We stood watching in a state of awe caused by such sudden change that was constantly taking place until our attention was drawn to a peculiar light streak that would occasionally be seen in the water, these streaks grew more frequent until they became almost continuous we wondered for sometime what could cause this unusual phosphoric phenomenal. It appeared to be coming from the sea but what it was we was unable to figure out, and was about to turn back to camp where Ed declared that it was salmon which proved to be what it was. They had smelt the fresh water while protrolling [patrolling] the coast for an inlet to fresh water and they had smelt this break and were pouring into the river by the thousands.

On returning to our camp we found that the water in our absence had nearly reach to bed line on which our provisions were stacked and our supplies were safe, but such a mess that was being left by the receding river. The silt and muck left was all of 2 to 3 inches thick and every slight depression was full of standing water through which we in the darkness splashed this mire with the slime and mud almost disheartened us – our clothing was soaked and now after the excitement was over we began to grow chilly and cold with no fire in sight for an hour at least, our prospects was anything but lovely.

Nevertheless, we all took it in very good spirits considering, and began making preparations to get a fire going. Fortunately we had a little dry wood we had thrown up on our beds and with this to start with aided by a cup of kerosene we by an art learned by our experience as hunters and country-life living finally had a fire well under-way as it began to break-day in the east and the stars faintly shown through the break in the storm clouds which was breaking up and the shifting of the wind to the northwest-herald the coming of fair weather.


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Chapter II.

Ten days later saw us ready to pull out everything having been prepared the day before, as dragging the boats over the sand bar and partially loading them with all our outfit, except that which would be used by us overnight and as we slept on the sand near our boats it was only a few minutes work to load them in the morning.

The stars and a moon just set, found us eating a hearty breakfast. It was a bit chilly, but not cold for some of our most beautiful weather during the year in California is in the month of February. The late storm had entirely disappeared and glorious weather had followed. The sea was not just as our captain would have had it – for a start the swells was running as I thought rather high, but the captain said that once outside we would find it not as bad as it looked from shore and the weather was so grand that it look tempting, not withstanding the swells.

Dawn found us waist deep in the surf lurching the large boat which was successfully run out beyond the line of breakers. The next boat got away in fine shape, but three attempts was made with the last boat and it looked for awhile like it would never make it, as only two men were left to launch it while the first two had the help of those who were waiting outside to assist. These two boys wrestled with this boat all of an 30 minutes before getting her out, but at last they succeeded without shipping much water – if the boat had been heavier and longer, especially in a heavy surf they no doubt would have had less trouble, altho, in a light surf the little boat was always preferred.

At last we were assembled and got our instructions – if a paddle was swung to and fro, highly over the head it meant wait until we over-haul you; if held upright without the waging motion, it signaled “look out”, or be on your guard.

Another order was to try and keep as close together as possible. Also in traveling from one camp to another, which generally would be from 30 to 40 minutes, a plan was suggested to us which we followed and found by following it that we was much benefited. In starting, say, on a run of 30 miles we were to head our boats in the direction that we were going and by getting an object astern of us and keeping it in line with the center of the stern of our boat, we did not have the neck breaking operation of turning our heads every few minutes to see where we were headed for.

After a little practice we became so expert in this that we would row for hours and find at the expiration of that time we were still inline with our landing place.

Before we became fully accustomed to this plan I have known more to row without looking over their shoulders for guidance many hours and found at last that they had been pulling at an angle of 20% from the point they were intending to make.

We found the sea, with the exception of a large ground swell, quite smooth until about nine o’clock when the wind gently at first, began to spring up, in fact we had seen it coming for sometime. It continued to grow strong, when about eleven o’clock the white-caps were running quite frequently and it began to lap over the sides of our boats, which caused us to consider the idea of putting in towards shore.

We were now out about 5 miles, and abreast of a place known as Chinese Gulch, when we noticed the signal from the Captain’s boat calling for us to “heave to”. On pulling up to us, the captain remarked that he favored running ashore at or near China Gulch to await for calmer weather that our destination could not possible be reached in such weather until well into the night and the indications were now, that is would blow harder and he did not feel that it would be a safe undertaking as we were to continue on, no one protested at this – for they felt it was a wise move on the part of our captain and showed him to be a careful as well as a responsible person to look to for our safety during the trip.


