A PILGRIMAGE TO TORREYA. 191 



reached at ordinary times over a mile of trestles, and now so 

 overflowed that it probably could not be reached at all, cer- 

 tainly not that night ; that the train would stop for the night 

 two or three miles back in the woods, where the agent had 

 taken up his abode in a box-car ; that the town of Chattahoo- 

 chee, a mile away, large as it appeared on the map, consisted 

 mainly of a state-prison, and a couple of grocery shops, neither 

 of which was quite proper for passing a night in, even if we 

 could reach it ; in fine, that our only course would be to sleep 

 in the car (which made no provision for it), and crave from 

 the agent of the road a share of his breakfast. 



The kind and intelligent fellow-travelers as far as Talla- 

 hassee and Quincy, who gave us this disheartening informa- 

 tion, finding that we were not disposed to stop short of our 

 object, remarked that they had set us down as eminently 

 philosophical people, since we had passed a night at Live 

 Oak and still possessed our souls in patience (a view which 

 a couple who had stopped at the hotel there practically con- 

 firmed), and so left us with their good wishes, but evidently 

 faint hopes. The weekly steamboat, which was to call at the 

 landing next day, would eventually relieve us ; and so we 

 resolved to make the best of it. The worthy young conductor, 

 who was to sleep in the car also, kindly proffered a share of 

 his supper ; but we fortunately had a bottle of cold tea, some 

 crusts of bread ten days old, and wafer-biscuits, upon which 

 we scantily supped, and then, folding around us such drapery 

 and wraps as we had, lay down to sleep upon the couches 

 which the conductor ingeniously arranged for us, by some 

 skillful adjustment of the car-seats. In the morning, after due 

 ablutions made at the tank of the locomotive, we were hos- 

 pitably welcomed by the agent, General Dickison, and his 

 son, to a much -needed share of their breakfast in the sta- 

 tionary box-car, which served both as bedroom, parlor, and 

 dining-room. 



To our great delight we found that General Dickison knew 

 the tree which I was in search of ; and it was arranged that 

 his son should conduct me to the locality, not far distant. So 

 striking an evergreen tree could not fail of notice. The people 



