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ing, was led by a herd of deer which he was following into the 

 Big Tree Yalley. He stopped as one enchanted, feeling like Gulliver 

 when lost in the field of barley, such as he had never even dreamed 

 of as existing in the world. He told his companions of his adventure 

 on liis return, but all laughed at his story as a barefaced attempt to 

 impose on their credulity. It was with the greatest difficulty he 

 succeeded in inducing some of them to accompany him to the spot, 

 and verify his statements by actual inspection and measurement. 

 The happy individual to whom common fame more generally ascribes 

 the discovery is a Mr. J. M. Wooster, whose claims have rested on an 

 inscription, "J. M. Wooster, June 1850," cut, more Anglico, into the 

 bark of one of the trees — "Hercules," to wit. As this token of 

 discovery has been mentioned in the very earliest notices of the tree, 

 there is no doubt that the date of the inscription is genuine, and that 

 it is not an ex post facto operation. It has been jestingly said that 

 this is only a manuscript notice, and not publication, and, therefore, 

 that Mr. Wooster is not entitled to the honour of the discovery, 

 which must go, in right of priority, to the first person who published 

 his discovery, Mr. Lobb. But Mr. Wooster himself disclaims it. 

 Mr. Hutchins, in his " Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California," 

 says : " Since writing the above we have made the acquaintance of 

 Mr. Wooster, who disclaims all title to the discovery, although of the 

 same party, and gives it to W. Whitehead, Esq. , who, while tying 

 his shoe, looked casually round him and saw the trees, June 1850." 

 We confess we feel disposed to give the palm of discovery to 

 Mr. Whitehead ; the simplicity and probability of the discovery 

 made on looking up from tying his shoe carry conviction to our 

 mind. The incident of tying his shoe is the last that would occur to 

 an inventor. A romancer would scarcely think of a party passing 

 through the grove without noticing the enormous size and height of 

 the trees ; and yet what more natural than that people, not botanists, 

 should have been passing tlirough forests of all sizes, and not thinking 

 about trees ] It would only be when something made them pause 

 that trees might strike them. It is, no doubt, exceedingly probable, 

 and doubtless true, that Mr. Dowd discovered them in the same 

 year, and possibly within a few days or weeks of Mr. Whitehead ; 

 but, in the absence of any data for determining which of them was 

 first, we should certainly, for our part, place ourselves on the side of 

 the man who discovered them while tying his shoe. The rumour of 

 the discovery soon spread, and the grove was visited by many. 

 Among these early visitors were two of our countrymen, who at least 

 were the first to introduce the tree into Britain — Mr. John D. 

 Matthew, son of Mr. Patrick Matthew, of Gourdiehill, near Errol, 

 and Mr. Lobb, who was collecting for Mr. Veitch. The credit of 

 introducing it is generally awarded to Mr. Lobb ; and, so far as 

 regards introducing it in commercial quantities, no doubt he was the 



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