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Martinez, Cal. June 15, 1904. Dear Mr. Murdoch : The trip you propose making is a good one. The Yellowstone Park is of
itself well worth coming for. If you return from the West by way of the Santa Fe, you should, after seeing as much as possible
of the Grand Arizona Canyon, visit the petrified forest, which lies about 150 miles to the East of the canyon near the railway,
and is easily reached. It is one of the great wonders of the West though comparatively little known as yet. I got home about
two weeks ago from my long wanderings through Europe. From St. Petersburg to Moscow, thence to Sebastopol, along the Black
Sea to Batoum Batum , thence to Tiflis, through the Caucasus by the Dariel Pass and back to Moscow. Thence across Siberia,
through Manchuria to the Amour Amur -Vladivostock, etc. Thence to Japan, to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Egypt,
Ceylon, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, back to Hong Kong, Japan, Honolulu, and home by San Francisco, rich and heavy
laden with notes on geology, botanical specimens, etc., etc. I look forward to your coming visit with pleasure, and as I
am likely to be at home all summer we must surely meet. The Bass book must be of great interest to me, and I am ever Faithfully
yours, John Muir. The spelling of the Russian names Batum and Amur is taken from the New International Encyclopaedia and
checked with a Cram atlas 03380