Jan., 1908 NOTES FROM THE DIARY OF A NATl'RALIST IN NORTHERN CALIF. 



for a 24-hour stage ride to Crescent City. For most of the morning we traversed 

 a plain, thinly timbered with yellow pine and oak, and interspersed with Ceanothus 

 and manzanita. Jack-rabbits were common and a venturesome coyote narrowly 

 escaped a shot from Gaut's rifle. 



An exciting stage ride in the dark, where the stage lamps gave fleeting views 

 of deep gorges and sudden turns, all passed at a quick trot, brought us about 3 

 A. M. to Adams. There we changed stages, and after vainly trying to get some 

 sleep, we gave up the attempt and watched the daylight slowly creep into the 

 heavy redwood forest, which we had but recently entered. The weird, impression- 

 istic effects in this dim light were truly fascinating and baffle description. The 

 huge trunks of the redwoods, some of them as wide as the length of the stage, grew 

 out of fern beds as high as a man. We followed the stage on foot, until the road 

 emerged upon the plain where 

 Crescent City was situated, in 

 order to better enjoy the fas- 

 cinating experience. After a 

 hasty breakfast we took an- 

 other stage for Smith River, 

 about 12 miles to the north- 

 east, which place we reached 

 at noon. 



The trees and shrubbery in 

 the Pacific Coast humid belt 

 on which we worked from now 

 on grew with almost tropical 

 luxuriance. Heavy moss hung 

 to the trees, and fallen logs 

 were completely covered with 

 it. The thickets were al- 

 most impenetrable. The air 

 was mild and spring-like, and 

 nothing could surpass in 

 pleasure outdoor life in this 

 region. We spent until Octo- 

 ber 18 in the vicinity of Cres- 

 cent City and Smith River, 

 and then took a charming 

 stage ride thru dense redwood 

 forests to Requa, a cluster of 

 houses at the mouth of the 

 Klamath River. The flora was much the same in this region traversed as at Crescent 

 City and Orick. The highest point on the stage-road between Requa and Crescent City 

 is 1280 feet. On October 19 we resumed our journey to Orick at daylight, and the 

 same general character of country was met. The stage follows along high precipitous 

 cliffs, at whose base is the ocean. A strange spectacle seen in these dense redwood for- 

 ests is a huckleberry bush, grown in the top of a broken off tree, sometimes at a height 

 of 100 feet. We reached Orick about 12 o'clock and that afternoon set out a long 

 line of traps. Here was a clearing in the dense redwoods making a favorable site 

 for our work. The highest point between Requa and Orick is 940 feet. On Oc- 

 tober 21 at noon we began another beautiful drive thru the redwoods, and by 

 nightfall we were at Trinidad, This region was not suitable to our work so next 



BURNT REDWOODS NEAR SMITH RIVER, CAIvIFORNIA 



