174 CRUISE OF THE BARRERA 



dry land presented a possible way back with col- 

 lecting conditions excellent from the beginning. 

 We decided upon this for our point of attack, so 

 Bartsch, Clapp, Simpson, Rodriguez, the Patron, 

 Greenlaw, and I proceeded in the launch. Torre, 

 with the auxiliary, set out for the lighthouse 

 around the point of Cajon to organize and instruct 

 a corps of native boys, children of the lightkeeper 

 and a few others, in the methods of collecting 

 butterflies, insects, and land-shells. The Doctor 

 had always been very successful in training youth- 

 ful collectors, having a delightful way of interest- 

 ing children in natural history. 



When we left the schooner no more perfect day 

 could be imagined, but before we had progressed 

 a mile, a lively flock of chubascos organized, gave 

 chase, and not only administered to us a thorough 

 soaking but filled us with horror and fear by deaf- 

 ening volleys from their batteries. When these 

 chubascos, the flying artillery of Heaven's forces 

 unlimber their guns, they strike terror and dismay 

 into helpless mortals below. After an angry chu- 

 basco with fury of wind and bolts has passed by 

 and is raging on as though to destroy the very 

 earth itself we feel thankful that we are only wet 



