276 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



three Imudred of tlic Chinese, from the ages of ten to forty 

 years, and on this occasion there were present seventeen Chinese 

 merchants, several of wliom aJilresscd the school, all in fiivor of 

 its objects. Nor would we omit the fact, that one of the chief 

 tellers in the Bunk of California is Mr. Lee Kan, a gentleman 

 of polished manners, and around whom we saw four of his coun- 

 trymen counting the precious metals. We say then to the Chi- 

 nese, as we have said to the people of other nations, come if 

 you choose, and sit under the genial shade of our tree of liberty. 

 Come if you choose ; we will educate, elevate and energize 

 you with American principles and American enterprise, and as 

 long as the heavens above shall continue to reflect the wisdom, 

 goodness and mercy of an Almighty hand, so long let this 

 blessed land of freedom, of schools and of churches, be the 

 home and refuge of the oppressed and down-trodden, from 

 whatever source they may come. 



Among the wonders of California, we must npt fail to notice 

 the Geysers, or the famous hot springs. These are situated about 

 125 miles north of San Francisco. "We take rail to Calistoga, 

 a celebrated watering place, where we find on arrival that our 

 good friends, always anticipating our comfort, had provided 

 quarters for us in cottages on the lawn, each having palm-trees 

 in front. Hero, too, we found arrangements had been made 

 with Mr. Clark Foss, the celebrated knight of the whip, to take 

 us over the mountains. The next morning, with open wagon 

 and four in hand, he whirls up to the door. " All on board " is 

 the word. " All right " is the response, and ofT the horses aallop 

 at the rate of twelve miles per hour. Soon we approach tfte 

 mountain and commence creeping up its sides, over a road 

 scarcely wider than our carriage, resembling a spiral staircase 

 in its frequent curvations, and reach the summit station. Here 

 the horses are exchanged, the company refreshed, and on we 

 wind down the hill for thousands of feet, into the valley below. 

 We soon arrive at the hotel, where Ave find that the thermome- 

 ter marks 107 degrees in the shade of the piazza. We are now 

 at the Geysers, which are located in the canyon opposite, but 

 the weather being hot, we feared to enter it until the next day. 

 At five the next morning, we start on our excursion to the 

 dreadful Geysers. We wander down the vale to the foot of the 

 canyon, where we cross a beautiful little river, whose cool, trans- 



