The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-04-07
COVETED ISLANDS.
Interesting Peotdo Group wh3dA
Mexico u Said to Claim.

Mexico u Said to Claim.
santa Cataliaa and Othse Is,sts Upos
which Vast Hsrds Of sAeap Ass
Raised d-Chasacssr OF tAs 7,,
Inhsbltants.
The story told by special dispatch
from the City Of Mexico that the Mex
ican government would probably soon
lay claims at Washington to Santa
Catalina, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa
islands has elected considerable COM
ment. BY most persons who reside In
Santa Barbara, Ventura and other
coast counties contiguous to these
islands, says the San Francisco Chron-
icle, it was not believed that Mexico
could make the claim stick. While
some Mexicans have resided on these
islands. the islands have, it is stated.
been held mainly, when at all, by
Americans who were interested in
sheep raising and guano. Mexico has
never, in all the years since the cession
Of California to the United States,
made any claim to them, and 1t IL
claimed that they were nominally In
cluded in the treaties. of 1919 and 184s,
If not, in fact, stated in detail. On
this ground it is urged that Mexico
cannot rightly claim them. 30
This was the substance Of . state
ment of William Mondeson, an old
resident Of Santa Barbara county. It
is said that James Lick once laid claim
to Santa Catalina island, and that Tor
long time he had q large band Of
sheep there. b.. ta ssei
The islands claimed by Mexico be-
long to the channel group, so called,
which numbers seven distinct islets,
lying of the coast below the sharp
turn of the mainland to the southeast.
Biologists have a theory that these
channel isles are the mountain sum-
mits of . peninsula that once extended
from Point, Conception to San Diego.
The correspondence of the geological
and botanical species there with those
Of the mainland give justification to
this surmise. although Catalina has
many specimens of dora plainly show
ing drift from the south to her peace
full shores. ~ tg @
Cabrillo discovered and named Cata-
lima in 1542, and speaks of the bronzed
hair and ruddy complexion of the ma
tives, thus showing their differentiation
from the black-haired, dull-brown
races on the California shore, and suQ-
gesting the same northward emigra,
tion that car be proved of the fowers-
Vizcano later spoke of the houses
thatched with shells, the temples
where craven images were worshipcd
and birds were sacrificed. This supe-
rior form of worship indicates, too, .
vast improvement upon the Digger
huts of reeds and althy fetch worship.
with the coyote for god. The island
ers were water-farers and workers in
stone, another point in which they ex-
cclled the landsmen. Their canoes
were of followed logs, made water
tight with asphaltum. The Smithso-
nian institution has removed over
thirty tons of relics of stonewsre ex-
cavated from these islands.
Soon after the early Spanish visits
the northern seal hunters sailed down
upon the 'unohending islanders, and
with Tartar 1endishness killed or
aimed to kill every male inhabitant
along the channel. Therace languished
and the progeny of the few who es-
capped were taken from the islands "a
the missions at Santa Barbara and
Purissima early in 1900, all but the
poor forgotten woman, whom Nidcver
found years after gibbering idiot.
Santa Catalina is one Of the best
known of the channel islands, particu-
larly since the establishment on it of
. summer resort, Avalon, with . hotel
and regular steamer service in the sea-
son. Santa Cruz is the largest of the
Santa Barbara channel group and lies
twenty-one miles of shore. East and
west its length is twenty-one miles,
and it has an average width of four
miles. Its coast line is about sixty
miles. The eastern portion is irregu-
lar, barren and waterless, while tho
northeastern part is covered with large
rocks. Several species of cactus and
coarse grasses flourish in this region.
The shores are bold and rugged. Dor.
dered with . dark gray sandstone.
The elevation of the highest point Ia
/, $50 feet, and it is visible for dis
tance of forty miles. San Pedro point
is the name of the eastern extremity.
A mile or so west is rocky ridge
known as Cavern point. Other pou-
tions of the island are known - .Di-
ablo point, West point and Frazer
point. Small bays and coves which .af-
ford anchorage for small craft indent
the shore. These are known rs Pris-
oner's harbor, Chinese harbor, Pelican
bay, Tyler cove, Scorpion harbors
Tinker harbor, Platt's harbor, Smng-
gler's cove, Shaw's anchorage, Valley
Albert anchorage, Ala
mos anchorage, Poss anchorage and
Fowey's cove. -
Santa Rosa island is . landmarks bold
in contour, though it is not 70 hiehAs
Santa Cruz. Moderately round hilltops
are visible on, all sides. The greatest
elevation il 1,564 feet above the sea
level. There are no large trees on tbs
island, although it il we'll wstered,
but scrub oak and pine IN small elumps
are to be found in the gulches. G1ass
and herbage grow In great abundance
Along the northwest side IL IN in
lented shore line ten and Z half miles
long. There is = plateau arising from
the water edge 70 The foot of the
II y 10 feet sbovo the
ses and u trAversed by numbers Of
barrow galches The south side r.
also bordered; by bold. straight Pluhs.