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6 in margin: I am ever cordially yours John Muir. peaks were quickly clad in close unbroken whites. I was terribly hungry
ere I got out of this wild canon. had less then sufficient for one meal in the last four days, this coupled with very hard
nerve trying cliff work was sufficiently exhausting for any mountaineer. Yet, strange to say, I did not suffer much. Crystal
water, air, honey sucked from the scarlet flowers of Zanchneria, about one tenth as much as would suffice for a hummingbird
was my last breakfast - a very temperate meal, was it not? Wholly ungross very nearly spiritual. Thy last effort before reaching
food was a climb up out of the Main Canon of 5000 feet, still I made it in fair time only a little faint, no giddiness, want
of spirit, or incapacity to observe enjoy, or any nonsense of this kind. How I should have liked to have then tumbled into
your care for a day or two. My sail down the Merced San Joaquin was about 250 miles in length took two weeks, a far more difficult
less interesting as far as scenery is concerned than my memorable first voyage down the Sacramento. Sandbars gravelly ripples
as well as snags gave me much trouble, in the Tule wilderness I had to illegible my tiny craft to a bunch of rushes sleep
cold in her bottom with the seat for a pillow. I have gotten past most of the weariness but am hungry yet notwithstanding
friends have been stuffing me here ever since, I may go hungry thro life into the very grave beyond unless you effect a cure,
Im sure I should like to try Rancho Chico. Would have tried it ere this were you not so far off. I slept in your quilt all
thru the excursion, brought it here tolerably clean whole. The flag I left in margin: tied to a bush top in the bottom of
the Mid F Canon. I have not yet written to Gray, have you? Remember me to your Sister. I mean to write to her soon. I must
close. With lively remembrance of your rare Kindness