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Turning shoreward we ran quartering to the wind and rough sea, shipping some water and our boats tossing quite at the mercy of the sea, it looked tome almost a miracle if we did not capsize before we would make a landing. Where within a quarter of a mile of the beach we began scrutinizing the shore for a landing. Directly in front of us we could see a large rock which was almost submerged at intervals by the breakers, this ` sight was not inviting in the least, for it foretold an angry surf which is always more or less dangerous, and called for expert handling of a boat to beach it successfully. On the right of the rock we could make out a long sandy beach, but we knew that on this beach it would be out of the question to try for a landing, as the breakers were breaking far out in several parallel lines a white churning never ending roaring and boiling sea of foam.

To the left of the sentinel rock we could discern what looked like a quite favorable nook, between the large rock and a headland, it also being the end of the beach. From the rock to the point of the headland was some 200 feet wide with a strip of sandy beach. On drifting inshore cautiously we finally picked this place as the only possible chance for getting ashore in anything like safety. The rock which stood about 150 ft. from the sand or water edge afforded a sort of a bulk—head and quieter for the angry surf making it a beautiful landing in ordinary weather. The little boat go away [went] first for a landing and slid in on the sand without a shock. The next one rode in safely and with four men on shore now to assist with the large boat we at last was safe and sound ashore.

Built in some what of a limited space the sand proved to be only some 30 ft. wide and not over twice or three times as long owing to a ledge of rock butting into the water and our only escape from our narrow location was when the tide would recede far enough making it possible for us to run I around the point of the ledge which [would] lead us on to the larger beach of sand. In the opposite direction, as I said before, we were completely shut in by the high and rocky headland. I immediately behind us rose the bluff or plateau, forty foot perpendicular without any chance whatever to scale it. Heaped up against the bank was tons of dry sea grass and kelp, but wood was scarce and such as there was did not satisfy our demands, any means.

After unloading our boats and placing them as high up on the rocks against the bank as we could hoist them we again loaded them with our outfit, all but the cooking utensils and bedding.

A camp fire is no easy task to light in a strong wind with beach wood for your only fuel and it mostly soaked with salt water, but we having had forethought enough to start with a large slab of pitch – we dug it up and it proved a valuable assest [asset] many times over, it was noticeable that the wind was going down, it being well along toward evening and as a rule it nearly always died out at this time unless a storm is brewing.

Our beds came next, and in our cramped position, there was barely room to spread them down. Many rocks was removed and replaced by dry sea weed before we were satisfied with anything like a comfortable bed.

Two of the boys, while looking over the ground for a suitable bed location, found that the ledge of rock that barred our escape, had a tunnel through it near the bluff and was full of sea weed, dry and light. They insisted on the rest of boys to make down our beds with them, saying there was plenty of room and that we could get out on to the open beach beyond, if necessary, this was good news, as the beach below was covered with an abundance of drift-wood and if we were compelled to spend any length of time here, we would be handicapped for wood, so now our situation looked brighter.

Having already prepared our beds with considerable labor, we concluded to stay where we were, but might decide to all sleep in the tunnel later on, if we had to spend any more nights in the cove.

I must speak of one thing that gave us several hours of unrest before they subsided, and that was the beach flies; when the boys who had decided to sleep in the tunnel began to gather sea-weed they stirred up millions of beach flies and they swarmed over us, crawling and biting. As one of the boys said, ‘like dogs,’ and so they did. Of all the tormenting insects of the fly specie, these were the worst. I never in all our sleeping on the beach saw any place to compare with it. Darkness did not seem to settle them, they continued to crawl and bite far into the night.

When we landed in the cove it was about half tide going out and low tide at sundown with a full moon, a beautiful moon now as the wind had almost ceased, the sea still running modestly high, but with a smooth glassy swell, glistening like silver in the white glare of the moon. A lovely lonesome picture it made. Standing on the beach at night under a full moon in perfect weather has the effect of producing a series of thoughts, that the spirit of man has lived before in a remote past, you feel that somehow you have loved it in the long long ago; that it is part of you now always has been and always will be. “God must be near at hand.” The same several mysterious feeling brings you to the same quietness of mind and peaceful longing for that something, you know not what, except that you feel, oh so insignificant, being at the sea side or on a great high mountain where the view is unobstructed, is the same.

My wandering mind out in this glorious night, as if lost from this earthly realism, would be suddently [suddenly] brought back to earth by those pesky flies, “oh those flies.”

We had just dropped off to sleep somewhere about midnight, I think.


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We had just dropped off to sleep somewhere about midnight, I think.

