Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-01-27
County Thursday january

which direction the boat lay. Finally
he was seen by one of the searchers
and called back. -Four of US spent
three or four hours searching for him
and it was relief to find him, tired
and thirsty. 1t is necessary to carry
water here, for en- all the islands we
have stopped at no water is obtain
able.
Well, to hasten. Have seen large,
active volcano in full blast, spouting
lava and smoke at great rate.
Though anchored five or eight miles
away we could feel the heat, or imag-
ined we could; could distinctly see
lava rising and falling in the crater
and occasionally pouring over the
side and it made big light at night;
was sorry we didn't have an oppor-
tunity for closer inspection, but We
anchored on wrong side of island and
could not get near it. 1t has been in
| OPCI dtAOh pdL d low uOAbuo dud ul6y
die out at any time; was much bright
or at times than others. 1t is the only
active one on the islands. Have also
spent a couple of weeks lugging tor
toise from top of mountain Gold crater)
to shore, two or three miles down
rock piles and through brush, where
we spent half a day cutting a trail;
camped week on top, where all our
grub, tent, water, etc., had to be
packed. .-."'i -
The beasts weigh from fifty to one
hundred and fifty pounds and remind
one at a glance of the prehistoric,
antediluvian animals which are figur-
ed in natural histories; feet are like an
elephants exactly, head like snake,
neck half foot long with dry pareh-
ment-like skin, an immense shell
which entirely encloses body, except
head and neck, which are protected
by scaly forelegs drawn up to entirely
shield head and the hind legs which
have holes in shell, back of shell re-
semble somewhat Old Mexican sad
dies. The large ones we brought
down lashed to a pole and two men
carrying; small ones one man could
take. With good walking it would
have been an easy task, but with
nothing but lava rocks to walk on ii
is not SO easy. We laid in but a few
of them and may get some more be-
fore our return; last two or three
days have collected a few ignanas,
somewhat like Lizards, from 80 to 40
inches long, splnes on back and head
like crocodile with horny protubsr-
ances ali over head, yellowish color;
live in holes In the ground like a
squirrel. Another kind is black in
color; lives in sea weeds on shore;
similar in shape and size.
We have collected a few hundred
birds up to date and will perhaps get
a few more before our return. We
spent half a day after goats and each
lone Of us got one from one island;
fused them for food. Birds are tame
here; we get quite few with rocks;
captured hawk yesterday with
one; have laid out or 10 herons, and
one day in addition to collecting my
quota of specimens of different birds
gathered in % doves with rocks from
s to II a. M; they formed quite an
addition to our bill -of-fare.
We have yet the largest island to
work in addition to six small ones and
do not expect to get to San Francisco
before March 20th or April 1st, though
we may, with favorable winds and
other things favorable, get there by
the 10th of Mar,h.
The fora here is very Insignificant,
only one bright, large-sized flower
being so tar observed. All the shores
of the islands have dry brush and
trees, but on one on which Mr.. Harris
and myself went to the top the vege-
tatIon changes completely. Along the
shore it ia dry and leafless, while 800
or 1000 feet above, four or five miles
inland, is a tropical jungle, trees with
moss hanging and green moss grow
ing to depth of 8 or inches on limbs
and covered with z or 10 kind of ferns
Impossible to penetrate anywhere but
on hog trails and then on hands and
knees very frequently. have taken
two or three dozen pictures and hope
to get some fine ones yet. Have just
returned from visit to Ell Progresso
1.-The collection of hats on estate OF
Senior Cabos, lesseeasf this island. The
persons live in huts thatched ovel
with sugar cane. An estate of SOC
acres of sugar cane and orange, lemor
and banana trees. Lemons are 10t
per hundred; bananas are zoe bunch
etc. Took three or feur pictures o.
various scenes.
i We saw last week at a nearby
island human faces other than oul
own for the first time since passing
ship "Challenger" four days out from
San Francisco. We will probably see
more or less natives from now on, a
two of the next islands are inhabited
Curious shells, ETC., are very scarce
. no shells of any description beini
found except very little common plac'
, ones or these found on tortoise o.
crabs. Will keep remainder Of new
till return, as will not have anothe
opportunity to send mail. Letter
and mail are uncertain in this country
As Ever,
RoLLo III. BECK.
, SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATIONS.