A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf

<p><em>‘Many a beautiful plant cultivated to deformity and arranged in strict geometrical beds the whole pretty affair a laborious failure side by side with divine beauty.’</em></p><p><em><strong>A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf</strong></em> is the second book in <strong>John Muir</strong>’s Wilderness-Discovery series. It is within this work that we are really given strong clues toward Muir’s future trailblazing movement for environmental conservation in such comments as <em>‘The universe would be incomplete without man; but it would also be incomplete without the smallest transmicroscopic creature that dwells beyond our conceitful eyes and knowledge.’</em></p><p>Muir’s walk from Indiana to Florida was conceived in order to explore and study further the flora and fauna across states. He undertakes this alone a dangerous choice perhaps so soon after the civil war as many characters along the way forewarn. Indeed Muir is threatened by a robber and we see a new side to the quiet lowly gentleman we know as he springs into self-defence mode with lightning initiative and remarkable courage.</p><p>This is not the only facet of Muir’s personality that is uncovered throughout this journey. He makes reference to feeling <em>‘dreadfully lonesome and poor’</em> which is intriguing as his circumstances are self-sought: <em>‘Stayed with lots of different people but preferred sleeping outside alone where possible’</em>. He spends a substantial period of time struck down with malaria which does not come as a surprise; he was covering many miles on an unsustainably meagre diet with thirst often quenched with swamp water or not at all.</p><p>Join Muir in Kentucky forests Cumberland mountains Florida swamps and all the elegantly described trees plants creatures and rocks in-between. <em><strong>A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf</strong></em> teaches us as much about Muir himself as it does the ecosystems in the wilderness across those 1000 miles.</p>