Smyrna times., 1892-08-10
THE BIG LAGOON.
An Interesting Formation ON the North

An Interesting Formation on the North
ern Coast of California.
On the northern coast of California,
some thirty miles below the mouth of
the Klamath river, is one of the most
interesting natural formations to be
found in this country, known as the Big
lagoon. Here the coast, which runs
north and south up to this point, takes a
sharp turn inland, bordered by very
high hills, running to a distance of
about three miles, then turning out
again makes sharp bay almost V
shaped, and for ages past a sand bar has
been washing itself up across this bay
until the bar has raised up out of the
water some ten or twelve feet, having a
width of about 100 feet and a length OF
four miles, reaching across the entire
bay.
This bar is in the shape of roof.
When there is a storm the breakers will
roll up one side of it, break over, and
run down into the bay inside, and it is
novel sight to stand there and watch
the waters, mountain high on one side
and perfectly calm on the other, the
line between the two at intervals hidden
altogether.
This bar is a sort of short cut and can
be traversed on horseback. In a storm
the horseman will one minute be high
and dry on land, the next minute a
large wave will roll up and running
under the horses feet to the depth of a
foot or more, the rider will be for an
instant four miles or so at sea on horse
back, with no land nearer than the high
bluffs of the mainland in sight.
Moss agates may be found in abun-
dance on the pebbly beach, and when the
sun shines they glitter with dazzling
brightness.
The wild duck that frequent this part
of the coast literally fill this inland bay,
and the passing hunter, should he take
a shot at them, will raise such a cloud
and such a quacking that he will think
all the ducks of the earth have gathered
there. Occasionally some wild beast
like bear or a panther will be found
crossing this bar, and the Indians have
much sport when such thing happens
the animal rarely escaping capture ol
death.
Here the Digger Indians abound, liv
ing on the shellfish, which they catcl
along the beach, seldom going over tht
ridge of hills to capture a deer, whicl
are plentiful. 1t would astOnish YALE
or Harvard football man to come upOI
this scene some bright morning at low
tide and see the squaws and children
playing lacrosse ON the beach. They ge
so excited with their sport that they
keep it up until the tide drives then
from the beach, often staying there un
til they have to chase the ball down int
the surf.-DetrOit Free Press.
Vegetable HedgehOgs.
Cactuses are the hedgehogs of tn,
vegetable world; their motto is "Nemt
me impune lacessit." Many time in thr
West Indies have pushed my hand fO
a second into bit of tangled bush, a
the negroes call it, to seize some rar
flower or some beautiful insect and beel
punished for twenty-four hours after
ward by the stings of the almost invisi
BILE and glasslike little cactus needles
The reason for this bellicose disposition
on the part of the cactuses is a tolerabl
easy one to guess. Fodder is rare in tn
desert. The starving herbivores tina
find themselves from time to time be
lated on the confines of such thirsty re
gions would seize with avidity upon an
succulent plant which offered them foo
and drink at once in their last extremity
In the ceaseless war between herb
vore and plant, which is waged ever
day and all day long the whole worl
over with far greater persistence tina
the war between carnivore and prey
only those species of plant can surviv
in such exposed situations which happe
to develop spines, thorns or prickles 8
a means of defense against the moutl
of hungry and desperate assailants.-
Grant Allen in Macmillan's Magazine