by
over-riding, their places can always be supplied from the nearest,
cattle estate. They strike terror among the widely-scattered
inhabitants of the borders; but there is no doubt, if they were bravely
and systematically opposed, they would be very quickly driven away, or
compelled to have recourse to more peaceable occupations for their
support Durango is a pretty little town, with white-washed, flat-roofed
houses, standing on a plain surrounded by high rugged hills, a
remarkable feature being the number and size of the American aloes which
grow in the neighbourhood. We put up at a _meson_, not remarkable for
its cleanliness or the luxury of its provisions, and were not sorry to
find ourselves once more in our saddles on our way back to Mazatlan. We
reached that place without any adventure; and the same evening, having
wished our kind friends, Captain Driscoll and Mr Dwyer, good-bye,
sailed for San Francisco, the wonderful port of the gold regions of
California.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

CALIFORNIAN EXPERIENCES.

One fine morning we found the _Triton_--one of a crowd of vessels of all
rigs and sizes--standing in with a fair breeze towards the far-famed
harbour of San Francisco. High black rocks ran out of the sea before
us, like monsters guarding the entrance to that domain of boundless
wealth. Loud roars, too, saluted our ears, which, on a further
examination of the rocks, were found to proceed from a large
congregation of sea-lions assembled at their bases. As we glided by,
not fifty fathoms from some of the rocks, they looked up at us with
inquiring eyes, as if to know why we had come there; and, certainly,
from their formidable heads, they appeared as if they were well able to
defend their native territory. Jerry could not resist the temptation of
firing his rifle among them. It had a wonderful effect on the whole
body; big and little sea-lions, and cows, and seals, all began
floundering away in the greatest dismay into the water--their
awkward-looking movements being very amusing; at the same time,
thousands of birds, which had been perched on the rocks, or floating in
the water, rose into the air, with loud screams, circling round our
heads; while porpoises, or some other huge monsters of the deep, kept
gambolling around us, and now and then leaping out of the water in
sportive humour.

All this exhibition of wild animal life was, it must be remembered,
within a few miles of the rich and populous city