The sun was setting behind the hills as we steamed into the Golden Gate. But the story of General Grant's reception in California has been told so fully that I despair of being able to add to it. On the whole, the scene was wondrously beautiful. The lines of brown hills, the puffs of smoke that told of salutes fired so far off that the sound of the cannon could scarcely be heard, the welcoming of the fog-horns, the trim and bending yachts bright with flags, the huge steamers covered with people coming out to meet us and cheering again and again, the deep thunder of the batteries of Angel Island, Black Point, and Alcatraz, the cheers from the thousands who swarmed on Telegraph Hill, as our vessel slowly steamed past; and, finally, the brilliant, blazing city, which burst upon us as we turned into our anchorage-all of this formed a picture which could not be forgotten, even by those who had seen the pageantry of Europe and the splendor of the East. But it had a quality which neither Europe nor the East could give, for it was a welcome home! Coming from the silent multitudes of Japan and China, it was a thrilling sound to hear once again the Anglo-Saxon cheer ringing out from thousands of voices.

At eleven o'clock in the evening General Grant reached his hotel, and dined quietly with Senator Jones and Senator Sharon, of Nevada. A. J. Bryant, Mayor of San Francisco, took the utmost pains to make General Grant's welcome a hearty one; and this courtesy was the more gracious from him, because Mayor Bryant is known to belong to a different political party. The General's time in California was spent in seeing the sights. The visit was to him one of peculiar interest. Twenty-five years before he had been, as a young officer, stationed in California; and, as he said to the writer, it had always been the dream of his life to live in California. were the changes that had taken place. that he had known in the early days had the aspect of nature had changed; for the resolute men who are building the metropolis of the Pacific have absorbed the waters and torn down the hills to make their way. Many were the old friends the General met in San Francisco-companions

What surprised him. The San Francisco vanished, and even

of other days. There were visits to the City Hall, where the General reviewed the veterans of our war, representatives from the various armies of the Union who had made their homes in California. There was a visit from the Methodist Conference, who called in a body. Bishop Haven made an address, and the General and Mrs. Grant spent an hour in conversation with the members of the Conference. There were visits to the stock exchanges, the banks, and the various centers of business. General McDowell, commanding the Military Department of the Pacific, gave General Grant a reception, and this was one of the pleasantest features of our stay. It was while at the house of General McDowell that the delicate question, whether or not General Grant should receive a delegation from the Chinese of San Francisco, was decided. The Chinese are not loved in California, and so, when it was proposed to present him with an address from the Chinese merchants, there were strong objections from some quarters, for fear that it would give offense to the people of California. When the matter was submitted to General Grant he said that the kindness he had received from the statesmen and rulers of China was so marked that he would be only too happy to

return it by any courtesy he could show to Chinamen in America. As the home of General McDowell is a government property, it was thought better that the Chinese delegation should there present their address. So, on the afternoon of the reception, the delegation came, headed by Colonel Bee. An address was read, and a scroll of worked silk presented to the General. On this scroll were the following words in Chinese : "To General Grant. We join our voices to swell the pean which has girdled the earth, wafted over seas and continents. Praises to the warrior and statesman. Most graciously presented by the Chinese of California." General Grant, in return, acknowledged the great kindness and hospitality shown to him by the people and authorities of China, and expressed the hope that China, by breaking down the seclusion in which she has been shrouded for ages, would continue to draw nearer to her the trade and sympathy of the civilized world. At the close of the speech Colonel Bee said that Mrs. Grant had done much to break down the spirit of domestic exclusiveness that reigns in China, and asked her to accept, on behalf of the delegation, a small casket of ivory. There were visits to the theaters, and a very pleasant day at Oakland. Oakland is a suburb of San Francisco, and is certainly one of the most beautiful cities I have seen in my journey around the world. Here were processions, banners and flags; but especially worthy of note was the gathering of five thousand school children, who formed in line, and as General Grant walked up and down threw roses at his feet.

There was a dinner at the house of D. O. Mills, a banquet at his beautiful home, Millbrae. There was a reception at the house of Senator Sharon, Belmont, a famous house, famous in the social annals of California. Here Senator Sharon entertained General Grant with princely and splendid hospitality. There was a visit to the house of J. C. Flood, Menlo Park, and a pleasant day at San José, the General accompanied on this occasion by Colonel J. P. Jackson, M. D. Boruck, Mayor Bryant, and others.

Life in California was a round of hospitalities so contin

uous as almost to be distressing. A pleasant episode was our trip to the Yosemite. The party who made this little journey was composed of the General and Mrs. Grant, U. S. Grant, jr., General John F. Miller and wife, their daughter, Miss Eudora Miller, Geo. W. Dent, Miss Florence Sharon, daughter of the Senator, Miss Jennie Flood, daughter of J. C. Flood, Esq., and the writer. Mr. Washburne accompanied us on behalf of the company who own the stage lines and are building the road through the Yosemite. It was a vivid and graphic experience these long drives through the sierras, the nights we spent in the lonely out-of-the-way taverns, the glimpse of the primitive but hearty kindness shown in the little towns by the wayside, whose inhabitants all came out to welcome General Grant. A few days were spent in the Yosemite, every point of interest in the valley being visited. The General climbed the rocks, rode over the peaks, and seemed to enjoy once more the freedom and the motion of out-door life. There was a visit to the Big Trees, and we spent an hour or two wandering about, clambering over fallen trunks, and endeavoring to form some idea of the real magnitude of these gigantic phenomena of nature. So much has been written about the Yosemite that I venture but one remark: that having seen most of the sights that attract travelers in India, Asia, and Europe, it stands unparalleled as a rapturous vision of beauty and splendor. The view from Inspiration Point-as suddenly turning from the wooded road that brings you down the mountain you have before you the whole of the Yosemite Valley, every feature of its daring and mighty scenery blended as it were into a picture sweeping beneath you as you look down from your giddy height-is the most beautiful that I have seen in the world.

My journey with General Grant ended with the visit to the Yosemite. His ways led to Oregon, mine to the Atlantic

coast.

So came to an end an experience that one can never hope to see again.