The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-07-03
CATALINA ISLAND.

Voyage to the Island Santa Catalina ON
the Coast of Southern California With
Some Account of Various Adventures.
10 the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND CouRiER:
Since we have lived in these parts we
have many times wished that we could
go on voyage of exploration and dis
covery among the islands of the
mighty Pacific ocean, for around these
Islands, history and tradition, hang
glamour which makes them to seem al
most enchanted. Through these seas
voyaged the great and famous Captain
Cook, yonder dwelt Robinson Crusoe,
there live even to this day the descend
ants of the mutineers of the Bounty"
and in near by Santa Catalina, the gem
of all islands, Senior Cabrillo discovered
in the year 1912 the Temple to the
Sum-" while since his day this delight
full place has been in succession the re-
sort of pirates. buccaneers, smugglers
and hunters, and is now the Mecca Of
good fishermen and summer voyagers.
When last we stood upon the summit
of the Sierra Madre Mountains we
thought of all this, and while we gazed
upon the climate and building lots of
Southern California, with the great
ocean and its islands in full view, then
we determined to voyage at least as
far as Santa Catalina, catch some
large fish, rediscover ii possible among
the mountain peaks that wonderful
Temple to the Sun which ancient Ca
hfsillo cayu find parbopr ;tc 60 craS fSfae
still burning, and yet in place its most
amazing images of solid gold, which
are supposed to have somehow escaped
the cupidity of the Spaniards. To, Cat
alma then we resolved to go, and the
way is not difficult, a comfortable and
speedy railroad train soon conveys us
from the near by station to San Pedro,
the ancient and historic town, harbor
and port Of entry for this part Of
Southern California.
Here the good mission fathers of 9TH
er days received from Spain those arti-
eles they were unable to produce or
| manufacture for themselves, and from
here they shipped In return the wine,
olives, dried fruit and hides of which
| they had such store.
Here we find in waiting "a good ship,
well found with every comfort and
| luxury, and ready toquickly make the
| ocean voyage of twenty knots or there
| ahouts This voyage is delightful from
! the very start, passing to the right of
Dead Mans Island so frequently
| spoken Of by Dana in his "Two Years
! Before the Mast we skirt along the
| shore, soon clear the point and light
house, and feel that our travels are
| really begun.
| In the distance we see the feathery
| plume of water thrown up by a spout
| ing whale while near at hand the
| graceful and beautiful flying fish skim
over the tops of the waves, SO closely
i pursued by unseen foes that they
sometimes leap Upon the deck of the
| ship.
| Catalina Island rises sheer from the
| ocean, and appears like huge noun
| tain, its peaks three thousand feet
| above the sea level and as we APP
| proach the shore it seems impossible to
make any landing, so precipitous are
! the rocks and the surf dashes upon
them with such fury.
| But near at hand we see a peculiar
| shaped rock or HILL detached from the
| others and looking like an exaggerated
hay stack standing by itself in the
| ocean; the steamer takes short turn
| around this, and before us lies a deep
beautiful and placid bay, all sparkling
| in the sunshine, it's peaceful waters
dotted with pleasure craft of every de-
scription, and the whole in striking
contrast to the rolling waves of the
| reStJees Pacifio
Beyond lies a crescent shaped beach
which forms the front Of a triangular
piece of land that gently slopes to-
wards the water, and is walled in on
both sides by high mountains
| This is the bay and town of Avalon.
| and here are hotels, and wilderness
of tents filled with sojourners from
every place and country, for this is the
| spot where to dwell in tents is pleas
ure; under these sheltering mountain
walls none but gentle breezes ever
blow, and here it does not rain, or the
temperature scarcely vary from May to
| November. And here our adventures
| seem about to begin, for hardly have
| we landed before we are asked to ira