Transcription:
8 This letter is already far too long, I will hasten to a close. I will rest here a day or so, to then push off again to
the mouth of the river a hundred miles or so farther, chiefly to study the deposition of the sediment at the head of the bay,
then push for the mountains. I would row up the San Joaquin, but two weeks or more would be required for the trip, I fear
snow on the mountains I am glad to know that you are really interested in science I might almost venture another lecture upon
you, but in the mean time forbear. Looking backward I see you three in your leafly home, while I wave my hand, I will only
wait to thank you all over over again for the thousand kind things you have done and said - drives, grapes, rest, a that a
that . And now once more Farewell Ever Cordially your friend John Muir This letter was addressed to Sen. Bidwell, his wife,
his wife s sister, (Miss) Sallie Kennedy. This is a underlined: full copy of Mr. Muir s letter A. E. K. B. 00314 5
round number s 2.000 feet above tide water The whole group is volcanic, taking sharp basattic forms near the summit with stratified
conglomerates of finely polished quartz metamosphic peebles tilted against their flanks. There is a sparse growth of live
oak laurel on the southern slopes, the latter predominating, on the North quite a close tangle of dwarf oak forming a chaparral.
I noticed the white mountain spiraea also, Mahonia, with a few willows, three ferns toward the summit, Pellaea and dromedifolia,
gynnogramma triangularis, cheilanthes gracillinea, many a fine flower penstemous, gilias, our brave Eriogo illegible ms of
blessed memory. The sum- mit of this highest south most butte is a coast Survey station. The river is very crooked becoming
more and more so in its lover course, flowing in grand lingering deliberation now south, now north, east and west. with fine
un-American indirectness. The upper portion down as far as Colusa is full of rapids, 4 however to get out of even the
scrape without disaster to herself or to me. I manually sailed from sunrise to sunset, rowing one third of the time, paddling
one third, drifting the other third in restful comfort - landing now then to examine a section of the bank or some bush or
tree. Under these conditions the voyage to this port was five days in length. On the morning of the third day I hid my craft
in the bank vines set off crosslots for the highest of the Marysville Buttes, reached got back to the river, Jumper bytwo
oclock, The distance to the nearest foothill of the groups is about three miles but to the base of the southwest highest Butte
is six miles, its elevation is about 1800 feet above its base or in + 00314