Dana was astonished by the change in his own lifetime (which spanned the gold-rush period). Some editions of the book include "Twenty-Four Years After." This is

Dana was astonished by the change in his own lifetime (which spanned the gold-rush period). Some editions of the book include "Twenty-Four Years After." This is an epilogue written after Dana revisited many of the sites featured in the book. He finds flourishing cities where there were once lone missions and empty beaches.