There Was, However, One Exception To The
Time's Being Our Own; Which Was, That On Two Afternoons Of Every
Week We Were Obliged To Go Off And Get Wood, For The Cook To Use
In The Galley.
Wood is very scarce in the vicinity of San Diego;
there being no trees of any size, for miles.
In the town,
the inhabitants burn the small wood which grows in thickets,
and for which they send out Indians, in large numbers, every few days.
Fortunately, the climate is so fine that they had no need of a fire in
their houses, and only use it for cooking. With us the getting of
wood was a great trouble; for all that in the vicinity of the houses
had been cut down, and we were obliged to go off a mile or two,
and to carry it some distance on our backs, as we could not get the
hand-cart up the hills and over the uneven places. Two afternoons
in the week, generally Monday and Thursday, as soon as we had got
through dinner, we started off for the bush, each of us furnished
with a hatchet and a long piece of rope, and dragging the hand-cart
behind us, and followed by the whole colony of dogs, who were
always ready for the bush, and were half mad whenever they saw
our preparations. We went with the hand-cart as far as we could
conveniently drag it, and leaving it in an open, conspicuous place,
separated ourselves; each taking his own course, and looking about
for some good place to begin upon.
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