A Thousand-Mile Walk 



hundred dollars, and of the insalubrity of the 

 Amazon Valley. 



Fortunately, as I said, after visiting all the 

 shipping agencies, I could not find a vessel of 

 any sort bound for South America, and so made 

 up a plan to go North, to the longed-for cold 

 weather of New York, and thence to the forests 

 and mountains of California. There, I thought, 

 I shall find health and new plants and moun 

 tains, and after a year spent in that interesting 

 country I can carry out my Amazon plans. 



It seemed hard to leave Cuba thus unseen 

 and unwalked, but illness forbade my stay and 

 I had to comfort myself with the hope of return 

 ing to its waiting treasures in full health. In 

 the mean time I prepared for immediate de 

 parture. When I was resting in one of the Ha 

 vana gardens, I noticed in a New York paper 

 an advertisement of cheap fares to California. 

 I consulted Captain Parsons concerning a pass 

 age to New York, where I could find a ship for 

 California. At this time none of the California 

 ships touched at Cuba. 



[ 170] 



