, 1866-10-28
FROM CALIFORNIA.
Our San Francisco Letter.

shooting QuAH-W1d snow HeFrae80|
California Trees An 1mprompsu
Race.
(Corrctponuance Of the Chicago Tribunal
BAN FRAnc1sco, september :. 1888.
Among the first objects which strike the
yc OF the Callfornia-bound traveller Us he
pproaches the Golden Gate Is the bold clear
'utline Of the great
MOUNT TAxALpIAs, Il
Fhich rises abruptly from the sea close on the
lorthern side Of the Gate, In tho county OF
4A1:n, lis southern spur comtng down to tie
Tatcr's edge, and forming Limo Point, oppo-
ite the Prcsitio de San Ftancisco, half way
rom the entrance at Points Lobas aud Bonita
o San Francisco. Looking from Russian OF
Telegraph Hill i. San Fsapcisco, it !orns u
;rand background to erauder picture than
an be seen anywhere on the Eastern coast o
America, and many a longing glance is cast
II that direction by the traveller uho has an
Eye for the Erand and beautiful In
nature. On the eastern side the
mountain ha. bold, PERCEPTIONS front, and
between Its base and the shores of the Bay
Of san Francisco Is a low range Of foot
hills which hide within their bosoms M.
merous rich little valleys and several small |
yillngcs, the most considerable Of which Is
San Rafael, the picturesque and beautiful
county scat Of Marin County. Sorshxa,d
the range tapers gradually down into foot.
hills, which terminate ncas to the head Of |
Tomales Bay.
On Saturday last Q party OF san Fran
c!scaus, R. II. Lloyd, Esq. Dr, James M1r-
ply and your eorrespoaadent' started ar fo5 % ths
shooting and ride to the summit Of some
broken necks. Lloyd aud myself were
msuntcd on our own horses "Silsertail' and
~ Jnanlta," anl the Doctur, who owns souae
Of the lest horses in San Francisco. on gay
from a livery stable In San FrAnciseo, he
being too choice Of his blooded animals
to take one Of them on such
a tip. Bitterly did the doctor
curse himself for his fastidiousness before he
returned but Of this more anon; We each
carried gun and eqnipmente. Ny gun had
done service in Illinois for many long year.
II is the came with which good looking
men, well advanced in years and Inclined to
henlthipcss, WAS once upon d flmc Kicked
way fine prominent front tooth and por.
lion Of his temper, while shooting ducks In
the Great Ntnncbago Swamp. The game
Law Of California expired On this day, md VIC
were after The quail and anythiu; else which
might conn II fur way. There arc still some
isal chapcrsl on Mount Tamalpias, and
there nre deer .nd bare 20 be found far up
toward the snmsu;t, ."', the grassy slopes
and in the deep seeludcd canons. For these
last tho Doctor went prepared, carrying
Spencer rifle and cartridges enough to fight
say nothing Of pair If saddlo bags, in which
were stored sundry bottles Of fragrant wine
Of Bourbon County, Kentucky, sottlc!isnes
known by the vulgar aFpc1lstion Of "whi:-
key" Weapon more do9dly, by far, than
*rhfM THx n II
At p. III. for Point Snn Quentin and Point
label, and NC reached her deck aftera short
callop duwn to the city front in safety, to be
greeted, on our arriynl, with loud shouts OF
| laughter from party Of our friends. who
were not SLOW to recognize in the Doctor. and
his white head one Of the most prominent
features Of the Vision Of John In the Apoca-
lFpsc. The boat soon shot rapidly away
| from the wharf, and NE steamed up past AL
eat1az and Angel ls'anas, passing nsar ear
enough to sec the sentncs waik1nE
before the tiers Of monster guns which
bristle IN all directions on the rock
fortress guarding the entrance to tho Bay
| of San Francisco. Over to tho shore Of Con-
ira Costa VIC hcad, make landing and
shores OF Marin. Long lines Of white and
grey pelicans start up as We cross the bay
| and i,ass directly oycr head. tapping their
wings laxily, and uttcEing, hoaFse, dlscor'
dant cries. They care nothing for our pres.
| cncc. for they have long sincc learned that
no MOI %shoctine b allowed from the decks o.
The steamer. shAngs, gulls and cormorant.
