ten
days since, when the engine gave one of its loud whistles, like the
blast of a fog-horn, and we plunged into darkness. Looking through the
car window, I observed that we were passing through a wooden
framework--in fact a snow-shed, the roof sloping from the
mountain-side, to carry safely over the track the snow and rocky
_debris_ which shoot down from above. I find there are miles upon
miles of these snow-sheds along our route. At the Summit we pass
through the longest, which is 1700 feet in length.

We reached the Summit at ten minutes to ten, having ascended 3400 feet
in a distance of only thirty-six miles. We are now over 7000 feet
above the level of the sea, travelling through a lofty mountain
region. In the morning, I was on the warm shores of the Pacific; and
now at night I am amidst the snows of the Sierras. After passing the
Summit, we had some very tortuous travelling; going very fast during
an hour, but winding in and out, as we did, following the contour of
the hills, I found that we had only gained seven geographical miles in
an hour. We then reached the "City" of Truckee, principally supported
by lumbering. It is the last place in California, and we shall very
soon be across the State boundary into the territory of Nevada.

After passing this station, I curled up on my bench, wrapped myself in
my rugs, and had a snatch of sleep. I was wakened up by the stoppage
of the train at the Reno station, when I shook myself up, and went out
to have a look round me. As I alighted from the train, I had almost
come to the ground through the slipperiness of the platform, which was
coated with ice. It was a sharp frost, and the ground was covered with
snow. At the end of the platform, the snow was piled up in a drift
about twenty feet high on the top of a shed outside the station. I
find there are two kinds of snow-sheds,--one sort used on the plains,
with pointed roofs, from which the snow slides down on either side,
thereby preventing the blocking of the line; the other, used along the
mountain-sides, sloping over the track, so as to carry the snow-shoots
clear over it down into the valley below.

I soon turned in again, wrapped myself up, and slept soundly for some
hours. When I awoke, it was broad daylight; the sun was shining in at
the car windows; and on looking out, I saw that we were crossing a
broad plain, with mountains on either side of us. The conductor,
coming through the car, informs us that we shall