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no hint of its wondrous wealth of giant redwoods and shrubs and flowers and sunny, grassy openings. Cool and cloudy, cool enough for overcoats, much to the wonderment of passengers from the hot Sacramento and San Joaquin plains. Aug. 3rd Dull gray gay with little sunshine to make the smooth waves partial and make the white breakers whiter. Many gulls and a few albatrosses following the ship for scraps. Narrow winged, swiftly gliding with but few wing beats, yet keeping up with the ship easily with time to alight and feed. Ever graceful, taking pains to fold their wings, when alighting without wetting their arm pits and spreading them as carefully and holding them well up when rising from the water. Small whales in pairs are seen spouting and playing, showing their huge tails as they dive. Porpoises also, plunging ahead in glad drives, twelve or fifteen miles per hour. Jolly fellows never hinting headaches, hunger or any other moral ill or care. Few passengers at meals. Lords of the sea, looking pale and woe begone. Aug. 4th Dull, gray morning, but the sea much calmer and wind fair. The land near and interestingly picturesque. A few homes and villages visible and hearthsmoke to hint family comfort and industry. Quite a lively show of boats and ships. As we near Cape Flattery, the Coast shows many islands or rocks gnawed by the waves from narrow, outreaching capes. Trees on top of the largest and huge black caves in the gray bluffs, where in storms the waves bellow in grand enthusiasm, as if eager to shout their arrival from the broad levels of the Pacific, as they passionately kiss the land. Rounding the cape, we entered the Fucca Straits and now the sick passengers emerged from their bunk with hope on their faces and take their seats at the tables for the first time on the trip. At 1.30pm, we arrived at Victoria, 52 hours from San Francisco, a quick trip. 250 tons of freight to discharge. Are to sail for Port Townsend at 4.30. The fruit, peaches, pears,
Date Original
1896
Source
Original journal dimensions: 9 x 15 cm.
Resource Identifier
MuirReel28Journal13P002-003.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
