The morning call., 1892-12-01

height OF twelve or fifteen feet, as il getting
ready for some mighty effort, aud an instant
later there would be one long cataract from
the top of the breaker to the trough before
II. In another second a mass of feathery
foam and spray would rise higher than the
already disappearing crest of the breaker
and veil 1t from view. This seething M ass
OF foam and spray would start at once for
the distant shore, charging aud scrambling
through the foaming waters before it in
Wild desperation, finally clambering up
the sands as il mad to get higher than
any breaker had done before. A broad
band OF this boiling surf stretched down
the coastas far as the eye could reach.
The surf cut the most picturesque capers
about the seal rocks. Ii boiled and churned
and seefhed and roared and dashed about
them aud over them as il has seldom done
before. 1t was wildly picturesque and
beautiful to see breaker dash against a
great mass of white fieecy spray high into
the air. The biggest rock is fully fifty feet
high, and once IN while a mountain of
this spray would shoot in over its top and
then come pouring in rivers of snowy white
down the side in view.
The seals hunted places where the spray
would not often reach them and mingled
their hoarse cries with the low roar and the
splashng OF the surf and the whistling of
the wind.
The low swinging clouds hid the tons of
Tamalpais and the higher Marin County
hills and made the lower ones ghostIv in
mantles of fog. but the view across the
water was quite clear most OF the after
noon and marine-glasses were in great de-
mand.
White caps dotted the ocean for miles
out and the horizon at o'clock was quite
distlnct. The Farallones could be easily
seen and patch of light just above the dis
tant hazy rock gave beautiful effect to the
view.
Down the coast through the north chan
mel coastlGg steamer fought its way 1t
was smoky speck at first. After awhile
IL neared Point Bonita and people watched
i with intense interest as it struggled on.
Its PROV would seem one instant to be
buried in the water and then its nearest side
would dip low and disappear. Then the
vessel would roll back until one almost ex-
pected to see the keel aud again pitch for
ward In the angry sea- II almost made one
seasick to watch it,
Away up by Point Reyes was another
smoky speck where some steam schooner
was getting ready to brave the bar, and was
signaling its approach with long banner
OF smoke that reached to the land.
Ten miles out, and little south of the
farailones. was full rigsed ship crossing
the bar with ali sails set and strong wind
driving her in. AT 2 O'Clock she was a
square black silhouette against the gray sky.
ne tail square patch OF black would now
ana then slowly sway to an angle of forty
hve degrees to one side and then slowly
swing as far the other way, beating time
10 the rolling of big waves there.
Now ana then the air away out there
would grow misty and make weird phan-
tom oil the square spot on the sky. Through
powerful fifty-mile glass the bellied sails
would come into ghostly view, and some sea.
dog said Ii was raining hard out there.
The good ship sped on as the afternoon
wore away. but the sky grew more stormy
and air more misty. The Farallones faded
from sight.
AT little before O'clock came a glorious
scene. The clouds above the horizon
thinned and the hidden. sinking sun set a
long band of shining gold on the distant
horizon. The phantom ship sprang into
Clearer and nearer view against the golden
] band. and all at once another distant ship.