he land of freedom,
thought that the island where we spent so many days was a regular
stopping-place on the way to California, and that the wreck was a
legitimate mode of stopping; as one day she inquired if that was the way
they always went to San Francisco, and said, if she had known travelling
was so hard, she would not have started. This accounted for her
equanimity, which surprised me, after the vessel struck the reef, as she
sat quietly eating her cakes, while every thing was going to destruction
around us, and the sea broke above our heads.

In crossing the Isthmus of Panama, we were delighted with the neat
appearance of the natives, whom we saw along the roadside, or sitting in
their little huts near by, which were made of the trunks of the tall
palm-trees, in columns, open at the side, and thatched with leaves.
These people were clad in clean white garments, the women with muslins
and laces drooping from their bare shoulders, and with bright flowers in
their hair.

On reaching Panama, the women there greeted us with great kindness and
sympathy. One of them threw her arms around one of the first women of
our party that she saw, and exclaimed, "Oh, we have thought so much
about you! we were afraid you would die for want of water." It seemed
strange that they should have cared so much, when a little while before
they never knew of our existence. I felt as if I had hardly had a chance
before in my life to know what mere humanity meant, apart from
individual interest, and how strong a feeling it is. We realized still
more the kindness of these "dear, dark-eyed sisters," when we opened the
trunk of clothing which they sent on board the "America," the steamer
that took us to San Francisco.

The voyage up the Pacific coast was long and wearisome. For some days we
felt seriously the ill effects of the island life and the tropic heat,
and could only endure; until, one morning, we came up on deck, and there
were the beautiful serrated hills of Old California. We had rounded Cape
St. Lucas, and had a strong, exhilarating breeze from the coast, and
began to be ourselves again.

The monotony of our sea-life was broken by one event of special
interest,--the addition of another human being to our large number. I
must mention first,--for it seems as if they brought her,--that all one
day we sailed in a cloud of beautiful gray-and-white gulls, flying
incessantly over and around us, with their pretty orange bills and
fringed