196 Cape Region of Baja Califor eee : Uae 
~ successfully carried out. We had the choice of two: pile: routes to | 
La Paz. One which we had first intended to travel was from ‘San 
José to Todos Santos on the Pacific Coast, and from there into the se 
Sierra de la Laguna, returning to Todos Santos and skirting 
northern base of the mountains to La Paz. Another but more diffi- 
cult way was to follow the mountains, which could be ascended from 
Miraflores or Agua Caliente, but daily thunder storms were seen in 
the mountains, and our time was limited. 
II. SAN JOSE DEL CABO TO LA PAZ. 
A contract, at very reasonable prices, was made with Sr. Marcial 
Amador, a brother of Mr. Belding’s trusted guide, Francisco, for 
six mules and a packer, to be ready at seven o’clock on a certain 
morning. There is nothing more uncertain in Lower Californiathan 
the hour at which one may start on a journey, and the news that a 
party of Custom House officials was going to have a good time and 
feast at Cape St. Lucas, made it extremely doubtful if our animals 
could be had on the day appointed, but not only were they ready on 
sharp time, but Don Marcial, foregoing the pleasure of the picnic— 
which must have been a great disappointment—came personally to 
superintend the start. There was one horse in the lot which was 
assigned to me, with the assurance that he was a fine animal for 
suchatrip. His buckskin-covered bones did not look much like it, 
but he proved to be remarkably sure-footed and with endurance sur- 
passing any of the five mules. 
The first day’s ride was to Miraflores, where we arrived after dark, 
but knowing beforehand where to camp, we were soon comfortable — 
for the night. The next day was spent in collecting about beautiful 
Miraflores, where vegetation was growing in tropical luxuriance. 
The garden birds were not different from those obtained at San José. 
In the oaks I had expected to find the narrow-fronted woodpecker 
( Melanerpes formicivorus angustifrons ), but they were not seen until 
we went into the mountains. A peculiar, green arboreal lizard was 
taken at Miraflores, and a large ‘‘iguana”’ shot from the portals of 
the mission. There is a saddle manufactory in the town, where the 
best saddles of the cape region are made, but they cannot produce 
leather equal to that used in making American saddles. 
The ride from Miraflores to Agua Caliente was but a few hours; 
the way was a broad vista cleared through a perfect jungle of trees, 
