Samuel Franklin Emmons 



California under Prof. J. D. Whitney. 

 During the three years that this con- 

 nection lasted the work was largely 

 exploratory, for as yet even the ge- 

 ography of the country was but imper- 

 fectly known. It thus gave full scope 

 to the enterprise, energy and powers 

 of endurance that characterized him 

 during his whole life. In spite of 

 his youth, he soon became a leader, 

 especially in the exploration of the 

 high mountain mass of the southern 

 Sierras discovered by him, whose 

 highest peak, Mount Whitney, still 

 holds the palm as the highest point 

 within the United States (excluding 

 Alaska). During the winter of 1865- 

 66 he also made an exploration of the 

 desert regions of southern California 

 and Arizona as scientific aide to 

 General McDowell, which involved 

 much hardship and no little danger. 



Of even more importance for 

 his future work was the familiar 

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