From the Gorda rock to the landing at Pacific Valley was a distance of about four miles which we made in something like forty-five minutes, passing through a field of sea Kelp for probably half a mile enroute. It was while passing through this field of Kelp that we sighted our first sea otter of the trip, but we were careful not to frighten him unnecessarily, as we in all probability, [would do] so we planned [that we] would run out from the Valley the next day and try for his pelt, but circumstances prevented and he was left for some future time.

We ran in on the sand at Pacific Valley late in the afternoon mailing a successful landing and was greeted by almost the entire population of the settlement. We had been seen by a lone horseman shortly after we had ran through the narrow gauntlet at the Point and he had rushed into the settlement and gave the alarm.

Our appearance was hailed with genuine delight as visitors here is, or was an occasion for considerable excitement. An entire year will sometimes elapse without the presence of a stranger calling unless it may be a solitary horseman passing through the country in quest of beef cattle.

So naturally when the news spread that a fleet of three boats were pulling into the little cove it aroused the entire neighborhood. The sky next morning gave evidence of an approaching change in the weather, being slightly overcast and the wind had whipped into the southeast. Before noon the order came to arrange our intire [entire] outfit for a storm as the sky was now intirely [entirely] overcast and the wind blowing strong from the rainy quarter. We dragged our boats far up the beach out of all danger and securing the provisions by snugly housing them with the sails.

All camp utensils, tents and enough provisions for several days, were lugged up a steeper trail to the plateau weve where a suitable place had been chosen for the camp.

The wind here was almost a gale and if one has never had the experience of staking down a tent in a strong wind he has lost many valuable points in camp live [life]. There were four of us detailed to raise the tent, while the other three was [were] to return for the last of our outfit, which would take them at least a half hour before they would return. They returned and the tent lacked considerable of being up. As fast as we raised it, faster the wind brought it down. Now in order to raise a tent properly it is spread out flat on the ground and the ridge pole slid into place [over ‘?] the end or uprights from which a small iron rod projects from one end, is next called for. The small iron rod in the ends of each upright is inserted into a hole at the ends of the ridge pole, then by raising on the uprights the tent is raised into place.

But every time we would get it a few feet above the ground the wind would catch it from the underside and it would rise like a balloon and sail over or [our] heads and collaspe [collapse] some ten or fifteen feet away.

Several times this had occurred, where [when] we finally decided it would continue to occur as long as we used our present tactics. So we changed our plans and attempted to stake the windward corner down before attempting to raise it again. This, we were at the second or third time when help arrived. Twice after we had enlarged our force, it broke loose from its moorings and almost lost itself over the bluff, which was some fifty feet away, but after much sailing and collasping, [collapsing] flapping and fluttering, slapping us with the guy rope, which would smart like the cuts from a buggy whip, swearing and laughing ordering and suggesting, we at last conquered the wild fighting of a tent and began to move in, just as large drops of rain began to fall driven at an angle of forty-five degrees so strong was the force of the wind.

We realized we were in for a wild night and in the knowledge of the fact we made everything as secure as we knew how. At dusk that evening the storm broke with a furious gale of wind from the southeast bringing with it a driving rain, which came down in a perfect deluge pouring on our canvas roof in one continuous roar. The sea was lashed into a great wilderness of white foam and spray, the billows running mountains high and throwing water hundreds of feet high when it hit with tremendous force against the rocks that lined the shore near our camp.

This was the first use we had made of our tent and we found it none to large when our beds were spread and the cooking outfit stored in the scanty room that was left. We had neglected to gather material for our beds so we were obliged to get what comfort we would by lying on the bare ground.

We had retired early, but not to sleep as the storm had somehow put us into a sort of an anxious and nervous mood. We did not feel frightened, but there was an air of expectancy which we all felt, altho no one admitted this strange and wild lonesomeness which he harbored unconsciously, yet he was aware of the fact that everyone else was more or less effected in the same peculiar way.