SWAIN around this Red Rock, lonely island,
rising with STEEP precipitous sides from the
surfaec Of the bay. Is We pass under Int.
appears 10 be coal, but which Is, we are In
formed, the substance known as manga
nete. The island hAs superficial area o
not more than two acres. but We arc ,tole
that within its bosom there is enough o
this mineral to supply the market fos man.
easily as ordinary stone can be taken fron
| uuasry. or course the proprictors Of tht
novel mine have q monopoly Of the trade,
We land Just before sunset, ut Point sal
Prison, which is in sight. and ride up tn
wharf towards the graded turnpike whtci
leads towards San Rafael, five ml!es distant
Here the Doctors troubles commence. Will
enllppipg OF the wharf, l hear shout
and turning, see ne o9eto5 3e eorGg ake :,
white mustang having only suattie BIT J.
bis mouth, backing at every jump, and ca
} ti1ely beyond his control. The heavy rth
was q serious drawback to the Doctor !; 8
ditto, ditto his hrayy saddle.bags. Just the
saw something flying up like a rocket tnt
. the ais, then heard u crash US It came dow
Z | IN the rocks, and the saddle-bags we're tu
Of broken glass, loose ,,,'.h whiskey an II,
! damaged ammunition, Nhh me =
Of bait I'a dozen ialefs ris,tsd afoano ,aa u
and started OF at Z tearing gallop up Il
turnpike, repeating the performanceat at cTe1
ten rods-less the smashing Of the bottles
nll the way to San Ratael. When we \
rived at our hotel, the Doctor and bis stet
Lloyd uud myself were almost utterly G
N laustcd with laughter. The Doctors b
II Was In the condition Of q wilted cabbage le
J. which had been stamped on by 40 elephan
r, his pants had crawled up over his Knees,
10 Of douhlc.baHcled comet, aud bis stee
J, covered with foam md dirt, Was cutti
,e more antics than were ever taught in q c
E. Gus, That nnimal was voted at Tor tho bo
In yaEd Immediately snd before We Istifsd Fcd j,
g gallant knight of the pill-bo1es and ampu
!; Ing Knife to ascend the mountain with
r. GOING TT TIE MOUNTAIN.
# 4 glorious nights sleep at q good c!e
8 hotcl-a wonder IN C1!ifoEnta-and i heai
=, kfast at an early hour prepared us io'
IL IL nc were galIopirg across the open coun'
u. toward the foothills into which we soon
tered and were quickly among the birds.
@e rode along ut fn]l speed among the ran
- Gail Of the California quail, and now and u
kte bis long ears an Instant n the bullet VII
~ m the Doctor sent after him whist1ed past, .
at disappearing In all haste In the chaparTal
n: Nexican guide insisted on the top Of
,ed mountain being the best place for sport, 1
ii. IF ~ hunters were already popping away
an ali sides at the game, We did
r. step to beat Up tbs fields. Eight Or
, ii The main peak. e,Goo feet in height, VII
Itch rose abruptly before NJ ard seemed an
dn- rns.ablc barrier to further progress. he
es nos got among the lrst large corey Of auaii I
alrcady making the air too warm 70. com
and the work Of crawling through aim
s.. impcnet11blc thfckets Of wild rose bust
!, IN climbing blackberry vines, and other 6pe
len h. Of briara. after the dead birds, was not m
i n Ike play, assure you. noticed that
ola- tance up the foot Of the mountain, y
one filed with the "snow DROP" q shrub c
or mon In the gardens Of the West, where
cultivated With care. The bushes '
loaded down with the snowy balls, at
the Size Of common ride bullets. and +
tsns IN: presented very beautiful appearance.
to was the first time had ever seen the st
Sir- In a wild state.
". A. we wound, by devious roads. thro
Intie deep, ehady dedles aud canons, up the m
It Of tain. timber Of larger size than the live
! and =, which dot the low hills below is seen.
IA m We pass grove Of huge redwoods, situ
me- ne in some locality 90 nearly inaccessible
has the lunbermAn has Qot yer ocsu ao4
con destroy them; then = clump Of the mag
and cent mad7ona, the most beautiful tse
Garth. l have slept beneath the feather
liagc Of the palm Tree groves on the desc
the Colombo, and roamed amid the on
base and the marnolia rroycs Of the South,
Sa- aarar ~. + SEN 4raa ,xhfrh viii rnrn
Club u;ts ~ s .a - ~ ros ~ parr,. ~
= ne ffornIA for beauty. Tall and slender,
lcng leaves Of the most brilliant aud q
,aich green, and smooth limbs covered With
'nion | liant 1crmi1lion-colpred bark, 1t is the
this orarrful and pleasing. to the poetic eve