762 FINAL JOURNEYS AND WORK. [1885, 



I, to dine with Dr. Richardson (son-in-law of Short), 

 where we met your and Dyer's friends, Mr. and Mrs. 

 Morris ^ of Jamaica, I was taken speechless. I was 

 only for a few hours at the Exposition (I hate such), 

 but Mrs. Gray went a second time to see Mexican 

 things. Dr. Farlow, joining us at New Orleans, 

 brought, to our surprise, passes for us to go by the 

 Mexican Central Eoad to the city of Mexico and back 

 to El Paso (the junction with the road to California), 

 and we decided to undertake it. One day and a night 

 took us to San Antonio, Texas, where we stayed Sat- 

 urday, Sunday, and Monday, till evening, trying to 

 recover from our colds, driving over the country 

 through chaparral of mesquite bushes (Prosopis) 

 and opuntias. When we awoke next morning we 

 were coursing along the rocky banks of the Rio 

 Grande del Norte, mounting into a high region more 

 arid still, if possible, the only flowers out a Vesicaria ; 

 and descending into a great cattle ranch region we 

 reached El Paso at 3.30 a. m. ; got to bed again ; had 

 the day there and on the other side of the river, at 

 El Paso del Norte, in the Mexican State of Chihuar 

 hua, whence at evening we took our Pullman for 

 three nights and two days' journey to this place, 

 through Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Aguas-Caliente, Leon, 

 etc., reaching here yesterday morning at 8.30. We 

 are comfortably placed in the Hotel Iturbide. Farlow 

 and I have looked about somewhat, though I am still 

 suffering from catarrh and cough; Mrs. Gray laid 

 up with hers. This afternoon a Mexican gentleman 

 to whom we took letters called and drove Farlow and 

 me out to Chapultepec, whence a most magnificent 

 view of the whole Valley of Mexico and the surround- 



^ Daniel Morris, assistant director of the Royal Gardens, Kew. 