About midnight we were awakened by the water soaked ground which someone had discovered had got into our tent and under the beds. What we should have done when we had got the tent up was to have dug a ditch around the tent and banked it up against the sides. Our negligence earlier in the evening brought us now in the wildest kind of’ a night out with [without] shovels to turn away the cause of our disturbance.

The wind and rain was still driving at a furious rate and even with our sou-easter on, we were becoming rapidly waterlogged.

Perhaps ten minutes work completed the digging of the ditch and we had just ducked into the tent when the wind with a roar louder than usual struck our tent broadside and the pressure was too great for the guy pins

which had become too weak to withstand the strain on the account of the water-soaked ground. Before we could sound the alarm we were left without a shelter, the tent completely soared beyond our reach and was found next day lodged on the top of the brush that lined the brow of the bluff some 50 feet from where we had attempted to spend the night.

[Here is missing pages 58 through 97] <removed picket fence repeat from typed memo RWR>


Big Sur…NEXT

Two hours put us abreast the Point Gorda Seal Rocks and where we stopped to examine the immense herd. As we approached the rocks they took fright and piled pell mell into the sea roaring and barking furiously until everyone had disappeared.

This rookery is very large. We counted over thirty large bulls and as many more cows, besides hundreds of young sea-lions. We were told by the inhabitants, who live a few miles beyond, that they had seen as many as five hundred sea-lions at one time basking in the sun at this rookery.

Just beyond the Seal Rocks stands the immense solitary Point Gorda Rock. Alone it stands in it hugeness, except for its thousands of feathered inhabitants, whose noise is even heard above the roar of the surf. I saw no other place while on this trip where the birds of every size and kind congregated as they did here. On our approach they set up an unearthly screaming, some with a scream or cry so thrill that it hurt the ear. Mingled with this sharp cry, was a honk, a chatter, a squall, a scream, and a bedlam of many other notes until it was almost uncanny.

There were Gulls, Cormorants, Tufted Puffins or Sea Parrot, and numerous other birds that I failed to recognize at the time, but later knew them as the “Shearwater”, these birds will follow a school of fish in enormous numbers. At times they will cover an area of ten to fifteen acres, until the sea is almost a solid black mass.

At this point we encountered a very thrilling experience and for a few minutes it gave us great concern for our safety. This great Gorda Rock has the appearance at some remote age of having been split apart; for another rock or part of its original self lies shoreward from it at a distance of probably eighty feet, causing a channel or narrow passage of very angry water to fill the gap. By running this passage it saved a long rough pull around the Point and this is what we concluded to do, the sea being modestly calm and we much fatigued from our long pull.

For the first fifty yards or so all was well, the sea calm with an ordinary swell heaving in and out through the passage and no under-current as far as we knew was apparent. So we boldly rowed into the passage between shear walls of at least one hundred and fifty feet high and as many feet through. But we soon found we had our hands full. But to attempt to retreat was out of the question and to turn a boat around in that maelstrom of whirlpools and cross currents was madness and to take time to change positions in order to row back without turning the boat around was useless for it now required every moment of our time and our heads to hold the boat from being sucked into a cave or cavern which literally line the base of either rock. So, all we did for many minutes was to battle with strength and strategy to hold our boat as near the middle of the passage as possible.

When the water showed any signs of quietness, we instantly began to pull with all our strength, but would barely get under headway before we were caught again in a boiling whirlpool of foam taxing our utmost strength to keep our boat head on.

Something like forty minutes had elapsed before we succeeded in safely running the passage and when we had at last pulled into quiet water, wet to the skin and nearly a foot of water in the boat, it seemed to me that it was the first long breath I had taken since we first put into the channel.

A peculiar feature of this exciting half hour, was, that the other two boats followed us without mishap. The passage during their run through it was as a millpond, except for the usual ocean swell. We made four trips by this point during our coast cruising, but never again attempted the passage.


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The next order of business after settling on a permanent camp was to organize our hunting program, this we finally did. In hunting the sea utter, three boats is [are] generally used, altho l have seen one (man or) boat (rather) and two men do some very successful hunting, but three boats is [are] much better and more successful. The otter lives in the kelp which covers an area of from 20 acres to 1000 and in some places it grows so thick that it is almost impossible to pull a boat through it and practice must be used even to do that.

