A TRIP TO THE PACIFIC. 
In number, three of the Floral Guide of last year, we gave some account of our trip 
to the Pacific coast, and of the beautiful flowers and strange plants and wonderful trees that 
we there beheld. Our space was too contracted, or our powers of condensation too small, for we 
were unable to finish the story, and after taking our readers to the Calaveras Grove of mammoth 
trees, were compelled to allow them to remain there all through the autumn, and really there 
are but few pleasanter places for a long sojourn. One of our leading Rochester nurserymen on a 
recent visit, was so delighted with the grove that he determined, if possible, to become its owner, 
and succeeded in making a bargain for the purchase, with one of the owners, but the other and 
non-resident partner objected to the sale. 
Our readers of last year will please excuse us for copying a page already published, which we 
do for the purpose of furnishing new readers the “round trip” complete, from San Francisco to the 
Big Trees, the Yosemite, and return. 
FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO THE CALAVERAS BIG TREES. 
After making arrangements for horses and wagon to be in waiting at Milton, the terminus 
of the railroad, perhaps about thirty miles north-east of Stockton, we bade our good friends in San 
Francisco farewell for a season, and taking an early start, reached Milton about noon, where we 
were packed into stages, or rather three-seated wagons, and about dark arrived at a somewhat 
deserted mining town called Murphy’s Camp, having made twenty-nine miles over a strange, 
MAMMOTH TREES OF CALIFORNIA. 
dusty, but to us a pleasant road. Here we remained for the night and the next morning continued 
our journey to the big trees, yet fifteen miles east, and nearly 2,500 feet upwards. The route was 
exceedingly pleasant, and our anticipations were at fever heat. The grand Sugar Pines, in the 
distance, we felt quite sure were the big trees, and the biggest trees in the world. Before noon 
we reached the pleasant hotel of Mr. Perry, at the edge of the Calaveras Grove , and after 
removing the accumulation of dust from clothes and person, determined to have a look at once, 
although dinner was announced — a matter of no small importance to the hungry mountain trav¬ 
eler. Until we traveled in California we did not know that eating was of so much consequence. 
Ye had just a look, and we thought the trees were not as large as we expected — that these Cali¬ 
fornians delighted in big stories as well as big trees — then we thought they were pretty large, very 
large, but not big enough to make so much fuss about — then we looked again, and didn’t have 
a very decided opinion ; in fact, had become somewhat mixed, and thought we had better go to 
dinner. When we came out again the trees were a good deal larger, and they got larger every 
moment we looked at them. So we walked through this grove of fifty acres, containing about 
one hundred big trees, and they were certainly large — they must be large — figures tell the truth, 
and we passed a string .around some of them that measured between sixty and seventy feet, and 
others, by pacing, twenty feet and over in diameter; and no doubt over a hundred feet to 
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