We were early to bed being up since 3:30 that morning and a strenuous days work we had put in and we were tired and there to be annoyed till almost midnight with flies, was about the point of our endurance, but we finally, after the flies had settled somewhat were sleeping the sleep of the weary when l was awakened out of a sound sleep by what I first thought was some prank being played by one of the boys throwing water on my head, I raised up to ascertain the cause of such an outrage when I perceived others moving out from under the bed clothing staring at what, had no doubt so mysteriously awakened me; for a minute they lay in this l half raised position, when someone asked what had happened. Ed said someone was trying to pull the clothes off his bed. Will said someone was throwing water on him, by this time everyone was awake and lucky for us that we were.

The moon was directly overhead and it was bright as day. But the sea, it was the Captain who yelled [whose yell] warned us just in time to save probably all of us from serious consequences. It was high tide and extreme high time at that, which occurs at full moon, an occurrence which we had evidently overlooked, and the arousing of the boys, was the first swell or breaker of three or four that marks the turning- point of the tide and the last one is generally the largest. The smallest or first of the three or four forming the turning point we had just had a visit from and we instantly knew we had to run for it, but before we could gather up our bedding the second one was upon us, we turned to run for the tunnel leaving our bedding where it was immediately sweep [swept] up by the sea. I had just reached the tunnel when out came the two boys calling to us that it was impossible to get out that way for the sea was further inshore on that side than this owning [owing] to the low and level lay of the sand. We were ankle deep in a whirling gurgling sweep of water, now fortunately receding and with its retreat we saw our bedding and camp utensils being pulled out to sea, cans, buckets, dishes and pots were rolling and clattering over the rock out of our reach. On attempting to rescue part of our bedding and camp outfit, we almost lost our chance of getting out with our lives. “Let those things go,’ yelled the Captain, “and run through the tunnel, it’s our only chance, we may have a shore to get through, but we can’t stay here, the next one will surely get our boats, so beat it quick.” All but two of us got through, and had just turned to our left running through water knee deep when the last and largest breaker overtook us. We were near enough to higher ground to avoid being over powered and dragged down-so got out, but not before we were drenched. We did not know until we reached high ground that we were short of two of our boys.

We had many very narrow escapes before our trip was over, and many severe frights, but none that frightened us as thoroughly as when we found two of us missing, when it was only in the nick of time that we five got out and if two were left-their fate we knew without speaking of it. The receding wave had barely commenced it’s return, before we were following it ankle deep back to the cave where we last saw them. The sea, after rolling in her three mighty rollers, subsided down to her normal flow, this greatly aided us in reaching the tunnel. We were happily surprised to meet the boys emerging from the tunnel, but in a most dilapidated condition, it would have been most comical if it had not been so near a tragedy. They told us that being the last two to reach the mouth of the tunnel they had been overtaken from the rear as well as the front at the same time and the water with a mighty rush and roar filled the cavern to the roof and the rush of water was greatest from the outside which through [threw] them off their feet and tumbled and rolled them back into the cove, bruising them not a little on the jagged edges of the rocks, they fought to keep their head above water and grappling for anything in` reach to keep from being dragged out to sea.

They finally managed to get a hold of one of the boats which had been raised from off its resting place high among the rocks of the bluff and turning over had lodged or been caught on a projecting point of rock and hung stern downward toward the water; they admitted if the boat had been free to have floated they would undoubtly been swepted [swept] away.

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What a mess we were in, everything completely soaked or ruined, our clothing, bedding, and extra change of clothing which we carried were dripping. What a sorry looking bunch of night hawks. Our shoes were all lost, but one pair which was saved by the peculiar freak of human nature which overtakes most people when suddently [suddenly] surprised by a catastrophe, when or how, they did certain unnatural stunts they are unable to account for. But we were unanimous on one point, that was a fire, for we were now chilled to the bone and our teeth chattering so it was almost impossible to get the run of what was really said or proposed.

Before a start was made toward a fire we perceived a number of articles belonging to our outfit washing backward and forward by the tide.

All hands at once turned to and before an outward current could carry them beyond our reach, had saved most of our belongings. Our shoes we gladly put on without socks wet as they were, our feet had suffered cruely during the short time we had been running without them.

There was now no danger from another flood, if we could get our boats righted and blocked up again, so while five of the boys stayed to arrange the boats, two left us to start a fire on the beach beyond the cove. Our supply of matches were intact as they had been packed in a water-tight can and were found still in the boat, but our pitch-wood which we had left near our fire the evening before was gone. After getting our boats secured once more we discovered in the medium sized one – our sail and tent almost wholly untouched by water-this was possible as they had been rolled very closely and tight in order that they would take up as little room as possible in the boats. This find was a luxury as we could use it for bedding until we were able to dry our other clothing.