The plan in hunting for your game is to circle the outer edge of the kelp keeping always in open water, scanning the great field of kelp until one is sighted. Now the problem is how to get him out to sea and open water for it is useless to hunt him while he is in the field of kelp.

We now on sighting the otter get between him and the shore and force him out to sea by shooting at him whenever he raises his head above water.

The boats are spread out in a triangle. Two boats about 150 yds. Apart and the third one falls into line the same distance behind forming the triangle.

The plan now is to gradually force the otter ahead, this falling to the lot of the single boat, while the two head boats are supposed to keep him from side diving, probably 200 shots will be fired before he is out into open water if some one has not already been lucky enough to cripple or kill him while still in the kelp field. Once outside it is almost certain to end with the chase in your favor if your men are keen and alert and swift rowers.

One man, the gunner, stands up at all times while sighting or looking for the otter when he sights him he instantly raises his paddle as a signal and motions in the direction he has seen him, everyone now is excited but quiet, as quietness is the most essential point in the hunt. The splash of an oar 500 yds. Off will frighten your game and if he is in the kelp he is as good as lost. I have known them to dive ½ mile and on raising to the surface conceal themselves under the kelp and obtain air by raising a leaf of a large kelp with their nose at the same time allowing their body to sink out of sight in the water while you may row within 10 feet of him and not discover his hiding place.

If on sighting him, he is not out of range of your rifle, he is fired upon causing him to dive immediately and he is steadily fired at wherever seen. The object in this continuous firing is to tire him out and shorten the dives, because if he is allowed to remain up over 2 seconds he obtains sufficient air to enable him to make long dives which is what we are trying to keep him from doing. Short or no breathing spells shortens the chase. The successful hunt is a cause for great excitement not so much as a monetary consideration while at the same time the value is great, but the satisfaction and self honored feeling of something well done is causing your blood to dance. Knowing you have hunted and bagged one of the most elusive and craftiest animals known to the sporting world at the same time having enriched your pocket book some 5 to 300 dollars.


Big Sur…NEXT

Our first morning out gave us considerable practice, but no game. We sighted a herd though of 15 or 20, but someone bungled the play and they were soon out of sight. And after an hour or so of laborious pulling [through] the kelp we pulled for home. It was several days before we could get out again because of the blow. I might say here that with our method of hunting it required what was termed a slick day, that is, the water is perfectly smooth and slick as glass being caused by the none appearance of the slightest wind. The ocean being in this condition an object can be seen for a considerable distance, which is absolutely necessary when hunting this sly creature, especially if he has scented danger as he will only show his self a few inches above water, now the ocean being a silvery white a black object is readily seen, while if the wind is blowing ever so lightly the surface of the water is black and it is useless to hunt for them, but if the wind should spring up while one is being chased of course the chase is continued for in all probilties [probability] the otter is being closely pressed and is making dives so short that he is seen quite plainly.

The 4^th day we put out again the weather being ideal for our purpose and some time passed without one being sighted when just as we had concluded to row homeward up went a paddle and the chase was on. This was my first otter hunt and I was thrilled with the excitement of it. The utter had been jumped up, “as we would say,” if hunting land game, and for the lack of the nautical phrase for sea otter hunting, l shall use it here.

On the outer edge of the great field of sea weed, and we by quick maneuvering got between him and the field and headed him for the open sea, while it was rulable to play the game now according to plans previously laid, the excitement was such and several besides myself being new and inexperienced we often found our boats out of formation which was to our disadvantage as well as dangerous for it eliminated the firing and gave the otter many breathing spells. During a chase if the otter should rise directly between two boats the order was do not fire as it would endanger lives in the opposite boat. Shots were now fired at random or it seemed as to me and the line which follows a bullet that is shot at about water level is seen by the white spots caused by the skipping bullet and its coarse can be traced till the shot has spent is force or lost itself in an uprising wave. Several shots were uncomfortable near, but fortunately no damage done. The chase took us out to sea probably 3 miles when he outwitted us by a back dive which was very discouraging as we were crowding him very close, in fact, so close that some very good shots were had at him at close range, out this late maneuver of his called a halt in the firing line and at the same time he with the dark windy water in his favor far to the rear was quickly putting himself in diving time again and before he was discovered was at least 1/2 mile from us and diving and swimming with great speed toward the Kelp field. It was only luck that he was seen.

