Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-13

has been successfully raised. But have
no wish to arouse anybody's desires or ex-
pectations-for not one foot of land can be
bought at any price where orciilld grows.
Magdalena Bay is one of the safest and
most spacious harbors on the globe, being
fifteen miles long by twelve wide, its
northwestern limits connecting with a
series of lagoons that extend more than
sixty miles, and its southern end connected
by navigable channel with another bay
the Almejas-which, in its turn, is
twelve miles long by eight miles wide.
The salt lagoons are all connected with
one another, separated from the ocean by
a narrow strip of sand, and are used by all
small-draught vessels in preference to the
open sea. There are number of en-
frances to this chain of lakes, and their
shores are covered with thick growth of
stunted mangrove trees. There are barren
islands scattered along, on some of which
are springs slightly sulphurous. The big
gest snails | ever saw abound hereabouts,
their dead shells covering the ground like
a thick layer of snow On all the wave
washed rocks are beautiful abalones the
edible mollusk); focks of gray gulls cover
viz SAiSAh bOdShCo, lawns luclI
nests in the mangrove bushes, white pelI-
cans and cormorants fill the air, enormous
turtles bask in the sun, and cow-fish and
porpoises tumble over each other in awk-
ward play.
All this region was once famous resort
for whalemen, whose vessels have assembled
the lagoon fully fifty miles above the bay,
and the shores are strewn with bleaching
bones, the relics of former thriving bust
ness. Captain Scammon says that in only
two seasons more than eight thousand
barrels of oil were taken here by four ships,
assisted by small shore party; but the
grounds" soon gave out at that rate, and
are no longer valuable
Approaching Magdalena bay by sea
from the north, the coast grows more
BOLD AND PICTURESQUE.
High cliffs and detached masses of rock,
alternating with stretches of glistening
sand beach, to Mount Ysabel, which
guards its northern entrance tall SEN
tinel, whose head is 1900 feet above the
water. The early Spaniards reported the
existence just above here of extensive beds
of asphaltum. The neighboring plains
| are favorite resort for prong-horned an
telope, great droves of which may be seen
coming down to the lagoons. Near by, on
the banks of clear stream some ten miles
from the sea, is the old Mission of Puris-
sima, now village of about thirty houses
and 25O people. Only small portion of
land adjacent to the village is under cult
walton; but figs, dates, pomegranates,
grapes, olives, oranges, wheat, corn, cotton,
cane, peas and beans are raised almost
without labor, so rich is the soil wherever
water is turned on.
The lomboi, a peculiar plant, found
nearly the whole length of the peninsula,
grows here to perfection 1t is a small
tree with soft, brittle wood, fine leaves,
thick branches and clumsy twigs. On cut.
ting branch or twig, a thin, milky sap
exudes abundantly and this, on being ex-
posed to the air, turns black as promptly
as solution of nitrate Of silver, and is as
indelible.
The principal occupation of the people
OF Purissima appears to be the manufacture
| land consumption) of mescal from the ma
guey plant. This strong and highly alco-
hollc liquor contains more Intoxication to
the cubic inch than any other liquid known,
but looks the most innocent, being limpid
and colorless as water, but with a harsh and
burning taste, compared to which new
| whisky is mild as milk 1t is made by
cutting out the core of the giant plant i'm
mediately before its poisoning time
crushing out the sap, fermenting the latter
and afterwards distilling it.
The captains charts show many places
| along these shores marked water" but
many poor seaman has found these al
legged guides grievous disappointment.
IN THE SUMNER SEASON
The only regular supply of fresh water
that can be obtained any where near here
is forty miles from the bay, near the north
ern end of one of the lagoons, and small
vessel is employed for the express purpose
| of bringing it to Magdalena settlement.
| Those deluslve water-marks are merely
| casks which whalemen have sunk in the
| sand That kind of a well is common all
| along these coasts, and is made by merely
| knocking the heads out OF a cask and sink
ing it anywhere in the sand working it
| down and removing the sand from the in
side until a sufficient depth is reached for
water to ooze in freely, but not too deep to
be conveniently baled out. Strange to saw.
though close to the briny ocean, fresh
water soon fills the casks--by no means
good, but drinkable, having milky-white
appearance, and requiring several days to
settle"
On the south Magdalena bay is bounded
by broken ridges of mountains that separ-
ate 1t from the ocean. On the north
stretches low, sandy country dotted with
scrubby bushes and patches of cacti, far as
the eye can reach. Game of various kinds
is abundant, and the waters are full of
food in the shape of fish, oysters, mussels,
edible abalones, etc. A remarkable phe-
nomenon may often be witnessed of the
water suddenly becoming blood-red in
streaks and patches-from vast numbers of
shrimps, each an inch or two long, that ap-
pear in schools" Receding tides leave
the shores covered with millions of them.
on which the birds feed and sometimes
the air is filled with an intolerable stencil
arising from their decomposition.
On the west side of little cove in the
bay named Man-of-war," there are few
houses-one of which is Custom-house
and the others are used by Mr.. Hale's men
in the storing and shipping of orchilla.
From this point rough trail leads through
barren and nearly level country to La
Paz, the old capital, lis miles distant.
FANNIE B. WARD.
Too Much Marrying,