Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-22
TULdRE LAKE.


ing population much in excess OF the figures
generally conceded by historians.
TULARE LAKE.
A Romantic, Weird and Dreamy
Retreat.Mysteri0 Relics Of Birds
of a Prehistoric Race.
This lake is In Tulare county, in the southern
part of California. 1t is reached from this city
by ride OF nearly three hundred miles on the
Southern Pacific railroad, stepping down at
Tulare City. Tulare lake Is one OF the most
| singular sheets OF water in the state 1t is
little inland sea, being forty miles In length and
almost thirty In breadth. Its shores are low,
to the water margin as general thing, by so
gradual decline that the water seems to be
higher than the land. The dry sand of the PLAZA
| becomes moist, in another mile it is decidedly
wet and in another it is only anke-deep
Yet there are some bluff banks Of five or six
feet. If you would take sail and have not q
| very light boat, you must select a deep-water
landing. As a general thing you have your
boat In wagon, and put 1t into the water
wherever you please. Drive your wagon well
| In; out with your boat roll up the sleeves OF
your pants and wade in, pushing the boat be-
fore YOU In awhile she swims, and you may
| get in. Just take alook around. North and
| south boundleSS sea and sky; east and west in
| the distance, forty miles or so; the Sierra Ne
vada mountains. and the Coast Range. Around
you. the lake, witht mark and without a
| bound. Screaming waterfowl overhead. on the
| water, near aud far Off. The duck, goose, pali-
can, swan, gull the whole range of water fowl
are there; In the distance the mirage makes
them look like stately ships with flying sails. 1t
is magic lake. The water warm, so warm that
in Or out you are equally comfortable. The air
a little sultry. The breeze, generally light, or
not breath; though rarely, Old Boreas blows
! every thing to ruin.
the atmosphere is hay. Clear close around
you, but on every side the outlines are lost in
mist, andin that mist all things are exlgs ecate
| swan Is ship, q bunch OF tue is an isiaal
an island seems vast continent. Tulare lake
Is q world OF itself when YOU are three miles
| from shore.
MISTY ENCEANTMENT AND ENNuI
| The lazy sails must have help, or we shall die
right here. But in this warm water, this close
Still air. this misty enchantment. we are as law
| as the sails. And so we just paddle along. BIT
all places arc alike. Our boat the center, the
mist, the circumference, the birds, tn lie. rne
| picture Is all one Fishes are there too. Great
| big fishes. And the whole bottom is paved wi h
| CLANS. ION can eat them if you are very hun
CRY; but you never VIII again-never, never.
| a handful Of sand, from the bottom, from The
| Shore, from an island beach, apply your micro
| scope, and three-fourthS of the grains are clam
| shells, broken, powdered clam-ShelS. How long
has this work been proceeding? On we go!
| An Island! Yes, thee is no mistake, here is an
l ISL ha, cluster; group Like Columbus,
| never before did the foot of white man m irE
| these Shores We will land; we do 50, on the
| largest. 1t might be two miles in length,
| quarter wide. It's highest hills eight feet above
| the lake. Bushes, coarse grass, thick bruSh and
| few Stunted trees are all we find. There is not
| land animal, not a squirrel mouse Chip
| munk-nothing from the main shore. Two IN
| dian huts of basket-worll, very neat. ten feet
| square eight feet high, walls erect, and door
| way. But no one at home.
| CIRCLE OF HUMAN SKULLS
we look around. What is this? A circle near
the center OF the island. 1t IS just raised enough
to be visible, eight feet in diameter AMI little
center piece. The sand has almost covered it
sand in that form The center one was smaller I
finer, and, to our poor judgment, that OF white
| girl or woman, young and well formed Several
of the teeth were wanting While not one was
missing In the other skulls. The remaining
| teeth were white and pearly, unlike all the
| mosquitoes did SO urge our sudden departure
| that it was forgotten.
What history is here? These fourteen skulls!
| This one In the center, SO unlike How came
| they here? The hutS were unique. Indians do
| not build like them. And no indians had been
| known to visit these islands. No canoes had
| ever been found about The lakes Perhaps this
! will ever remain mystery.
| We visited another island more to the west. 1t
| was smaller, but had an air OF great antiquity.
| 1t was just matted thick with grass, PUSHES
brush, and few very ancient looking twisted
and gnarled trees OF the cottonwood species
The highest hillock was not more than eight
not more than twenty feet above that. But so
| cramped and crooked, dwarfed and deformed
We're they, that they seemed the pigaies OF the
under these old trees and in patches all over the
| island.
MILLIONS OF BIRDS
One-lal or The space had been kept clear BIZ
millions OF birds. From the swan ana the d Eli
| can down to the duck and the snDe. their ne SIS
lust Uttered the ground. 1t was not the season
| for eggs, or very young birds But broken
| shells and dead young ones OF every species law
in thousands. Some Of the larger nests had
been rebuilt, as it were every year, a little more
and four feet high No battlefield was ever so
rich in dead carcasses, or SO lively with the
Wild screams OF the living, resenting our intrr-
sion. We walked about on dead birds and nests
startling at every turn great feathered giants
that scarcely deigned to get out OF our way,
and growled as they went reluctantly off.
place was sacred. One human skull re-
warded our search. 1t was lying on the
top OF the ground, no other bones about 1t OF
that species. Large. thick, masculine, 1t was
well formed and must have been that of a DOW.
erful man. We left this noisy islet for one
more new, more quiet, mere sandbank. Here
passed the first, or at least part OF it, where We
found the first skulls Here we slept in peace
on low sandspit. The mosquitoes did not find
return to the main shore. Ali day we were In
that delicious Observation-Disclosures sky, the white
birds and the closing mist. Here and there
like majestic forest. Then, In the great dis
lance small islet, whose bold shore OF three feet
l0omed up like some mighty proinotory. At last
the shallow water and the lowing of cattle ap-
prlsed US that we were near shore, but no
wagon, house, tree, no familiar object suggested
Where we were. Only nearing the eastern Shore,
that was all.
The boat is in the mud and no sign of dry
land. We get out, and still keep east. The boat
Is last, water only two inches, mud very thin
though, and pretty near as good for navigation
as the water. Oh, there Is the wagon! Just
come In sight. The sun is down, but before dark
We have fine camp fire. a good supper and
after telling world Of wonders, rest once more
on dry land. 1t Is like voyage to fairyland to
DO Tulale lake In the high summer.-[S:tn Fran
cisco LtiietiH.
Fise EnOffenSiye .sDerby.,'
1T SWCOPS ON TO THE W0MEE'S HEADS, TO THE
CHAGIIN AND LOSS OF THE MILIINERS.
The mtllinerS are In a dilemma and the cause OF
iii the jaunty headgea called the Derby One
feature OF these hats Is an absence OF expensive