The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-17
HUNTING IN LOWER CALIFORNIA.
Jack Kirby's Yarn. OF the Reptiles, GAM,
md Ynrrnlnts on the Prnin.nln

| SAlu JACK hlTDy. buCk was tollnE us OF his
two years hunting and prospecting trip in
Lower California. Ho Is well known through
the Southwest as hunter of valor and
achievement. and has Just returned after ran.
sacking the peninsula from the American lin q
to Black Warrior Lagoon. Now, n Mexican -
he suid lis not much afraid of II rattIcsnako.
but lie will turn pale at tho sight OF one OF
those wicked-looking little lizards that wo
never notice. There Is lizard in that
country, though. that is really poisonous. and
It works around in the night. 80 that tho Mexi.
cans have como to be afraid OF the whole lizard
tribe. This poison Gus lizard is larger than tho
others. lilo 10 about eight inches long. darker
| colored. and not 30 quick in moving. at least
In tho daytime. | never saw any ella mon.
| stcrs in Lower California. hut | think they
must exist on the desert coast of the gull
| Everybody knows that ratticsnako oil ia
good for rheumatism. but know an old Next
| can down at the Asambec. 400 miles below
! here. who keeps lot OF rattlosnakc powder In
a pepper can and sprinklcs It like Pepper on
! everything he oats. Ho takes and dries the
snake in somo fashion. and grinds it up IN n
'ncid'e He said it was good 10 keep of malaria
and rheumatism And know other Mexicans
! that take a fresh coyote skin and strap IL
around their leg to cure rhGu aatiSm.
Speaking OF rattlcsnakrs. there was q
young Mexican down mt the onyx uuarries who
was not a hit afraid OF them ono day we ran
across one about sixteen inches long, and
Chupo held it with n stick while lie strok ed its
back. Tho snake never moved 1t seemed to
likeit. Chapo stroked its head and somehow
caught his thumb on its fang. don't think
the snake stung him. but its fang must have
been sharp needle. and eat through the
skin. Well. sir. that boy jumped four feet
and yelled like 4 crazy man. We got him to
cut the thumb oren and suck it. and they killed
tho snake and Put it's gall on the wound.
Pretty soon Chapo cooled down aud did not
worry. but in about three hours it began to
pain him, and his hand began to turn bronze
coored; We hurrie him into camp and llled
Denton was there. and he got out lot Of pills
and gave Chap2 dozen. Ho couldn't Keep
and II anything will beat a rattlcsnnke's hIte
IL Is mescal The poor 10y suffered Horribly
and the strange part Of it was he turned the
same color AS ruttlesnake-yellow and dark
brown or bronze colored, IN stripes. with black
spots III He bnslly pulled through after being
poison is lust as strong. think. III tell you
and came to rattlesnake. don't know how |
We came to think OF it, but we rugged up loop |
that he couldn't move it either way. and sH then
Of nicotine metro from his pipe and stuck it down the
let 20 the string and the snake lay there about
Eeeed rrhs oter dead % and then
VIII XII cat in no time. Scientists themselves |
will tell you that.
'0t all the poisonous beasts though, I'm
afraid Of the tarantula most. The very name
i, creepy to me. somehow. That's the reason
They are sure death to tarantulas. They are
about twice the size Of a bumblebee. say about
TN nsR R tw hrss hes ra are ds red and
him him; and always get hun: Tie hawk gets
hawk gets hold Of him and pulls him MI back eEo
tug away at l Great Ea rsea ls tnrse
inches i,, across; After pulling awhile the hawk
the right dreet"n and then eo Mns BACK ana
tug away. l don't know whether it eats
tarantulas or not.
anybody very much. The Mexicans don't mind |
a SCORPION sting any more than we. Dc a bee
60 ABOUT their business. Centpedes somehow
don't bother people very much. though I've
full OF them. You can always lind one under a
mescal stalk or about the roots. They are
o9a bnd ow
pe1e had walked. Itgot under his shirt some,
h9w az nnd me slqppe ed at II Then Of course
Killed the flesh wherever it touched The fiesh
slonCed of: and the scar is there yet; Cent?
era but II you bother them they naturally
IHeTe ID weed lHhC tT6 NleXlcan6 say lS |
'muy, bueno por los cientopies.' but you can
get them to SHOW you weed that is good for
in 1s.
in their curealIs. think some OF the plants
though have some virtue. like the yerba santa
Il don't know of any really big game on tho
peninsula: that is to say, bear elk. or the like
kinds OF deer are found III all parts. especially
on the San Pedro Martir range. Another fine
ga H Is the mountain sheep They furnish
:, In the heart yf the peninsula near, the
three highest peaks Of San Pedro called Las
mountain sheep. The man who says these
big-horned fellows don't jump off from high
what he is talking about; saw the thing with
my s oT ES,s eyes saw three big sheer. with
distance away. and sent my partner round on
ne 70 other side while ! advanced on them;
On the other side started. pro M G Goef
hid them from view as | drew nearer. aud
mat w fh surRSs to SsS% Of n.y.
sd sQuarey on their immense horns at least
NY feet below, After nickinc themselves ~
etore had recovered presence OF mind to
'hCo' The other sheer jumped r the other
Weighed twenty.eight pd Jun %ll mo "''ns
Cot Denton told me o! a fight he witnessed
sR Sa f"1 e s saff eat the lie
trength and agility II the sheep was pro-
hs seeP h f ses BY an nG"s
ecured fine pair OF horns. | have no doubt :
mt that one OF those sheep would give a lion I
had tusse. For downright courage they /
re superior to tn" lion. which. so far AS | ever
aw is p coward. un!nss desperately hungry.
Deer and antelope are very numerous all '
Yer tho peninsula, IL actually becomes tame
port to xii! deer They are 50 utterly unar- i
ustomed 10 human bcings. and are 30 curious
hat they Will come right TOWARD YOU. Veni- /
on IL the common meat on the peninsula and
confess that good civilized roast beef is 4
'eirumn change You will find venison at q
very Indian raurhcria, aud never saw n Co. I
olhh or u SANTA [atnrlna Indian 20 for q deer q
NJ that he brought him home. IN the interior t
nteloDc are ycrv n,enlliu I
one of Bill tcchranS drivers engaged In , a
anllnE ONYX to III" oceGn landing. was sick. | y
nj they got mo to take his place There wero I
Neen mu tes ~ hitch NJ and got at ii he d
'ro Daylight: The harness was strung along II
u negS ana Just sluuE 1t on ono mule after V
nother anu every mule knew his place. But 4
lme TO one that seemed bronco and had the I,
rce to pay with him. lie bgcked and kicked
nd tried to get away. and actually came at {
e TO bite or buut me-. aud acted generally rs Il