A 'Thousand- Mile TValk 
hundred dollars, and of the insalubrity of the 
Amazon Valley. 
Fortunately, as I said, after visiting all the 
shipping agencies, I could not find a vessel of 
any sort bound for South America, and so made 
up a plan to go North, to the longed-for cold 
weather of New York, and thence to the forests 
and mountains of California. There, I thought, 
I shall find health and new plants and moun- 
tains, and after a year spent in that interesting 
country I can carry out my Amazon plans. 
It seemed hard to leave Cuba thus unseen 
and unwalked, but illness forbade my stay and 
I had to comfort myself with the hope of return- 
ing to its waiting treasures in full health. In 
the mean time I prepared for immediate de- 
parture. When I was resting in one of the Ha- 
vana gardens, I noticed in a New York paper 
an advertisement of cheap fares to California. 
I consulted Captain Parsons concerning a pass- 
age to New York, where I could find a ship for 
California. At this time none of the California 
ships touched at Cuba. 
[ 170 ] 
