Navy--International Court--Pacific
coast--Californian ranch--Social customs--Good-bye, California!

No one, who has read so far, can think I am unduly prejudiced in
favour of America and the Americans. I have tried to write fairly,
and point out in what respects their institutions, habits, &c., excel
ours; but, on the other hand, I have criticized in no sparing
language what I consider are faults or peculiarities distasteful to
outsiders, and possibly there is more blame than praise in the
foregoing pages. If now, therefore, I write strongly in favour of the
great capital of Western America, it ought to be accepted as truth.

I have travelled much and seen many cities and towns in different
parts of the world, but I have seen nothing to equal San
Francisco--not in size of course, but in every respect which makes a
town a desirable residence.[7] Climate is the most important, so I
will dilate on that first. There is much about it that puzzles me,
and that I cannot explain. I leave the solution to others, and
confine myself to the facts. There are no extremes of temperature in
San Francisco, neither the days nor nights are ever either
uncomfortably hot or cold. In summer the usual temperature is warm
enough before noon to wear light clothing, but about one o'clock a
breeze sets in from the bay and the ocean which reduces the heat
considerably, and which sometimes blows stronger than is quite
pleasant. This is the only possible fault that any one can find in
the climate, and the said periodical wind only lasts for the three or
four midsummer months. Winter there differs but little from summer,
frost and snow are unknown, and inasmuch as in winter the said
periodical sea-wind is quite absent, I have heard many of the
inhabitants aver that winter is, in the daytime at least, warmer than
summer! Whether this be so or not, it is a fact the winter days are
very charming, for as a rule there is a total absence of clouds,
fogs, or mist, and the sun shines merrily in a bright blue sky from
sunrise to sunset. In that latitude (38 deg.) the sun has considerable
power even in the winter. The want of rain on the Pacific coast,
south of latitude 42 deg., applies of course to San Francisco. I was
there about five weeks. It only rained twice, and not more than one
quarter of an hour each time. I stupidly forget what the yearly
rainfall is, but very small, I know. How odd, by the bye, are the
variations of rain in different parts of t