The herald., 1897-05-30
SAN PEDRO MARTIR

Two of them there are parallel in their
course, and away from the stream and
toward the edge of the hills they run
as II to command the plateau of land
that lies beside the brook. Branches
lead away from 1t here. and there and il
is as plainly an lrrigating ditch as il
the waters Of the brook were still sparkl-
ing in 1t. And at its lower end is long
ridge and another joins it so as to form
square, and then anothr joins 1t on
the lower side and still another and
though not over two or three feet high
the shape and the old ditch running into
one corner tell the tale of a garden of
the olden time as clearly as If the olives
were ripening there today.
And on the side toward which the val
ley opens in line Of rugged hills that
tumble in all manner Of fantastic lines
toward the eea, some seventy miles
away and six thousand feet below, are
moundc of earth, some long and low,
some longer and higher some broader
and some narrower; the narrow ones In
the shape Of quadrangle Of consider
able size, with long rectangular lines
leading from it, and between the lines
piles of earth at regular distances, and
some of them far too high to have been
raised by the wind. You see at a glance
that it is the work of hands, hands ages
since mingled with the dust, vet not an
other trace Of their work is there, and
you look in vain for the mound of the
tomb that covers them or the cross that
should tell where they lie. All Is gone
all but enough lines and mounds to show
that many busy feet trod the adobe that
made the bricks, and many prayer was
breathed in the structure they reared
For the base is large enough for
large church.; the walls and ditch show
that many a mouth was fed, and if con-
firmation were needed, there is the old.
trail still deep in the hard granite to
show long years of use by many
hoofs. Another trail leads down the.
creek toward the sea, butit is plain that
most of the travel was on the longer one
that comes from La Grulla, and those
who have tried the shorter route. told
me to return the way I came, by'La
Grulla.
And this Is about all that is known to-
day Of this old temple of the wilderness,
in its time one of the widest, highest and
most remote of all the fanes ever reared
by man. Not one Of the inhabitants of
the peninsula knows its history, so far
as can learn. To all their tradition, 1t
Is but a dream, something that merely
represents what might have been, and
they know it must have been, from the
eize and shape of the ruins that are
left. Not square, not even an angle,
remains Of the adobe bricks that have
melted into the red piles OF earth we
find. Yet there is enough to show that
the mission was once considerable Of
building; the garden walls, the cistern.
and the ditch show 1t once was like all
the other missions. and the long lines Of
ridges and mounds show that there were.
other buildings besides the church.
And where did the Indians come from !?
NO one can answer this question today,
Ior from far and near not enough could
DC gathered to wear the trail in 100
years as 1t is worn into the rocks. There
were none upon the top of the mountain.
for none can live there today in winter
on account Of the snow. So broad is the
mountain upon its top that 1t is very
cold with deep enowfaT, while all the
trails wind so many leagues among
boulders that there II no getting out
with any animals after the first snow
that is permanent Native herdtu,en 4
have had to spend the winter there.
living on the cattle they. had to killsto
save the meat. On the middle Of sep.
tember, when ! wae going IN. / wds
warned to leave at the first sisn,of snow.