1 68 CRUISE OF THE BARRERA 



together in the soft bottom. The house itself 

 stands back in a little clearing made in the but- 

 tonwood swamp and is constructed from the tim- 

 bers of wrecks, the ribs of which were apparent 

 in all directions. Curiously enough it is roofed 

 with excellent red tiles, probably another salvage 

 contribution from the sea. Having by honeyed 

 words overcome some emphatic protests on the 

 part of a large ferocious-looking dog we climbed 

 upon the wide veranda and shook hands with an 

 old man of keen bright eyes and quick intelligence. 

 The women of the household shyly inspected us 

 from behind doors. They could hardly be blamed 

 for reserve any more than should the dog for his 

 ill temper, for we were a most suspicious looking 

 crowd. At any front door in the United States 

 we would have been rejected or at best informed 

 that the wood-pile was in the back yard and that 

 the price of a piece of pie was so much wood cut 

 in such and such lengths. The old man is Andres 

 Soto and a fine type of pioneer. He is the father 

 and grandfather of a numerous progeny that live 

 in the same house. One of his sons is the Alcalde 

 of Cape San Antonio, which means of the lonely 

 forests in all directions. All of them are turtle 



