some good shops, medical men, society, schools, gas, water, electricity, and a station on the main Great Southern Pacific Railway.  It is undoubtedly a town which must rapidly increase in value, for this reason:  My clients, Messrs. Crocker and Huffman, at a cost of some two million dollars, have tapped the Great Merced River 25 miles off, and brought water down to the town and irrigated the country round.  They have formed a reservoir 640 acres in extent.  Hitherto the rich lands around the town of Merced have not been irrigated, and consequently were not suitable for growing the Fruits for which California is so famous; but, now that a system of canals, formed by my clients, has irrigated their estate, extending over some 50,000 or 60,000 acres, the whole of this great area is changed in value, and is available, and will eventually 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,