As the water was now quite dark with the rising wind, we instantly “Right about face” and gave chase [as] it now was row or loose our game so bending to it and applying all our strength we constantly gained until we were at safe shooting distance again, but the dive after the first shot put him into the Kelp and safety, the chase was over, and the white caps running quite often now it was home also for us.

We had left camp that morning at 3:45 a. m. with coffee only for a breakfast it was now 2:15 p.m. And about 4 hours of the morning was spent in work that, taxed us all at times to our utmost. The chase had taken up our time and thoughts that no one knew how tired and hungry he really was until the homeward pull began. Believe me or not, it was a tired and limp crew of young men that threw themselves upon the bank at our camp some 2 hours later completely exhausted so faint in fact no one felt able to start a fire for our supper until he had rested at least ½ hour and regained something of his strength. I believe right here was advocated the idea that was put into practice later and which worked so satisfactory throughout our second otter trip taken two years later. That was a camp reorganizing and rules which if practiced on all camping and hunting expeditions will do more to keep harmony and good fellowship in camp than anything else pertaining to outdoor life. As we did not put this arrangement into effect on this trip I shall not attempt to explain it now, but shall describe it in detail at the time it was put in force. What lead [led] to its discussion was the feeling which sprang up concerning the at duties of the camp, especially relating to the cooking, etc.

Some one had always done more than his share. Someone has always done some particular thing and so it goes. Ordinarily, and in our crew especially the camp work was did [done] cheerfully and in a spirit of sport.

I say in ordinary circumstances, but on this day when everyone was too tired and faint to harken to the spirit of sport, everyone felt that his mate ought to be the one to get something started for supper and so it went.

Finally terminating in the discussion which I say must be adopted in camp life to ensure peace and harmony.


Big Sur…NEXT

The weather during the next 10 days would permit of no outside work, so it gave us an opportunity to acquaint ourselves with our surrounding which we did in a most thorough manner. Preparing ourselves with lunches, we would leave camp reasonably early and tramp up the coast or the opposite direction up the river. I remember on one of our tramps we were headed up the river, when on rounding a bend in the road we suddently [suddenly] came upon a large camp of wood cutters clearing river bottom land. The camp was inhabited at the time by only a few of what I thought was the smallest men I had ever seen. The shanties I concluded, evidently housed a large force of men by the number of them I saw, but where they were were of no interest to me, but the few I saw about the hovels interested me very much. Their size and color was of a race l never before had seen, they were no larger than a 12 year old boy, but developed like mwn of a matured age and upon accosting one it was found he was unable to speak in any language I had ever heard. We fell to guessing their nationality, but arrived at no satisfactory solution. While scrutinizing their camp we were attracted by a yelling further up the river which at times would die almost out then suddintlty [suddenly] the dim would be a perfect bedlam; it did not take us many minutes to decided that we should investigate this uproar, breaking into a run we soon arrived at one of what proved to be almost laughing sight after we found what was causing the excitement, Around a large pool in the river were something like 30 of these strange little men, running backward and foreword, first into the water then out and up the river over rocks and around clumps of brush, out of sight of us. Then back down the river pell mell when suddently {suddenly} two or three would run waist deep into the water and bury his head an shoulders out of sight into the stream, suddently [suddenly} some one of them would let out an unearthly yell and down the river again they would go. Presently on both sides of the pool they would be seen running and yelling back again.

They passed this time on up stream yelling at the top of their voices and on glancing toward their camp we perceived two men running toward us with large bundles which proved to be, when they arrived blankets and bed clothing, which they began hurriedly to tie together and stretch across the stream weighing the loner edge of the blankets with large rocks forming a dam or barrier across the river. When our laughter had subsided somewhat our questions flew fast, “What were they doing?”

