This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ...
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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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Hundred year old journal by Muir wandering towards Gulf collecting plants. Window into south and past. Plant explorers pioneered america. Human encounters almost more interesting. His view of african-americans and his language quite revealing of period. Not grandiloquent prose, but more of a log. Spare.
geostrong
Jun 4, 2009
Take a trip with John Muir
This edited publication of a portion of the journal John Muir kept on his first major expedition is a rewarding read. For anyone interested in US history, it gives a nice picture of what it might feel like to walk through the post-civil war South. Of course naturalists will be interested in Muir's keen observations of the flora of an area new to him. We all could benefit from the enthusiasm Muir has for the world around him, just as it is. We can learn from him how to slow down and really see and feel our surroundings when we are away from what men have done to "improve" their environment. Muir seems to see the natural world as the basic creation of God and the evidence of God's love for His creation. It's refreshing to read someone who shares a profound religious feeling without any dogma or promoting any specific sect. The book is a good, quick read and it left me wanting more.
kmac
Feb 29, 2008
A horticulturist's dream tour
John Muir puts you in his haversack and takes you from Indianapolis to Havanna Cuba. Along the way he paints pictures with words of monumental virgin forests and native flora of unbelievable beauty. The only way the book could be improved would be to add color plates of those scenes, but, alas, many of those sights are now gone forever, doomed by a developing country and its growing population. Muir tempts and tickles the reader to take off on a journey such as his, to discard the automobile and the comforts or a tent or camper, to walk across a part of our country and live in, absorb the environment. Only on foot can you experience the beauty of the plants and countryside. Even the people you meet, when unencumbered, act differently towards you. Mr. Muir sets out to challenge himself with this walk and by doing it, he challenges each of us to take a similar journey to get to know ourselves as well as nature.
