Evening star., 1899-04-15


seen these glorious cliffs, however, you
will not doubt what the original name was
intended for Each cliff, each detached
rock, wave-worn and polished by the ac-
ton of the sea, is a gem of the first water
and La Joya, collectively, forms a diadem
worthy the richest setting in the world.
Among the Cliffs.
The faces of the cliffs are worn into caves
and followed by the waves into caverns,
some shallow and some deep, some open
to exploration at all times, others only ac-
cessible at low water and by means of a
boat. There they stand, their feet in the
water. flying buttresses bracing them
against disaster by flood; wrinkled and
corrugated their protruding knobs and
BOSSES perching places for gulls and cor
morants.
Above the cliffs is the hamlet of La
Joya, one of those forlOrn relics of the
boom period when every man felt assured
of a fortune from his holdings of realty
if he could but hold on long enough: but
who got Left by holding on too long! 1t
IS a sad little town. although with the
brightest of locations and with an outlook
over the sea most marvellous. One of the
prettiest jewels in this gemmary is the tiny
bathing beach, of yellow sand, wedged in
amongst the cliffs, near which is gro
tesque!y eroded sandstone called, from its
shape, Alligator Head. Under the Alliga-
tor is a natural tunnel, extending quite
through the big rock, and within which
the air is always cool, no matter what the
temperature outside The waves come up,
at high tide, washing and polishing the
slippery floor and dashing through the tun-
mel with thunderous roar; but after they
have receded this double-ended cavern
forms a cool retreat, curious repository
for rare shells, crawfish and fiddler crabs.
The most symmetrical sandstone here is
the perfect specimen of aqueous archltect-
ure locally known as the Cathedral, an
immense and detached rock, at the verge
sands shane color
beautiful. At little distance. the configu-
ration of the arched interior forms double
human profile, between the converging lines
of which is enframed seascape extending
far away into the dim perspective.
On Point Iona.
Out at sea, vaguely outlined, rises the
great promontory of Point Iona, which it
self. alone and with only the vast view
it gives from its precipitous headland, is
worthy a special trip to the Pacific coast.
1t is grand, glorious, isolate, a bold pro-
lection of the mainland into the domain Of
the sea; like Cape Cod, Massachusetts,, in
shape; or defending arm, bent around
the perfectly protected harbor of San
Diego.
The only building on this plateau-like
promontOry is lone lighthouse, and this
has been abandoned for another, and newer,
Down at the base of the hil nearer the
sea. The reason for this abandonment 1t
would be hard for one unacquainted with the
San Diego climate to guess. The San Die
gans point to it triumphantly as a vindica
ton of a long cherished and widely-promul-
gated assertion, namely, that the damp
sea fogS, which more to the north dn the
Los Angeles section for instance) lie low
to earth and sweep across the country
with trail of mist here, on the contrary,
fly high, and are merely welcome protec-
ton from the ardor of old Sol. In proof
of this they point to this deserted light
l-,,r ,1l, III, !, nt,,
could not pierce the fog curtain with the
most powerful light; while now, the light
having been placed al or near sea level,
its rays shoot under the fog and guide the
beniShted mariner to the haven desired.
Should a fog so far forget itself as to cling
close to earth, the enterprising people OF
this charming city by the call your at
tention to the fact that it Is a perfectly
"dry fog" and would not hurt you for the
world!
Beauties of Nature.
There are no other buildings now, but
the Theosophists have purchased 1d0 acres
Of the plateau on which to establish
school for the teachings of their cult But,
where else can one find such aromatic
breezes as here sweep the headland. such
slopes fower-carpeted with the giistening
ice plant, and many others, white, red,
scarlet, creamy yellow, scenting the air?
This spot We're indeed bleak and barren
queer "road-runner' and the white
gulls innumerabe
Down beneath the lighthouse the point
terminates in a precipice. under which a
vast cave burrows and beyond which
stretches the ocean. Miles of floating kelp
and seaweed form tropical Sargasso with
blue and open interspaces in which swim
hright-colOred fish Beyond on the horizon
the Coronado Islands; around to the left,
Inland, the silver sickle of famed Coro-
nado Beach bending hitherward from the
shaggy Mexican headlands, and with its
great, red-roofed hotel, holding all the
traveller may desire. Across the inclosed
harbor the slopes Of San Diego display its
homelike houses, gardens, parks, with shin
ing background of snow-tipped mountain
range, sweeping northward from a level
topped Mexican mesa.
And beneath me was the beach where
met the man who said, as l mentioned at
the beginning, that he had seen 1t all, that
it was all alike; bare bleak, and monoto-
noIs. FREDERICK a. ODER.