Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1852-09-24
The Lions of the California region.

fornia and its vicinity, but this is the first rec
table encounter with the "lions" of that reglor
Mr.. BARsTow informs us that he has seen on
of the ''smellers' of the identical lion killed b
his friend, which was sent from San Francisc
to Boston, and thence to the Rev. DIR. BARS
TOW, of Keene, N. H., and that it answers full
the description in the extracts from the lette
we give below. He says it is full lG inche
long, perfectly whitc and as large as pipe
stem at the base, tapering Of course to u per
feet point. These sea-hons, described below
must be pleasant chaps to encounter Will
bathing i'll the pacific waters of the Pacific
Mr.. BARsTow's communication is as follow
An exciting Adventure.
D. w. c. CLARKE, Esq
Dear SH-By publishing the following exrac
of letter from "A friend of mine in California witt
such editorial remarks your wisdom shall dictate
you will at least crafty the feelings of one stead
reader of your valuable paper. The letter is dated
"SAN FRANCISCO, June II, 1852
must visit the mines before leave, or shall fee
| that have not seen all the lions OF California; b,
| the way speaking OF Lions, | am fresh from per
sunal encounter with a lion, IN which received
wunnd in my right shoulder, making it painful oi
me to write. 1t was not one OF your little cat. like
lions, such as you have seen from Africa but reg
ulaI built California hon. 10 feet long, to 3 , ieG
across the breast, and weighing over 1000 lbs. no.
bic looking animal, with smellers l6 inches long
! Perhaps you VIII begin 10 think | am telling you a
travellers story but 1t is all saber truth. ! must
| give Won some account Oi the mortal contest
| which Will pass tor my greatest achievement, and |
am now content 10 become an old man. il permitted
! to i've aud tell the story to my children. vessel
| arrived here some days since, which reported having
! effected landing on an uninhaOlted Island in the
! Pacific about thirty niles from the coast. Among
other wonderful things which they told OF the place
they said there were sea lions there OF immense size
| that they had encountered them and had not been
able t. XIII one OF them, although they had fired
era la lsintO the head OF one, was seized with a
desire 10 see the wonders OF the place, especially the
lions and il possible TO secure one OF them soon
made up party OF II resoutc mon, chartered a YES
sci aud sailed tor the Island. After fair passage
We reached the spot, and sure enough the halt had
not been tcld us. We found the Island 10 be about
mile III length. OF irregular iOrln averaging about
3-S of mile in width. Time would tail one to des-
crbe lis numerous caves arches, and natural bridges
OF the latter, counted SIX, some OF them over deep
ravlneS, through winch the ocean waves run and
break with great fury. Nor can now stop to drs-
critic us over hanging clltis under which the waves
the broad Pacific have dashed Tor ages IN lis spoI-
IN hours, aud It's rocky steeplt and towers pierced
ufou-h ana III ouSn I't'E 1!e appearance Oh VIII
u""S l'o'il o"e ", ''co' c'i'' nav 'ooheu uo"i'
uP'" iiio' ''".' To cu .'''''' 0''e9Sos "u ''1'i
Soun4' 5NlhH III Ue I"y' o '''e sun on lhe rocks
bellows the CCean spray brcaHlng over them every
It" MINUTES we also '"u,'" dcres ana acres oi
sea odS' :" numerous 1'u u's'y p"Cheu toEe thtr
'"u ~ "h'' '''i o'lo c'"u nv; wdIA '"s' VII"
ue'dlis on tleiI VI 't't e%SS NeieHldllieu theIe
three days and three nights exploring the place.
The Island IS almost "A barren rock, much broken,
anu H'S upo' IT u 'd' - f'"''l! vi umuho' we
sep III caves, hoohsoii C'usoe axe ana were sere-
h'ueu e1c" E'' DIS "t'' az ga! w nc uas'iNS OF 'He
waves the roaring ' r IoHS' th' screaming ui the
"I"N'S" ''' one '"'"' l''''eH Uiv o''t, pTcPoIde-
'''''-' "' at u''c' ''''cS ""Iu oe uicut 10 te'i
"u',.' .''r VI. i''' . -, I''II 'Ii''"-
- 'i' ,I; w. ii,i ' ,1'G' ' "'iOaeu VIC lIo"'
'.'E wy " mus d''I "'S' eAd''ll''eu
,n' sMu', y, T'o "no ny D0'i N',I'u III coIhoa' OF
au uiel ol o'u MI a'.1 l.o' II e"0ed'oieu 10 ascer
''iii III '"''' "''-' ~ 'u.'le!ao p'u"o' -,
io" y, OU' P''S ~ P-'H%V" ,"y gu Ho"s' out
~ '.iInoih ,,o o,',' 'I''.i r nom eau 90
- 8, ,'.' N.Y. ius
I'FH'!' 4Ho ''ol'u N"!' 20 VI NSPVPd'tu loi o"t
He, p'I sditeu ai.'ieu VIII ol,e sIl"e ana one
uo"!' ia @ tuli' wv "n"', In'ceS ana 'lit
Irs' "'n Mr"'y c!uos pieP"leu ior lhe purpose
""S ~ ~ Wv ""T VI" II an me'e ~ o'u'uhce
az" 'i"Ish up "ie "o'N' II e Si"'s shou!d MAKE nm
f'SS'''i oI''"E " '','N' Il s"'F uo 80 TOOK Tue
s."Hie G'ile' pi''' "a''" was t"HI3eu win SIu3'
wi 'H | Nle WV - w. ' ~ Hi5''' Hle Ioieoses
%su lNl Huu's P'o'S u "'u 'le "deT' leaving tht
ou ho"S sum- IPp' - % u'eHi' "'oi 'he snoir, :
vi l"uN Tt"''' a.! "|N''A "' u> "lG roaring most
pidNcy' Nt SUI" u'SCo'cIeu 'iIdt p'twcell US aud
''e ioiIs H'e'e was zee td''ue, empty, out INTO
"tcl 'ie "Te'H'iS f""tu "t '!lSil 'ldc' on tXpIor
nv ihe LIonhu' louln uIr "A'Y way could ap-
pr" Gu l.e n'"''>l 'V' unoo'erVeu' was to 60 TO
some distance 10 ln' Ie',' ehter the ravlne, come
BACK to Inc p"Iu' hGafes' me non, then ascend the
,' ,o ,nr, otsaJ IN hs, 'Ia, y .'p parry 10 . 10
loa advanced towards me was by no means sure
ina; ih's would not be 'he ease and only answered
~ ay T"u" ' SC" G" 'ooh ll'e fouIe l9't nam
vine found myself iacr 10 t,rr with tn. Inn Jis.
tancr about % feet. His eye caught me the momrn.
my hat was upoNe lne panNs, When' W''h blast Of
vance ms WINS an r,rtinu n,o,ner, ,r w. ~, Iii
/ him must hit him within space not larger than
the palm OF my hand and that ON the side Of his
Jj,y,n ''u a, u, t'T slu7 woain ganct
to stun him, or make hm retreat, or if no / couId
escape 10y climbing the rocks alter he should be
drrnI ,Tto ., ,,J' JIat ana not SIP
H. hroI Su' wa'Ieu al, is,d' Int lor nm to Iun
his srconI ump c rnsd his head and II, 6red edu''
lie Jumped and lrll between the rocks. approach
ed and tound nm on ha Lark, and blood flowing
@ @nrgy m"l' M no'trl!a H'thnnl an other blow
sirr hr"yy os thrc "I,ue61, con' u. urn msr mop
-, ,.,.,. =, II, On "A 80 80 NN''''' "'S"