264 Recreations of a Sportsman 



ocean of Texas, where the wind blows in from 

 the Gulf and the sand has piled up its marvellous 

 bulwark against the sea. 



In a previous chapter I have referred to the 

 location of the missions of California, deducing 

 the theory, that being located near streams, the 

 fathers were anglers. The same might be said 

 of the wonderful missions of Texas, that in part 

 spoiled a fishing trip of mine by substituting 

 themselves as features of greater interest. There 

 was good fishing in the San Antonio River a 

 century ago, and note this interesting coinci- 

 dence there are five missions all within fifteen 

 miles along this little river, which I followed 

 for miles, landing not trout but historical diver- 

 sions, literally ruins of missions; and some day 

 I am going back to Texas to fish for trout and 

 bass. 



The desert in summer is not an alluring out- 

 look, but in winter it is far from unpleasant, 

 yet I must confess that one desire of my trip 

 was to see how really hot it was in the warmest 

 part of the Southwest in the hottest time of 

 the year. I am prepared to report on the sub- 

 ject, and that it was hot. One hundred and 

 twenty degrees at Indio might be given, and it 

 was August; but I will also say that 1 have 

 been far more uncomfortable in New York, Bal- 

 timore, Washington, or Philadelphia. The heat 

 was dry. I crossed the California desert from 



