The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-02-15
mouthed shark, ready for business, can

stantly there is stampede among the
fishes Or, perhaps, this hungry mon
ster will manifest curiosity to see where
you are going, in which case he ioafs
along at the stern of your boat, and the
cold chills chase each other down your
spine as you think how easily one could
put on his angel plumage by simply
capsizing the frail cockle-shell of boat
in which he is riding. In these waters,
or on these ssbanks,' the festive fisher
man can often load boat at one haul of
his net, and we have heard of instances
in which more were captured at one
haul than could well be managed, and
portion were suffered to escape. Amateur
conchoiogists hereabouts have vague
idea that if once placed upon this misty
isle they would gather shells in vast
quantities and of the rarest and most
beautiful varieties. There are many
rare and beautiful shells around the
island, but to gather the best the search
er must strip eff, and in cold water up
to the neck, turn over the stones at the
bottom, and Gull them from sea-weed,
moss and rubbish. When a stray craw-
fish or crab comes along and fastens
upon his toes, and perhaps the one with
a corn on it, the poetical emotion with
which. he was first actuated is apt to be
quenched at once and forever. The
ladies, no doubt, would be perfectly
happy could they but pick their way
among the eraggy stones at low tide, and
Gull from many a crevice the choicest
MOSES Of the sea. 1t is not broken up,
as we find it on the beach here. The
number of varieties is very great, com
bining every hue and tinge of the rain
bow. The deft worker in sea moss
would be happy on such shore as this.
Perhaps the greatest peculiarly of
Anacapa Island is vast and gloomy
cavern, OF unknown depth, located about
the middle of the highest mountain, on
| a level with the sea, and the arch which
| is sometimes visible from this town, at
the extreme southern end of the island.
| The great cave has been explored with
| boat and torches to a depth of two or
three hundred feet, but the place was
found to be full of seals, and the cavern
was believed to widen out and shelve up
SO that there was great danger of the
seals foundering down off the rocks and
sinking the boat. There was also a
| couple of superstitious old sailors IN the
| party who had been muttering curses
upon our curiosity and predicting evil
every spar's length of our explorations,
who could not be induced to bulge an
other foot into the inky blackness stretch
ing out before us. Thus, while appar-
emily On the very threshold of an extern
sive grotto, the approach to which lay
through an archway of solid rock, worn
into fantastic pillars and supports, with
here and there a pendent stalactite above
our heads, upon which the torchllght
cleaned, cur ears ringing with the bark
ing of seals, which, reverberating thro
ali the une1plored caverns beyond, roll
ed ont through this narrow archTay like
peal on peal of thunder, and ever and
anon gazing at the CLEAN Of light be
meath our boat, marking the wake of q
frightened seal-while cur hearts beat
with emotion, and the Young and brave
longed to press on and view the naughty
grandeur of the great cavern which sound
told rs lay just ahead-we were COM
PEELED to return because OF the super
stitious fear of a couple of sailors. It
reminds us of the cavern on the Isle of
Monte Christie, the home of the wonder
full Count whom Dumas makes the hero
of novel, or one of those tabled gent
castles pictured in old and musty tones
Tradition says that this gloomy cavern
was the favorite haunt of the old pirates
who roamed the ssas Sin the days of old,
in the days of gold, and in the days Of
| the Montzumas and the prosecuted In
| cas- that somewhere in the hidden re-
casses lie stored ship loads of ingots of
/ gold and silver, and precious stones by
| the cart load. Whether there is actually
any treasure there we are unable to say,
| but if the old sea kings were inclined
to hide away their stolen treasure, they
| could not have found a more secure spot,