0ne bitterly cold night we went to Fitchburg, five miles away, todescribe the various pictures given at a magic-lantern exhibition. Myshare was a few lines on a poor view of Scarborough Castle. At thisdistance it seems like a poor investment of energy.

I wonder if modern education has not made some progress in a generation.Here was a boy of fourteen who had never studied history or physics orphysiology and was assigned nothing but Latin, algebra and grammar. Ileft at fourteen and a half to come to California, knowing little butwhat I had picked up accidentally.

A diary of my voyage, dating from June 4, 1855, vividly illustrates thecharacter of the English inculcated by the school of the period. Itrefers to the "crowd assembled to witness our departure." It recountsall we saw, beginning with Washacum Pond, which we passed on our way toWorcester: "of considerable magnitude, ... and the teeny islands whichdot its surface render it very beautiful." The buildings of New Yorkimpressed the little prig greatly. Trinity Church he pronounces "one ofthe most splendid edifices which I ever saw," and he waxes into"0palian" eloquence over Barnum's American Museum, which was"illuminated from basement to attic."

We sailed on the "George Law," arriving at Aspinwall, the easternterminal of the Panama Railroad, in ten days. Crossing the isthmus,with its wonders of tropical foliage and varied monkeys, gave a glimpseof a very new world. We left Panama June 16th and arrived at San Francisco onthe morning of the 30th.