Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-07-14

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great deal Of news, and is therefore highly
appreciated. It runs from San Francisco
to Eureka, about 200 miles north of here,
taking IN all of these coast towns and land
ings, thus connecting vast lumber region
with the headquarters at the city
Our mail contract gives Us mai each
dsy. This is a sort of distributing ofice.
The mail going north from here only three
times each week. 1t is surprising to see
the amount Of mail matter that finds its
way along this coast, showing that we are
reading people, and not unmindful Of
our duties toward the press. This, tOgeth-
er with our express, is brought to us by a
four-horse line Of coaches. The whole un-
der the supervision Of an active and in
telIgent young widow, who can handle the
reins in a manner to excite the envy Of the
most ambitious Jehu.
Do you know Captain Peter? MOI Well.
he is the master Of the schooner Emma &
Louisa, which trades between here and
San Francisco, and is as stauneh craft as
runs in the coasting trade, carrying about
100, 600 feet Of lumber Her captain Is
noted for his gentlemanly and aceOmmOda-
ting qualities, and if any passengers or
freight is to be carried, his vessel takes the
preference. Necessity compels us once in
two months, to go to the city for new
goods, and upon your correspondent falls
that honor, and how better could l go
than with Captain Peter. So ! stepped
aboard the Emma & Louisa, for my first
trip on the ocean. There is something
awfully grand shout the ocean that one
cannot feel when viewing our inland lakes.
When contemplate its immensity, whose
waters span the zones Of the earth, and
lave the shores Of the hemispheres, and
watch its long, unbroken waves, as they
come chasing each other to this rock-bound
coast, there is to me grandeur about it
that Lake Erie cannot afford. At noon
our lines were let go, and q strong north
west breeze soon sent us out to sea. We
then laid our course for Point Keyes, fifty
miles away, which we reached in five hours.
Then taking an easterly tack, we made the
Golden Gate in four hours more. Here
the wind suddenly left us, and we drifted
with the tide under its rocky entrance,
the guns of Fort Point bearing upon Us.
Letting goour anchor We passed the night.
We had remarkably quick passage down,
and nothing to mar the pleasure Of the trip
with the exception Of slight sea-siekness
on the part of our lady passengers. From
the sea our coast view is particularly pleas
ing, embracing a scope Of several counties,
,and bringing into prominence the rough
and jagged peaks of the coast range.
Point Keyes juts out from the main land
perfectly devoid of timber, and creeps for
many miles out into the sea, terminating
in high and rocky point, upon which is q
light house and fog signal. This strip Of
land is noted for its fine dairy rancho, the
fogs Of the ocean supplying moisture and
thus keeping plenty Of green feed. We
pass to our right the Farralone Islands,
which are Just visible in the twilight.
Three hugerocks shoot up from the sea;
on one is . Government light, with its
keeper, no other use have they, only serv-
ing as q meeting and roosting place for
millions Of sea birds.
Morning found US still waiting for a
breeze. This just suited me, as my desire
was to pass the portals of the Golden Gate
by daylight. 1t seems to me as if Nature
had defensive object in view when plan
ming this harbor. She has thrown up, on
either side of its narrow entrance, high and
commanding mountains, which could be so
fortified that the combined navies of the
world would be powerless to effect an en-
trance On the northern side, as yet, no
improvement has taken place, other than is
necessary for the safety Of commerce. On
the southern shore the city seems to be
pushing its way toward the ocean, as here
and there are dotted the habitations of its
citizens, some very inferior, while others
have more independent look. Govern
ment has possession Of the most attractive
points. The Preside reservation, where a
camping ground is established for her
troops being particularly pleasant loca-
ton.
About a. m. our captain snifIed the
breeze, and heaving up his anchor we were
again aaoat, but his calculations were too
soon, for strong ebb tide drifted us again
out to sea. Soon henorthwest trade wind,
which invariably blows here during the
summer, struck US, and with all sails set
we were soon alongside our dock. A
weeks stay in the city and our schooner
was ready for the return trip, and after
beating against strong Northwestern for
two nights and day, we anchored in our
bay, and as stepped ashore felt grateful
to Captain Peter and his "bonnie Emma
& LOuisa for my safe arrival, and to them
am indebted for my first sea voyage.
Rogv,oo&A,,lI,-