The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-02-16
BALLENAS BAY.

In the afternoon of January 14th, anchor
was dropped in Ballenas bay, off Abreojos
point, and preparation was made for work.
Before commencing the survey, signal towers
had 70 he constructed along the beach on the
most prominent points. which occupied seyefai
DAYS, during which time some of us devoted the
idle moments to fishing and hunting. a party
of US, six in number, went ashore, and this is
what we saw and did.
One Of the party was seized with mania to
collect rs many curious yermin as possible, to
prcscrvo in alcohol such as centipedes, vine
gar rl.ones, tarantuas and horned toads. Some
one told him that rattlesnakeS were very plen-
tiful too, and look of horror oYerspread his
face.
SHOW do you kill the thingS?"
"Oh, that's very easy. Just catch them by
the head, and snap their tails of as you would
crack whip" and truly think he believed
it.
He was pure innocence ont on junketing
tour, carrying a gun merely for the fashion,
though he did use it very effectively before the
day ended.
Another Of the party was proper Nimrod,
with q gang of protegos in tow. leading us to
The place where game was as plentiful as shells
on the beach, mostly in imagination, however.
The oilers were out for what fun and exercise
could be had.
We landed in the surf going aground fully
fifty feet from the edge where the rollers stop
ped. and wadedsashOre as sraciouSly as posi-
bic. Wet to the knees Wasa sad plight to enter
on the long sandy tramp, but we struck out
through the dreary looking sage-brush desert.
Every one was on the alert for some of the nu-
merous snakes and other dreaded pests, jump
ing aside at all unusual noises. Every bush
has a thorn and every insect sting IN these
dreary wastes that seems to say:
SEQ away and letuS alone: be satisfied
with blessed country and remain out OF this,
or we Will stick you"
Rocks, sand and scrubby, scrawny bushes
are the chief products, and always will be.
The sand was covered with tracks OF cayotes,
wolves, autelopes and birds, but not thing
was in sight. We tramped all the forenoon
with DO success at all, barring one poor unfor-
funate jack rabbit. Every one began to show
some signs of fatigue, and decided marks OF
disgust by noon, and as we squatted around
eating lunch there was n generally mutinous
humble on every ones lips. Just as the meal
closed we sighted bunch of antelope scamp
ering across the plains, about two miles dis
tant. Life seized all hands, and every one was
ready for a chase at once. The party divided,
two going for the antelopes, and the others
still searching for the mythical hunting
grounds.
Those two, poor fellows, struck out manfuily
pulling through the hot sand with n burning
sun over head, willing to undergo anything fol
one OF those shining fellows ahead With
much scheming, crawling from bush to BUSH
or hurgying up some protecting gulley, they
would manage to get within 1000 to 500 yards
of them only to see them skin away a mile
further in less time than it would take to look
at them. This operation was repeated several
times, and finally the hunters realized that
nothing was being accomplished, more than
the immense distance that must be retraced
This conviction struck them about seven miles
from where they landed. and straightway they
turned their faces to the beach, like the town
dog Mari; Twain described chasing cayote.
The other four of the party kept on theiI
original course i'll the hope of finding the
place marked on the chart as Astounding il
game bat becoming discouraged also turned
TO the beach, and struck it several miles below
the landing place. The beach furnished ali
the cunning desired. and a large number OF
plovcr, snipe, aud ducks were carried aboard
as a result of the last half of the day. Dur
ing the afternoon several antelopes were
started, but none within gunshot, and grea
many coyotes were chased from their bushy
Iairs. We surprised bunch of six coyote:
Teasing on the carcass of hawk. They were
not more than one hundred yards from Us and
we reppered them with bird shot that hat
quite : singing effect at that range, sendin:
them bowling through the bushes.
While ranging over the hills long distanc.
inland we found q great many shell bed
several hundred feet above sea level, and til,
shells were in a very good state OF preserva
ton. The beach was lined with large quaint
ties OF various kinds of shells, and CLANS wer
as thick as they could stick. We have feaste
OH clam chowder, "clam juice" roast CLANS
raw clans, and every other conceivable kind
until / am ashamed to look squarely at clam
in fact it has made me rather of clamorOu
nature-I beg pardon.
The beach is of the hardest packed san