Search: Sims (née Wallace), Frances ("Fanny") in correspondent 
1850-1859::1852 in date 
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Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
Date:
25 May 1852
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/102
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/5
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
  • California Historical Society
Summary:

In answer to questions, there are a few animals here not found in England: Grizley [sic] bear, Elk, polecat, wildcat, racoons, coyotes, and the “Cougar or Lion of California.” They mostly prowl about at night; not dangerous if left alone. With their arrows, local Indians kill birds, squirrels, and deer, which they chase to exhaustion on foot. After wounding one, they drive it toward their camp, so as to finish off the animal as near home as possible, eliminating need to carry it there. Great variety of wild fowl; insects in abundance, also scorpions and tarantulas. Also lizards, rattlesnakes (only dangerous one), and bizarre lizard, the “horned toad”, which can harmlessly spray blood out of its eyes. Could help ARW succeed here as either an insect hunter or gold miner/surveyor. “Times [have] changed surprisingly and rapidly; necessities and luxuries all now obtained at moderate charge.” Water works now returns 500 dollars a day to the Company; will soon be finished; has revealed new gold deposits; “no place in the world for a hard working man equal to California.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project