The Universalist., 1897-07-24

fish, purple mullets and creatures of
varied shapes and variegated hues
float, and are perfectly visible
through the transparent medium.
Occasionally huge barracuda or
bass darts along, a sea tiger in pur-
suit of prey. The waters are an un-
rivaled aquarium whose secrets are
perfectly revealed.
A visit to the seal rocks is great
experience. A row of six miles or
ride in a naphtha launch brings you
to group of cliffs scattered over
which are seals and sea lions, some of
immense proportions. So tame are
they that we can almost touch them
with our oar, and as their hoarse
barkings-their shark is always on
the sea"-fill the ear, and their ele-
phantine gambols churn the water, it
is source of unique pleasure of
which one never tires.
A horseback ride over the sum-
mits, or a stage ride on the new route
along the peaks, is the experience of
a life time. The latter is now in pro-
cess, and when completed will be
twenty-five miles long, entirely across
the island, and will be one of the
grandest in the world whichno visitor
should omit. There are places from
which one looks almost perpendicu-
larly down on "the wrinkled sea-"
and across the water to the main
land, as he goes among pretty can
yons and amid scenes of bewildering
grandeur.
OF all places on the sea here is the
yachter's paradise. The waters are
blue summer and winter, aquamarine,
or peacock blue, equally calm, always
pacific describes it; and yet unlike
the Atlantic it is never "dead calm,"
the white squall" never invades;
but wet sheet and a flowing sea
and wind that follows fast" may be
enjoyed from month to month with
scarcely difference in weather.
And such fishing! Children and
women and the timid may catch from
the wharf rock bass up to several
pounds each, and other fish. Some
times yellowtail #, almost any
weight under twenty pounds. But
from row boat yellowtail, sea bass
weighing several hundred pounds,
barracuda, the great tunas that fully
matches the tarpon in gameness and
surpasses him in size and strength,
and multitudes of others are found in
great abundance.
have seen single angler capture
in mornings fishing several hun
dred pounds, with rod and reel,
among which were yellow tails of
twenty-five pounds each, barracuda
nearly as heavy, and sea bass, or jew
fish, weighing more than two hundred
l have seen three tons of sardines
netted at a single haul of the seine.
And l must here tell an original
fish story "all which | saw and part
of which | was" One lovely morn
ing Mrs. Hanson and | were floating
on the placid water looking down into
the submarine wonders below us,
when we heard scream above us and
looking up thousand feet or SO,
we saw on a jutting crag that
"Fierce gray bird with bending beak,
And angry eye and startling shriek,'
the te-headed eagle. was just tsay-
ing that he was waiting for an osprey
or sh-hawk," to come and catch
fish when he would rob him of his
prey, for the "bird of freedom" is no
fisherman, but gets his living by rob-
bing that industrious marauder, the
osprey, when the osprey appeared,
darted like bolt from the sky, and
seized large fish in his tremendous
talons. But his grip was not tena-
cious enough, and rising with his
prey little way it wriggled from his
grasp and fell into the water near
our boat. The fish was SO crippled
that it could not go below the surface,
and | pushed it towards the shore till
l could wade, when | jumped from
the boat, and threw it in. On reach
ing shore | weighed my prize and
found it to be a barracuda that
tipped the scales at ten pounds. 1
bad no rod, reel, hook, line or bait,
and yet l captured as fine fish as is
often seen. For the information of
of old friends East may here add
that though there is on Catalina an
Annanias club, composed entirely of
fisherman, | am not a member so
that my story can be depended upon.
In former years l was very familiar
with the Atlantic coast, have in fact
explored it from New Brunswick to
Florida, but never have | seen any
thing to compare with the shores of