172 
SEA-CAPTAINS WIFE. 
ing these among the Celestials, Mr. Locke, the 
Chinese interpreter, gave her the advantage of his 
influence and knowledge. 
The wife of an old sea-captain, Mrs. B , 
discovered, upon meeting her, that her projected 
enterprise was the very object for which, uncon- 
sciously, she had been for years preserving foreign 
curiosities, and so generously put them into 
her possession. Mr. G , a German naturalist 
connected with Woodward’s Gardens, gave her 
the liberty of that institution, and also introduced 
her to Mr. B — -, a wealthy merchant of ornitho- 
logical tastes, who helped her out of a dilemma. 
She had visited the Big Trees, the Geysers, and 
very many other places, and wherever she had 
been, Indian curiosities and all manner of objects 
had adhered to her fingers, until her acquisitions, 
when boxed for home, weighed over one thousand 
pounds. Whatwas her dismay to find, when she 
had reached the extreme limits of her purse, that 
these treasures could not budge an inch from 
San Francisco without the freight upon them was 
prepaid, or some one, who had the “ open 
sesame ” to railroads, would be responsible for its 
payment. Mr. B very kindly appeared as 
that individual. 
A short time before her own departure, in 
visiting with her friends, Mr. and Mrs. W , a 
place where Japanese curiosities were sold, she 
