124 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



gate their gardens, which otherwise, for eight months of the year, 

 there being no rain, would remain a perfect barren ; but by this 

 mode of irrigation the ground produces all manner of fruits, flow- 

 ers and vegetables in the greatest abundance. We visited the 

 State Lunatic Asylum at this place — a fine building of brick, with 

 elegant surroundings. Here we were shown through the female 

 department by the lady matron, Mrs. Farnum, in whom I found 

 an old friend, who politely entertained us for two hours. The 

 next morning at 6 a. m. we took stage for Mariposa. On being 

 seated in the stage, and ready to start, a gentleman stepped up 

 and inquired for me by name, stating he had received a tele- 

 graphic dispatch from my grandson from San Francisco, who had 

 gone down to meet us, but passed us on the way, and requesting 

 us to remain till he came up, which we did. Next morning we 

 started, making stages of twelve miles, with a fine coach carry- 

 ing nine inside, and some outside, drawn by five excellent horses 

 on a smooth, level^road, over a plain of vast extent, relieved occa- 

 sionally by round-topped hills, on which were grazing large herds 

 of cattle and horses, in fine condition. Although the herbage on 

 which they fed was, to all appearance, burnt up by the sun, yet 

 upon inquirj^ I learned that in that state the cattle would thrive 

 better and become fatter on it than when in the green state. We 

 soon reached the mountains, in the valleys between which we 

 passed many fine farms ; and, although only in the month of May, 

 I was surprised to find it the harvest time in this region. On 

 several farms the mowing machine Avas at work cutting down 

 wheat and barley, which, to all appearance, were an abundant 

 crop. Of Indian corn I saw but little ; oats and barley, as also 

 wheat, upon occasion, are mowed in the green state for hay, and 

 the horses appear to thrive on it, they being all in fine condition. 

 We put up for the night at the mining town of Hornitas, where 

 we went to bed at the hotel the stage stopped at, but not to 

 sleep, although much in need of it. This town, as are most 

 mining towns, is infested by a set of men who, after the well-dis- 

 posed are abed, make night hideous with their howling in their 

 drunken orgies. They thus deprived us of all sleep, which had to 

 be paid for, the same as if we had been blessed with a taste of 

 kind Nature's sweet restorer. 



At 5 A. M. the stage for Mariposa called for us, in which we 

 travelled breakfastless a distance of seven miles, to Bear Valley. 

 Here the chief quartz mills of Fremont are located in a little vil- 



