A LAND OF DROUGHT AND DESERT 



473 



COWBOY IN SOUTHERN LOWER CALIFORNIA 



He is wearing the usual leather-covered hat, leather jacket, and leather aprons over his 

 legs to guard against the thorny vegetation. Frequently the horses have a leather apron 

 hanging over their breasts for the same purpose. 



The natives formerly cut off the large 

 hollow bases of the quill feathers of 

 these gigantic birds and, fitting them 

 with stoppers, used them for carrying 

 fine gold at the placer mines. 



Owing to its desert character, the pen- 

 insula is thinly peopled and enormous 

 areas remain uninhabited. The most 

 populous section was the region south 

 of La Paz, where rains are more regular 

 than farther north. A few small towns 

 and widely scattered small communities 

 along the coast, with a limited number 

 of villages, ranches, and miners' camps 

 in the interior, cover the population. 

 That repeated unsuccessful and usually 



ill-advised efforts have been made to 

 conquer the desert was evidenced by the 

 many deserted and ruined ranch-houses 

 we passed on our route. 



The tale of unbroken failure of the 

 efforts made during the last 50 years to 

 establish agricultural colonies in Lower 

 California is sufficient evidence of the 

 stern desert conditions which prevail. A 

 few propitious rainy years have encour- 

 aged visions of success, but the succeed- 

 ing rainless years have brought disaster 

 with them. 



In addition to climatic discourage- 

 ments, the early missionaries encountered 

 other troubles, for Padre Baegert, who 



