, and their con- 
vex*sation from bears to trees ; afterward confessing that, although they had 
been caught by a ruse of their leader, they were abundantly rewarded by the 
gratifying sight they had witnessed ; and as other trees were found equally 
large, they became willing witnesses, not only to the entire truthfuhiess of 
Mr. Dow'd's account, but also to the fact, that, like the confes^sion of a certain 
Persian queen concerning the wisdom o^ Solomon, 'the half had not been 
told.' 
" Mr. Lewis, one of the party above alluded to, after seeing these gigantic 
foz'cst patriarchs, conceived the idea of removing the bark from one of the 
trees, and of taking it to the Atlantic states for exhibition, and invited Dowd 
to join him in the enterprise. This was declined ; but, while Mr. Lewis was 
engaged in obtaining a suitable partner, some one from Miu'phy's Camp, to 
whom he had confided bis intentions and made known his plans, took up a 
posse of men early the nest morning to the spot described by Mr. Lewis, and, 
after locating a quarter section of land, immediately commenced the removal 
of the bark, after attempting to dissuade Lewis from the undertaking. This 
imderbanded proceeding induced Lewis to visit the large tree at Santa Cruz, 
discovered by Fremont, for the purpose of competing, if possible, with his 
^londani friend ; but finding that tree, although lai'ge, only 19 feet in diameter 
and 286 feet in height, while that in Calaveras county was 30 feet in diameter 
and 302 feet in height, he then turned his steps to some trees reputed to be the 
greatest iu magnitude in the state, growing near Trinidad, Klamath county ; 
but the largest of these he found only to measure about 24 feet m diameter, 
and 279 feet in height ; consequently, much discouraged, and after spending 
about five hundred dollars and several weeks' time, he eventually abandoned 
his undertaking." 
M 
The author thinks that depriving one of the finest trees of its bark 
was " a sacrilegious act ; althougli it is possible that the exhibition of 
the bark among the unbelievers of the eastern part of our continent 
and of Europe may have convinced all the 'Thomases ' living that we 
