aller than the one we were to sail in;
and I sent up a silent petition to our heavenly Father to save us from
such a calamity. Our good friend often stopped the carriage to pick us
wild-flowers, which were beginning to fringe the roadside, and told us
that only a few weeks hence these hills would be rainbow-hued with
countless blossoms. Roses grow here in the gardens all the year round,
and bouquets graced our table while we remained. On our way back, we
rode through the "Mission Dolores," the seat of an old Catholic mission,
and stopped at the church, an ancient looking adobe building, with a
tiled roof like the Panama houses. We peeped in; then walked through the
burying-ground adjoining, where bloomed a great variety of flowers,
among them some beautiful tea-roses. I wanted very much to pick just
one; but I saw a notice as I went in, asking us not to do so; and I
thought if every visitor plucked even one rose, there would soon be none
left. Late in the evening, a beautiful bouquet was handed me, and beside
it was one fair, white, exquisite rosebud, which my kind friend said he
brought me because I was so good at the burying-ground. You see how much
more enjoyment I had over my beautiful flowers, because I refrained from
despoiling the grave.

The next day, February 11, we bade good-by to our friends, and went down
to the wharf. Some of our fellow-voyagers still continued with us, going
on to China, after leaving us at the Sandwich Islands. We went off in a
boat to our clipper ship Archer, and were hoisted over the vessel's side
in a chair, with the Union Jack wrapped round us.

"What's the _Union Jack_?" asked Willie.

It is a blue flag with white stars. How strange it seemed!--the little
boat below me, and the black ship's side near, while I went up, up, up,
swung over the rail, and was let down on deck, landing in a group of my
fellow-passengers. That was the way they all came. The wind blew hard,
and we dragged our anchor; so the vessel "dropped down," as the sailors
said, to the lower part of the city, near Meig's wharf. Here we remained
two days, while a storm raged outside the Golden Gate.

Friday, February 13th, we started again, and just after the pilot left
us, we were becalmed on the bar, just opposite the terrible breakers I
had seen while riding. Here we anchored. The sea was rough and
disagreeable, and our captain longed for a stiff breeze to take us out;
for it was not a very safe place to be in. Ear