The Universalist., 1897-07-24
OUR CONTRIBUTORS.
SANTA CATALINA.
BY j. W. HANSON, D D.


l CAN wish the tourist, the pleasure
seeker or the lover of natures most
fascinating features no better ex-
perience than to visit the Pacific
shores from Santa Barbara to San
Diego. There is score of places on
the immediate coast, any one of
which will produce enthusiastic ad
vocates of its superiority over any
other locality, and it may truthfully
be said that if there was but one of
them it would be good enough for
anybody, better than any other
place in our wide land as an all
round summer and winter resort.
One advantage they enjoy in COM
mon is the uniformity of Temperature.
There is very little difference be-
tween January and July. There
are days in December as warm as
any day in June. There are days in
July as cool as any day in January.
The warm wrap is wanted much of
the time in summer and the sun um-
brella in winter. When the icy
surges beat the IRON bound Atlantic
coast and the unhospitable shores
repel all approach, the Pacific waters
of "The American Italy," warmed by
the japan current, are summer sea
sparkling beneath summer sky.
For example: the water at Long
Beach is 60 degrees in January and
6S degrees in July, while in Savan-
nah, almost exactly opposite, it is so
in January and S4 degrees in July.
The average temperature in San
Diego for single year was January
57degrees, July 65 degrees, difference
s degrees, while in Chicago it was,
January 25 degrees, July 73 degrees,
difference 4S degrees; in Naples, It.
ally, January 46 degrees, July rs, diff
ference 30 degrees. Sea bathing is
common every month in the year and
no one could tell by the water or the
air, by the seeing or the feeling,
whether it was summer or winter.
To my mind the most fascinating
spot of all is the island, Santa Cata-
lima, Saint Cathari e). 1t lies some
twenty miles off the coast from Los
Angeles, something in appearance
like Capri off Naples, though further
off, and appears from the mainland
as if it were one of the Sierras towed
out to sea, and anchored there. 1t is
mountain 2,700 above the water,
craggy, precipitous, but with numer-
GUS sandy or pebbly beaches; the
eastern shoreward coast protected
from the prevalent winds, the trade
winds, and the western shore nearly
always foam-fringed and picturesque
with the Pacific surge.
A daily steamer from San Pedro,
the port of Los Angeles, occupies two
hours in one of the most delightful
of voyages. The Hermosa is splen-
did boat, and its passengers rarely
experience any of the discomforts of
sea voyage. Countless gulls, cor
morants, looms, pelicans, and ravens
float in the air or on the water; an
occasional whale is seen; flying fish
pursued by the vcracious tuna dart
from the waves; and one reaches
the little port Avalon, a crescent
shaped harbor, with scores of cot
tages, hundreds of tents, and several
excellent hotels, with sense of fas-
cinated delight.
1t is one of the most peaceful, rest
full places have ever found. Those
who know me will scarcely credit the
story that mapped two hours every
afternoon of my stay! Tennyson
does not exactly describe the place,
but the similarity OF the name sug-
gests the spirit of the locality.
1.-THE island of Av lion
Where falls not hail, nor rain, nor any
: snow,
Nor ever wind blows loudly.
Crowned with summer sea.
That is it, summer isle in a summer
sea, where one can dream away the
time between the many attractions
that compel him to visit them.
have never seen the place where,
sitting on the hotel porch or at the
door of cottage or tent, one is Tapped
in such infinite repose. The CLASSY
harbor, the twenty miles of white
capped brine, between island and ma
tive land, the vast Sierras bounding
the horizon. their summit snow
capped much OF the year, the noun
tains and the sea unite their influ-
ences to soothe and rest the soul.
And this any day in the year, for it is
alike in midsummer and mid -minter.
A delightful experience is enjoyed
by those who would explore the Sc
crets of the sub world, In