Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/131



with good  bread  and  beef;  then  mountmg  their  horses, they may  wade  them  through  tracts  of  wild  oats  that top both  horse  and  rider,  and  they  may  tread  down the yellow  bloom  of  countless  autumnal  flowers. They may see  herds  of  antelopes  passing  along  the  plain like wind-waves  over  the  grass,  and  droves  of  wild horses tossing  their  heads  in  the  air  as  their  broad nostrils catch  the  taint  of  the  intruders,  and  great, antlered elk,  some  as  big  as  Mexican  mules,  grazing about the  groves  and  under  the  scattered  trees. Now they may  rest,  and  now  the  more  fortunate  may  hope to enjoy  the  luxury  of  house,  and  bed  with  clean sheets and  soft  pillows. Yet at  first,  to  him  who  has long slept  in  the  open  air,  these  are  no  luxuries. Often those accustomed  to  every  comfort  at  home,  neat  and fastidious in  all  their  tastes,  on  resuming  their  former mode of  living  after  sleeping  a  few  months  in  the  open air, have  been  obliged  to  leave  a  comfortable  bed  and spread their  blankets  under  the  trees  if  they  would have sleep. The house  and  its  trappings  stifle  them. So hates  the  savage  civilization.

The relative  dangers  of  the  overland  and  ocean journe^^s have  sometimes  been  discussed. I should say that  in  danger,  and  in  the  romance  which  danger brings, the  journey  across  the  plains  eclipsed  the steamer voyage,  in  which  there  was  more  vexation  of spirit  than  actual  peril. Even the  long  and  stormy passage of  Cape  Horn  had  fewer  terrors  than  the  be- lated passage of  the  snowy  Sierra. The traveller who takes  ship  for  a  far-off"  land  incurs  risk,  it  is  true  ; but  if  he  reaches  his  destination  at  all,  it  is  without effort  on  his  part.  He  throws  himself  upon  the mercy  of  the  elements,  and  once  having  done  this  he can  do  no  more.  But  there  i's  much  that  is  strength- enino;,  ennoblintx,  in  the  battlin2;s  and  uncertainties  of overland  travel.  I  have,  indeed,  often  thought  that man  is  never  more  ingloriously  placed,  that  his  petti- ness and  feebleness  are  never  more  ignobly  patent,