y be used, for the production of choice Fruits. Thus, Merced
will become a centre, like other parts of California, and, being so much
nearer than those other parts to San Francisco, will benefit
additionally by that advantage alone. Merced is only 152 miles from San
Francisco, while Fresno is 207, Bakersfield 314, and Los Angeles, 483
miles. It is rumoured that another line of railway will also be formed
in connection with the present main line, and Merced would then be an
important railway junction. I drove out every day with Mr. Huffman, and
inspected the country for some miles around the town, including the
Merced River, 25 miles off. The land designated British Colony, is, at
its commencement, only two miles from the Merced Railway Station, hotel,
and shops. Mr. Huffman has a most comfortable residence, and has
excellent stables, well filled with first-class buggy horses, so that
travelling was always an easy matter. Being a lay preacher in England, I
took advantage of offers made me, and preached on the Sunday I was at
Merced in two of the churches at the morning and evening services.

I left Merced on Tuesday night, December 16th, by the 10.23 train,
having stayed there eight days. I immediately "turned in," and next
morning (December 17th) was up as usual at 6.30, and much enjoyed the
splendid scenery through which we were passing--in a mountainous
country, grandly diversified with all the alternations of heights and
depths, lights and darks, rich and barren, including many evidences of
engineering skill--as we coursed along, now looking high up, now looking
low down, and presently winding along the celebrated "loop," described
as the "greatest engineering feat in the world," by which the train goes
through mountain passes, creeping along the tops of eminences, then
returning, crosses under itself at a low level, then, ascending, crosses
over itself at a higher level, so that in its meandering course you now
look down at your side on the line you have just traversed, and anon
look up at your side at the line you are about to traverse. We passed
through the Mojava (pronounced Moharvie) desert, where the yucca palm is
plentiful. A fellow passenger, and old settler, enlivened the time by
some relations of his experiences thus: He once shot a grizzly bear
which weighed 1,500 lbs. Some are much larger than this. Everything of
weight in America is generally reckoned by pounds, not cwts. or tons. On
another occasion he s