40 INTRODUCTION TO CALIFORNIA. 



Francisco, where she arrived on the evening of the 

 30th.* 



The bees had ample stores within their hives before 

 they were started, to last them through their long 

 journey. I neither watered or gave them any addi- 

 tional food during the whole trip, except what they 

 obtained while flying out at Aspinwall. 



During each day's confinement the bees labored 

 incessantly to gain their liberty, but as soon as it 

 was dark they always became quiet, and remained so 

 during the night. 



At San Francisco the bees were transferred from 

 the Sonora to the steamer New World, and landed 

 in Sacramento on the morning of December the 2d, 

 1857, thus terminating a journey of 5,900 miles, 

 which was at that time the longest distance that bees 

 had been known to be* transported at one continuous 

 voyage.f 



On opening the hives, I found that considerable 

 numbers of bees had died in each, and that in five 



*There were other importations of bees made during the win- 

 ter of 1857 and 1858, a large proportion of which died. 



t To the officers and agents of the various transportation com- 

 panies, over whose routes I passed from Newcastle, Pennsylvania, 

 to Sacramento, California, particularly Mr. J. F. Joy, agent, 

 Panama Railroad Company, Capt. Tinklepaugh, of the steamship 

 Northern Light, and Capt. Whiting, of the Sonora, I am in- 

 debted for their valuable and efficient aid in securing a safe trans- 

 it, and probably the most successful shipment of bees ever made 

 to California. 



