Mark has booked passage on an excursion to the Holy land on board the steamer Quaker City. Included here is a clipping from Daily Alta California dated June 6, 1867. The paper was published August 18, 1867. The clipping concerns Mark's activities the day before boarding. The pdf that the clipping originally came from was made available by California Digital Newspaper Collection

His first mention of the trip, as published in the Daily Alta California is dated April 9, 1867

There is a gathering a passengers on the day before embarking. This is noted in the Daily Alta California August 18, 1867