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frequently tilted with a swish and bump against the backboard, as a ridge in road was reached, in a mixing that was still more grotesque and extraordinary. I expected to see man, women and mules mingled in piebald ruin at the bottom of some rocky hollow, but they seemed to have full confidence in the backboard and front board of their wagon box, and so slid comfortably from end to end in slippery obedience to gravitation as the up and down grades demanded, and where the jolting was moderate they engaged in conversation on love, marriage and camp meetings, according to the custom of the country. Old lady held a bouquet of French marigolds. Hillsides bearing a fine harvest of asters. Reached Mount Jonah in the evening. Had long conversation with old Methodist slaveholder and mine owner. Had fine drink of cider. 23rd. Now fairly out of the mountains. Thus far climate has not changed in any marked degree, the decrease in latitude being balanced by the increase in altitude. These mountains are highways upon which northern plants may extend their colonies to the South. The plants of the North and South have many minor places of meeting along the way I have traveled, but it is here on the southern slopes of the Alleghanies that the greatest number of hardy enterprising representatives of the two climates are assembled. Passed the comfortable finely shaded little town of Gainesville. The Chattahoochee River is richly embanked with massy, bossy, dark green water oaks and wreathed with a dense impenetrable growth of muscadine grape vines, whose ornate foliate, so well adapted for bank embroidery was enriched with other interweaving brightly colored species of vines and flowers. The first truly southern stream I have met. At night reached the home of an Indiana acquaintance, Mr. Prather. The social and mixed
Date Original
July 1867
Source
Original journal dimensions: 10 x 16.5 cm.
Resource Identifier
MuirReel23Journal01P034-035.tif
Publisher
Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library
Rights Management
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Keywords
John Muir, journals, drawings, writings, travel, journaling, naturalist