Someone advanced the idea that it was a religious rite, another thought it was an open air play or theatrical proformance [performance].

As our discussion grew warm, our entertainers grew warmer even if soaked to the skin. Three men now had taken their hand at the net across the river armed with clubs and large rocks while the mob in general was still carrying on their antics now almost under the bank on which we stood, but for the life of us we could not agree upon what it all meant.

It probably continued at this place for 5 minutes when sundently [suddenly] they turned as one man and beating the water with their clubs and throwing rocks, they ran toward the net yelling like mad. The men at the net caught the spirit of yelling almost as soon as their comrades started toward them. This seemed to be the final climax, for they were closing in an their imaginary enemy, as we thought, and so close did they stare; or march that it grew into a solid compact mass of yelling stamping wild men suddently [suddenly] all went down completely submerged except their backs still fighting and churning the water into a foam for many feet around, but in a moment out of the jungle of human bodies arose one fellow holding as high as he could reach with both hands a salmon. The show was over and they were Japanese, a fact we learned several days later and as we had no doubt everyone of us read of, but few had ever seen.

In the state, at that time, a Japanese was a curiosity, numbering scarcely in the hundreds, while this writing they reach nearly 80,000.


Big Sur…NEXT

The mouth of the Sur river and the adjacent surroundings for several miles each way is adapted to stock raising and dairing, being one of the best all year round ranches on the coast. Many young stock roam the range while the cows are supplying the milk for three cheese factories, famous now for the celebrated Monterey cheese.

One afternoon l was out for awalk up the river to look in our curious little men, the Japs. The road ran bordering on the river bank under and through groves of beautiful redwoods, curving and winding in and out many times, within the distance of a mile making a most delightful exhilarating stroll. I was bent on no particular mission, in fact was idling away an afternoon, thoroughly enjoying the many strange trees, shrubs and flowers which grew here abundantly, thinking of the calmness that can prevail among such giants as those redwoods are, it really seems impossible the silence which one finds among the forest when it is silent.

I was just rounding a sharp turn in the road almost a half circle which would bring me out from the deep shade into the bright sunlight for possibly 20 yds before the road again ran into the shadows of another clump of dark trees.

When I was attacked by an unusual roar which seemed to be coming in my direction, but l could not make out whether, the sound was coming by the road or out of the timber paralleling the road it being so crooked at this point. The roar came suddently [suddenly] and with such rapidity that I had no time to decide upon any coarse of action except the thought I wonder what is God’s name it could be.

If I had been in Central Africa I would have at once prepared to mill [see ?] a herd of elephants, but in a fairly civilized community and to be confronted with such a roar and smashing it was bewildering. Thinking did not lesson the uproar, it must be action with me, at that quick, perceiving a small tree about 10 feet from the road I made haste to put my self many feet up it out of harm’s way, and luckly l did and when l did, for l had no more that sprang for its lower branches than a dark brownish mass swung into road coming through a heavy redwood picket fence from out of the timber on the mountain side of the road. Before l could get securely settled I was smothered in a cloud of dust and the forest fairly trembled with the force of the rushing herd. I had been treed by a stampede of buffalo.

After l could here [hear] no more of my roaring herd and it appeared safe to descend I immediately crossed the river at this point and climbing up a steep mountain through a thick tangle of under-brush l made camp nearly in an opposite direction from which l started.

The buffalo I had seen was a domestic herd running on the range with the common cattle having been brought down from the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco several years previous as an experiment for breeding purposes. They had so far given very little trouble but on this occasion they were lead by a very large and vicious bull buffalo, who had been confined in a high and strong log corral as he was too unruly to run the range, his influence would put the rest in an uncontrollable temper, consequently he was never let out, but this day the cowboy whose duty it it was to water and feed him lost control of him and he had broken out and started for the range at a full gallop bellowing and roaring only as a buffalo can and it was he who had stampeded the younger herd where I finally found them. Later the cowboys succeeded in roping the bull and after several, hours of exciting and dangerous work landed him back at the corral securely tied with a log chain.


Big Sur…NEXT