92 



CALIFORNIAN WOLVES. 



tance of a good hour^s ride, the night was dark, 

 and I was not inclined to trouble the repose 

 of the monks, I determined to await the dawn 

 of morning. Our small tents were presently 

 pitched, several fires lighted, and the cooks set 

 to work. 



After our tedious row, (for, owing to the 

 zigzag course we had been compelled to steer, 

 we had passed over a distance of at least forty 

 miles,) the camping out, in a beautiful night, 

 was quite delightful. Although it was now 

 the latter end of September, the air was as mild 

 as with us during the warmest summer nights. 

 Round our little encampment we heard an 

 incessant barking, as of young dogs, proceed- 

 ing from a species of wolf, which abounds 

 throughout California; it is not larger than 

 the fox ; but is so daring and dexterous, that 

 it makes no scruple of entering human habita- 

 tions in the night, and rarely fails to appro- 

 priate whatever happens to suit it. This we 

 ourselves experienced ; for our provision of meat 

 had not been sufficiently secured, and we found 

 nothing in the morning but a gnawed and 

 empty bag. 



