168 CAMP FIRE REMINISCENCES 
wards from some disease, so would be inclined to 
question his having introduced the animals, as it is 
unlikely that the survivor of a voyage in a caravel 
from Spain to California with a herd of goats 
would succumb shortly after to the ravages of any 
ordinary germs. However, the goats were not 
there before the Spaniards came, and I have no 
wish to rob Cabrilla of any of his glory. | 
The trip south was delightful, and I could not 
help noticing how proud of their country its inhab- 
itants were. On the way I heard much of its won- 
ders and of its possibilities, also a great deal about 
its remarkable history. Less than a century ago, 
Dana found a very thinly inhabited coast and now 
it is the playground of America. It is wonderful 
to think of the change wrought by a few short cen- 
turies. One can picture Cortes or some such per- 
son, clad in armour cap-a-pie and surrounded by his 
morioned horde, marching roughshod through the 
land; and then picture the happiness and prosper- 
ity of to-day, with a genial, kind-hearted Southern 
Pacific Railway official extending his helping hand 
to the struggling fruit grower and addressing him 
with words of love and encouragement. 
Arriving at Los Angeles I found the office of the 
proprietors and soon had ‘‘a permit.’’ I was told 
to kill as many as I pleased, as they wanted the is- 
land for sheep and wished to get rid of the goats. 
Crossing by the steamer from San Pedro to Avalon, 
I met a man who gave me a lot of useful informa- 
tion. He told me that I must secure a guide and 
horse, and that it was customary for the sportsman 
