Travel Essays · Chapter
II: First Impressions of Silverado explained
The narrator describes the journey from Calistoga to Silverado with Kelmar, Mrs.
What happens
The narrator describes the journey from Calistoga to Silverado with Kelmar, Mrs. Kelmar, Abramina, and her daughter. They travel by carriage through the Napa Valley, ascending Mount Saint Helena, facing strong winds and dust. After stopping at the Toll House Hotel, they proceed on foot to the abandoned Silverado mining town, finding only Rufe Hanson's house and the remnants of the mining operation. They eventually discover a deserted house at the tunnel, which they decide to inspect.
Themes in this chapter
Nature and the Sublime
The ascent up Mount Saint Helena is depicted with vivid descriptions of the wind, pines, and mountain air, evoking a sense of awe and exhilaration.
Freedom vs. Confinement
The journey from the lowlands to the heights symbolizes a liberation from indifference, while the abandoned mining town suggests a past confinement to labor and industry.
Human Connection and Community
The camaraderie among the travelers, the interactions at the Toll House, and the encounter with Mrs. Hanson highlight the social bonds formed during the journey.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Kelmar
Drives the carriage with a steady, clergyman-like demeanor; later leads the group on a meandering walk through the woods, showing a childlike enthusiasm.
- Mrs. Hanson
At home alone in Silverado; flustered and pale when Kelmar proposes they stay with the Hansons.
- Rufe Hanson
Mentioned as having been out after a bear; not present during the visit.
- Mr. Corwin
Landlord of the Toll House Hotel; resists Kelmar's attempts to give him a ship's kettle.
- Mr. Jennings
Engineer living at the Toll House for his health; briefly introduced.
- Fanny
The narrator's wife; accompanies him to inspect the deserted house at the tunnel.
Key passages
“I to the hills lift mine eyes! There are days in a life when thus to climb out of the lowlands, seems like scaling heaven.”
The narrator feels that ascending the mountain is a transcendent experience, akin to reaching a heavenly state.
Expresses the spiritual uplift of the journey.
“The whole canyon was so entirely blocked, as if by some rude guerilla fortification, that we could only mount by lengths of wooden ladder, fixed in the hillside.”
The canyon was so obstructed by debris that the only way up was via wooden ladders embedded in the slope.
Describes the rugged and makeshift nature of the mining site.