The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-06-24
California TuIe Lands.

in the way of reclaiming the tules has
beea upon Sherman Island, and this Is
believed to have successfully solved the
problem. The island lies between the
Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, the
lower portion being at the junction Of the
Sacramento River and Suisun Bay, and
the upper end about two miles below Rio
Vista, on the opposite side Of the river.
1t is about twelve miles long and three
miles wide, and contains Ia, 900 acres of
land. 1t is is shaped like bird, the
head opposite Rio Vista, the back on the
Sacramento River, and the breast on the
San Joaquin. Around this large tract
nearly fifty miles Of levee have been built,
and the entire island is now believed to
be completely safe from food. A few
years ago it was entirely covered with
rank growth of tule /; now it is being rap
IDLY cleared and reduced to cultivation,
the water weeds are swiftly passing away
under the manipulations Of the farmer,
and healthy vegetation of valueis rapidly
taking their place.
''Lost in the Tules" This has been
the caption of many an interesting SEN
sation article, frequently the production
OF an imaginative genius, but too often
relating the sad experience of the suffer
er. We have read about these tales OF
horror with much interest. but have new
er fully appreciated what must have been
the unhappy state Of mind of the lost
one until We have been in the dreaded
thicket. To be shut out from all man
kind, from sight Of all landmarks which
lend compass to steer BY" the rank
thicket far above your head, with no space
around you save that which your own
physical strength Can make, shut up in
this cell of your own construction, and
seeing nothing of the outer world but the
blue sky above you, marking your course
by the planets--there in that jungle, soli-
tary and alone night and day, your cries
for help unheard, your strength failing
from exposure and want OF nourlshment,
and with no sound but the sad funeral
signing Of the wind through the rank
rushes-the effect can can to some extent
be imagined, but by no pen can it be full
ly described The utter hopleness of the
wanderer is beyond description. Strong
and courageous men, who would not
quail before the cannon mouth, sink un-
der the detection incident to the situation,
and weep like children. Starting from
Biglow's ranch. on the Sacramento, in
company with DR.. Perry, we crossed the
Island, the greater part Of the distance
being throug the tules, following foot
path so narrow that the reeds had to be
pushed aside at every step to open an ave-
nue.. The growth is from ten to fifteen
feet high. The tules are about the size
of an ordinary walking stick at the bot
tom, tapering up to needle point at the
top, without leaves o. foliage of any kind.
These grow so thickly together that away
from the path it is exceedingly difficult to
make progress, and even on the beaten
track, with the high wind blowing this
mass OF stiff rods accross the path, the
travel is slow and tiresome. Every step
of the way they must be lifted aside.
They whirl in the travellers face, smit
ting him with their hard surface. They
throw themselves across his breast as if
to maliciously impede his travel. They
twine under his legs like serpents. and in
the wind hiss in his ear their defiance.
Under the travellers feet water snakes
startled by the crushing reeds Dart back
and forth. The damp soil springs be-
meath his feat. above hun is the sky, and
pressing him on every side is the bayonet-
like charge Of his antagonist. The
vegetation of the tule lands is novel to
the strnger not thoroughly versed in bot
any. Among the tules is a species of
vegetation called cane, high grass with
| tough leaves and stalk resembling the
bamboo in its construction, although not
larger than a lead pencil. 1t is tough
and wiry, land has to be twisted again and
again before itcan be broken. Cat tail''
flags. such as are used by coopers, are
found in profusion at various places on
the island, bordering on the sloughs. A
tough, wiry grass, said to be succulent
when young ndrelished by cattle. grows
knee-deep when the tules have disap
peared. In the wet land, shut out from
the sun by tule growth, are pale green
weeds of various descriptions. Some as
delicately formed as the skeletonized
leaves in alady's floral album-others
broad, thick and diuicy. Milkweed, which,
when broken, exudes bitter cream, is
also found, and stalk. closely resembling
the mullin. the leaves covered with a
snow-white frosting, grow upon the levees
and on the banks of the smaller streams.
| Besides these, there are numerous
growths difficult Of description, and which
would perhaps afford fine study for the
botanist. San Francisco Herald.