took the name of
resignation, and stupidity was quiet contempt. Indeed, I began to fear
that they would give him a public triumph, and invite me to make the
flag with which to grace it. I confess that I would almost have voted
him a procession myself, in gratitude for the amusement which he had
given us. However, the committee were content with making him a
handsome apology and present, and paying his expenses at the Humboldt.
O public opinion in the mines, thou art in truth a _cruel_ thing, but,
thank God, most _fickle_!

The other day we were invited by a Spanish friend to breakfast at a
garden situated half a mile from The Junction, and owned by another
Spaniard. It was a lovely morning in the latter part of August, and as
we started about six o'clock, the walk was a most delightful one. The
river, filled with flumes, dams, etc., and crowded with busy miners,
was as much altered from its old appearance as if an earthquake had
frightened it from its propriety.

I suppose that you are quite worn out with descriptions of walks, and I
will spare you this once. I will not tell you how sometimes we were
stepping lightly over immense rocks which a few months since lay
fathoms deep beneath the foaming Plumas; nor how sometimes we were
walking high above the bed of the river, from flume to flume, across a
board connecting the two; nor how now we were scrambling over the roots
of the upturned trees, and now jumping tiny rivulets; nor shall I say a
single word about the dizziness we felt as we crept by the deep
excavations lying along the road, nor of the beautiful walk at the side
of the wing-dam (it differs from a common dam, in dividing the river
lengthways instead of across), the glittering water rising bluely
almost to a level with the path. I do not think that I will ever tell
you about the impromptu bath which one of the party took by tumbling
accidentally into the river as he was walking gallantly behind us,
which said bath made him decidedly disagree in our enthusiastic opinion
of the loveliness of the promenade.

No; I shall not say a single word upon any of these subjects, but leave
them all to your vivid imagination. Corkscrews could not draw a
solitary sentence from me, now that I have made up my mind to silence.
But I _will_ tell you about the driftings in the side of the hill,
which we visited on our way,--not so much from a precious desire of
enlightening your pitiable ignorance upon such subjects, you poor,