Transcription:
a very poor stick. But in speaking to a medical man I ought to be more particular so I will quote direct from my diary July2d,
- Tea? mutton - to this little measure has shrunk all the timber of our staff of life. Crystal streams sing in all the mazes
of these cool mountains so our water is sure? but our bread I fear will not be given us for many a day. The tea we drink is
very strong makes us dizzy like whiskey when poured in quarts pints upon solid pounds of unmixed masticated mutton it causes
a series of loud premonitory rumblings like those that preceded the great earthquake last year at San Francisco. The tea,
Doctor, trys to go down among the mutton the mutton tries to come up among the tea but if both are kept in place until one
mountain is climbed all is safe 5th Tea mutton becoming more? more combative so we have been compelled to vary our diet to
mutton molasses candy - There seems to be a bread sheep in that grand centre of man the stomach which no other food of a civilized
kind can s illegible py 6th Feel weak, sick illegible , sour - There is a cluster of conic splintered granite peak near the
summit opposite castle peak Mount illegible where the highest sources of the Tuolumne Merced Joaquin rivers are small sparkling
singing streams, One of these peaks is exactly like an old Cathedral is called cathedral peak . I rolled a loaf of bread in
an pair of blankets started to explore these mts'. I reached the top most spires of the grand old church about noon of the
first day sat down to rest to eat now Doctor here is a strange thing, I was seated on the brink of a illegible about 7000
ft in depth, in eating when ever I looked up I was hungry, but hen I looked down I was full my stomach consented to take block
after block of the bread which perisheth. While I kept looking at the sky like an old ashologer but the moment I looked down
I felt that I was not fit for the calf I have had charge of 2500 sheep, have enjoyed a most glorious piece of life among mountain
flowers, mountain grandeur, illegible illegible illegible grizzly bears. Bears as illegible illegible killed a good many of
our sheep I have been engaged with botany geology drawing. Have about 50 sketches, I mean to leave Cal in 3 months for some
other portion of the Lords lovely creation, perhaps South America. in margin: Please send your half the other half give
her my kindest wishes. My adress is Hopeton Mercer Co as before. I have a thousand things to tell you when we meet