When we reached the fire which the boys had with much difficulty had made, we had with us the dry tent and sails and as much wet bed clothing as we could carry. It was new near three o’clock in the morning and standing around that most cheerful fire we talked, discussed and told over and over again each individual thought and action that befell us this night, until with the excitement waning, we though of retiring for what few hours that was left of the night. Some wanted to make down our canvass [canvas] bed on the beach near the fire, but the majority favored the plateau above saying that they knew of a hayfield near and of an old stack of stock hay which had been stacked the year before and that it would be an excellent bed if we found the trail leading up the bank, so we started for our much needed haystack with the thought of a good long sleep in the morning with mountains of hay under us. But on reaching the upland no stack was in sight and look as we would, none was found.

It proved later to be at least one mile south of us and across a deep ravine, but we did find where we had finally found a suitable place to spread our canvas and began to roll in, that we had made our bed on, what is known as a beach sticker patch. This sticker is as near as I remember, resembled a small holly leaf, a sort of a five pointed leaf which is only an inch or so high and grows so flat to the ground that it is not visible as the grass is much higher, but nevertheless it is there with stickers long and hard and sharp as neddles.

The first man to lay down arose again with much haste, but before he had time to explain his actions another turned in and he immediately rose; but this time the cause was known, these neddles had penetrated through the two layers of stout canvas and into the bodies, causing a firey sting which continues to burn and smart for hours.

By tramping and sliding our feet over the entire area of our bed, we were able to lie down all in one nest. Just as it was breaking day we fell asleep completely worn out.

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It was noon before we woke and several hours later before we were able to scare up enough food for a lunch, nearly everything was wet, flour, beans, potatoes and the bread, which we had on hand was also ruined.

A proposal was made that two of the boys start for the nearest ranch and hire a team to go back home- for a new lot [of] supplies while the rest were to gather up and dry what bedding could be found and arrange a new camp, our bedding owing to the breeze that sprang up as usual in the afternoon was almost dry and by rustling we had before night secured for ourselves quite comfortable sleeping quarters.

Late the next afternoon the boys who had gone for supplies returned with a new consignment of goods which was badly needed as we had lived on saltwater soaked spuds and a very small allowance of bacon without bread since the night of the flood. Our spirits soon became cheerful again and our loss and narrow escape was now a thing of the pass [past]. All our energy was soon working again for an early continuation of our trip.

The weather was fine, but the sea did not seem to calm down enough to allow us to embark with safety, so while waiting our opportunity, some strolled the beach exploring, while others fished for bull-head, sea trout, and such fish we could be caught from the rocks. Dick and Ed took every opportunity offered to hunt. They, in fact, were the game hunters of the party, while we all took a delight in tramping over the mountains for game, especially deer and small game birds. Dick or Ed seldom went out without bringing in the bacon in some form or another.

During our monotonous waiting at this place, the boys succeeded in killing a small spike buck, which we enjoyed immensely, as fresh meat had been for sometime now a luxury.

It was as near, as I remember, seven days after we had such unlucky landing at this place that we got away again. The day was beautiful, not a cloud marred the early morning sky, now just shedding the last of her stars and the faint streak of light in the east heralded the coming of a glorious day.

The sea was quiet and smooth as glass, barely breaking at our feet and we ran out to sea without noticing the least pitching of the boats and turned our bows northward as happy a bunch of fellows as ever put to sea.

We rowed leisurely absorbing the beauties of a calm sea and enjoying it all greatly. When about nine A.M. We approched what was known as Salmon creek rock marking the halfway point between our home leaving place and Pacific Valley, our present destination. Here we ran quite close inshore in order to observe the peculiar shore line.The coast here is very steep and affords very few landing places if any in fact, there is no place for a safe beaching of a boat between San Carpojo and Pacific Valley a distance of twenty five or thirty miles, making a very tiresome pull especially for green hands.

We rowed close in and followed the shore for many miles the sea as smooth as glass and the air clear and light, putting life and pep into those of us who had began to feel loggy and tired. The aroma now reached us from the Redwoods that were being approached, The first that one encounters on his way up the coast from the south. This belt of Redwood forest in the Coast Range of California terminates near the Parallel of 35a50’ S. Latitude at which point we were now passing. As noon approached we knew it without consulting a timepiece as our stomachs were better time keepers and never failed us. We hove to and as our boats lay almost touching each other we ate our lunch with a relish and after a half hours rest we were favored with a slight breeze from the west, which after we had started began to increase until we were able to put up our sails much to our relief. Our hands were showing signs of the long pull and some were showed [showing] a few blisters, so we hailed the wind with a grateful heart and sprang away with the wind abeam and on a port tack.


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