The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-04-06
SAN CLEMENTE.
One of Our Islands OF the Coast of
California and Its Peculiar



About 30 miles off the coast of Cali
foruia. nearly opposite San Diego. lies
the barren, lonely and half-known
island of San Clemente. The trip Is
usually a rough one. But in summer
time, at least, Wilson's Cove offers
comparatively safe harbor, and ii one
knows the locality well it is not hard
10 land on the steep, boulder-strewn
beach. From the shore the bare hills
rise abruptly or all sides, broken only
BY little terracing. The first impress
sion given by the island and confirmed
by a study Of its structure as whole Is
that Of a great block Of the earth's
crust, tipped up on the side toward
Catalina, and very little altered by
erosion.
San Clemente forms pasture for
thousands Of sheep and smaller num-
Der Of cattle, and Wilson's Cove is the
headquarters OF the sheep herders when
they are on the island. That is chiefly
in the spring and summer. for during
the rainy season no. only do the sheep
need less care, but the island is often
weather. At such seasons one old man,
who had lived there for 80 years, used
to have the island to himself, and might
see no human face for three months at
a time. His cabin stands just above
the shore at Wilson's Cove, and near it
are the few rough buildings used by the
sheep men. The place is usually known
as GallagEer's.
The only water supply here is rain
caught during the winter season in
tanks. The joys Of living in this ia
vored spot are further enhanced in
summer time by strong winds which
flow through gap in the hills, bring
ing from the naked slopes clouds of
dust.
The more level regions Of the island
remind one constantly of the desert
There are no trees except very few in
some of the larger canyons. In the
spring there are flowers, but they soon
wither, and the summer aspect of the
island seems its normal one. In some
places there is grass, in others on!y
cactus. or "a little low underbrush. and
two species of mesembryanthemu!n
which are called salt grass" by the
herders.
Not only camp sites. but stone i'm
plements and human bones remain in
considerable numbers to testify to the
former occupation of this island by
Indians.
The desert-like character of the is
land is intensified by the almost absO-
lutte stiffness. Birds of al sorts are
much fewer than on Catalina. Except
for a few crows-seldOm heard-there
seem to be none but he smaller birds
such as linnets and sparrows, which
live principally in the canyons. There
are no squirrels on the island. Snakes
and frogs are also unknown here, butiI
their place are multitudes of silent sun
loving lizards. In the canyons one may
catch an occasional glimpse of a wary
fox; but generally the only large ami
mails seen are the herds of wild goats
and the sheep and cattle, scarcely less
wild, which are pastured here.
The most striking features Of the
islands topography, next to the ter
races themselves, are the canyons
which cut across them. There are nc
gradual descents from ridge to canyon
but a chasn yawns without warning
across the level plain of terrace, its
walls dropping almost vertically into
depths which can only be guessed. To
scale these walls is in most cases an
utter impossibility. Even at the most
favorable points the path which Wind
down to the bed of the canyon and M
again on the opposite side is so steer
and rough that only a mountain-b reC
animal could follow it. The hard-rid
ing Mexican herders will not trus;
themselves TO their sure-foOted horses
in crossing some of the canyons, anC
anyone acquainted with the class
knows that trail which Will make {
Mexican dismount must be bad indeed
In the dry season not a stream j.
flowing anywhere on San Clemente
Only the great depth of the canyons
cut in the solid rock and the immense
powders which are scattered over theii
beds can give any idea Of the force OF
the torrents which foam and roar
through the gorgeS IN winter. Neither
words nor pictures can do justice to Tho
wildress and immensely of San Glenn
ente's topography in general. I'll,
depth of the canyons, the broad eN
panse of the terraces, the height ol
their cliffs and the roughness Of tn,
coast are all belittled in any genera
view, and figures are powerless to meas
ure grandeur.
We sailed out of the cove in the sun
set, and this was our last view of SaI
Clemente; the waters around US silver
blue, the rugged cliffs rising above
them, black against the saffron sky
and nestled in the shadow Of those beet
ling hills, the little cabin, pathetic II
its loneliness. with the sturdy old mar
sitting on the POI ch. his dogs and fowl,
around him. watching he vessel out OF