New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-08
CAMPING IN CALIFORNIA.
THE END or THE FlRsT cAMP.
IrRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE Tribune
txx~

as one time to find the trail across our camp be-
coming busy thoroughfare. Strangers wandered
over plaza looked into our tents. and examined
our dinner-table. We could not go into the woods
without meeting young man who bad gun on
one arm and girl on the other. This novel pattern
Of deer. slayer became the joke of our party. 1t
would have been daily amusement; but the Incl
dent had its serious side and the annoyance became
still more grave when the intruders set up targets
n little way below u.s. and spent most of the day III
rifle practice. with the result Of course OF dispers-
ing the game for miles around We rode down the
canon to examine the source of disturbance, and
presently came upon o camp of twsnty-one persons
from one of the coast villages most Of tDcn grown
lads and young girls. There was small ranch
house belonging to q Mr.. G. of San Buensventura,
who had set up some bee-hives. cleared and fenced
front yard. planted fow patches. and begun to
put the place In order for occasional occupation.
The excursion gang took possession Of the yard
with their teams and wagons tethered the animals
ON the. croquet ground. pitched their tents unGer
tho caves and with their fires and rubbish soon re-
duced the lutte clearing to . most deplorablo con-
dition. There was taking care Of the place,
but he was powerless against such an irrupiion OF
yeang barbarians al play, and they, when we
talked with them ut camp. used to speak OF MIN
az " the gentleman we are stopping with" At last
Mr.. c., with his wife and children, eamo to pass
day or 90 at the ranch. Imagine his delight at the
spectacle He limited hope that in the course Of
day or two they would find another camping place;
ut which they took offence and said they would
pack mp at once. One of them rode up tn us to ask
IL we had seen d gentleman and lady any where In
the woods; evidently the young man with the gun
and tho girl had to be hunted up before they could
start. Six Of the men had gone far back into the
r. n - 1~~~
These they deserted and now there are members
of the Ventura Rod ana Gun Club. lying in wait to
prosecute the six whom they return for shooting
venson out of 1t appears TO be the habit of
cel tain young men of tho coast to go into the
mountains every spring and Kill as much as poss
ible merely for the pleasure Of killing; they are
said to have brought home many a hundred
deer skins as trophies of the butche-y. leaving the
carcasses In the woods. This dIsgracefu sport" is
always carried in the close season. because then
there 10 less competition than when killing IL law
ful. 1t il not Surprising to hear that the game in
this part of the country is getting scarce.
There is tacit understanding that no notice
shall DO taken OF the occasional shooting of deer,
for food and this nds me that when closed
my last letter some of our party had been sitting
up all night the summit of difficult ridge in
the hope Of getting venison in the morning. re-
gYet To say that the al verturers have strong ais
inclination to talk abont that nocturnal excursion.
They had tremendous climb. the last stage Of the
ascent being over fragments Of lonss shac. with
hardly bush to hold on by. They found the top
enveloped in mosquitoes; anu when they had
sufficiently admired the effects of moonlight upon
tho canon below, and the great white shining lake
of fog which lay over the Ojsi and Ventura valleys
in the distance there nothing for them to do
but to sit among the gressevood Aud Eight the
hungry in,ects until dawn. Then after wounding a
deer and losing IL. they found q worse way home
han they had taken in going out. and by crawling
through brush on all fours and tunubling down hill
they reached camp hungry. dirty and ragged
When SoperD returned aud asked them why they
had started night they could not tell him. but
they promised not TO do it again.
Il was for tho use of this expedition that the
Doctor prepared his celebrated mess OF brose.
You will perceive he remarked, handling the
spoon AS If IL had been q spatula, and manipulating
the paste with the apparent impression that he was
making pills. that .hese ingredients are-oh. very,
very nourlshing indeed. and exceedingly compact.
The nutritious qualities of oatmeal are well
known The properties of alcohol" here he added
a modicum OF whiskey and lost himself in thought
valuable saceharins element" be continued
Is furnished by the honey figuring tho rich, yell
low stream from glass jar" and on o bolus or
two OF tins admirable compound. unspoiled by any
contact with 6rc-Pease taste it," said no to the
admirius bystanders. Cadmus tasted. aud said it
was very nourishing only he thought it needed q
little more whiskey. The doctor obligingly added
the whiskey an9 went on" bolus or two of this
invalna bic condensed nutrment supports the hardy
deers.alker of the Scottish Highlands during the
longest days tramp-Please tasts it again." Cad
a. h. a.. anfk
and wbiskey made a wonderful combination. but
he thought il needed little more whiskcy. The
Doctor added whiskoy and continued his discourse
mixing the paste all the while with true profess
sional thoronshness. But Ferguson and LLAMA
thought 1t was not necessary for Csdmus to taste
it again: the whiskey might be wanted for snake
bites The brose was placed in the Doctors wallet.
and the mountaineers marched OF with Q light
heart They came home next day in the agonies of
Indigestion. Well Uoctor. how did the broso gof'
His good-natured face was instantly contortcd
With temptuous feeling "0f all the detcstabls
compoundsln he EXCHANGED Those Highlanders
have tho stomachs Of ostriehes." And now, WHOM
ever you say brose, the Doctor turns blue.
We have grown fond Of our little settlement. We
have found the minute nests OF the humming birds
which haunt our Plaza; are forming an init
macy with two three gophers, which have an
extensive subterranean establishment under our
diuing room. and open fresh entrance to 1t every
night where they haul in strings of burr-clover
Willis we are at breakfast, and then till the hole
from the inside; We have even struck M a sort OF
acquaintance with the lizards and horned frogs
which run over our beds aud bags; there are two
lizards at this moment sitting side by side OH my
saddle Just In front Of me- trying to stare me out OF
countenauce; We know the favoritc pools OF the
front: wo have charming island Of gravel in
shady stretch of the river where we spread our rugs
on the hot afternoons aud battle in water Of de-
Icious temperature and crystal purity; our rustic
tables and chairs and wash stands have acquired
in our eyes something like the saeredness OF old
family furniture. But forage Is growing scarce,
and we must move ou For several days past We