The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-27
SAN CLEMENTE.
One of Our Islands Off the Coast Of
California.


California.
From the Land of Sunshine.
About fifty miles off the coast of
California, nearly opposite San Diego,
lies the barren, lonely and half-grown
island OF San Clemente. The "trip is
usually a rough one. But in summer
time, at least, Wilson's Cove offers n
comparatively safe harbor. and If one
knows the locality well IL is not hard
to land on the steep boulder-strewn
beach. From the shore the bare hills
rise abruptly on all sides, broken only
by little terracing. The first impress
sion given by the island and confirmed
by study of it's structure as a whole
Is that of a great block of the earth 8
crust, tipped up on the side toward
Catalina and very little altered by
erosion.
San Clemente forms a pasture for
thousands of sheep and u smaller
number of cattle, and wilson's Cove
Is the headquarters of the sheep herd
ers when they are on the island. That
is chiefly in the spring and summer,
for during the rainy season not only
do the sheep need less care, but the is
land is often unapproachable on ac-
count of rough weather. At such sea
sons one old man, who had lived there
for thirty years, used to have the is
land to himself and might see no hu-
man 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
Gallagher's.
The only water supply here is rain
caught during the winter season in
tanks. The Joys of living in this fay-
ored spot are further enhanced in sum-
mer time by strong winds which flow
Trough a gap in the hills, bringing
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 a very few
in some of the larger canons. In the
spring there are flowers, but they SON
Wither, and the summer aspect of the
island seems it's normal one. In some
places there is grass, in others only
cactus, or a little low underbrush, and
two species of mesembryanthemum
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 he
former occupation of this island by In
dians.
The desert-like character of the is
land is intensified by the almost abso-
lutte stiffness. Birds of all sorts are
much fewer than on Catalina. Except
for a few Crowds-seldom heard-there
seem to be none but the smaller birds,
such as linnets and sparrows, which
live principally in the canons. There
are no squirrels on the island. Snakes
and frogs are also unknown here, but
in their places are multitudes of silent,
sun-loving lizards. In the canons one
may catch an occasional glimpse OF a
wary fox; but generally the only large
animals seen are the herds of wild
goats, and the sheep and cattle,
scarcely less wild, which are past,ired
here.
The most striking features OF the is
lands topography, next to the terraces
themselves. are the canons which cut
across them. There are no gradual
descents from ridge to canon, but a
the level plain of a terrace, it's 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 fav-
orable points the path which winds
down to the bed of the canon and up
again on the opposite side is so steep
and rough that only a mountain-br
animal could follow it. The hard-rid-
ing Mexican herders will not trust
themselves to their sure-footed horses
in crossing some of the CanOns, and
any one acquainted with the class
knows that a trial which will make a
Mexican dismount must be bad indeed
In the dry season not IL stream is
flowing anywhere on San Clemente.
only the great depth of the canons cut
in the solid rock and the immense
boulders which are scattered over
their 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 the wildness and immensity
of San Clemente's topography in gem
eral. The depth of the canons, the
broad eXpanse of the terraces the
height of their cliffs and the rough
ness of the coast are all belittled in
any general view, and figures are pow
erless to measure grandeur.
we sailed out of the cove in the
sunset, and this was out last view Of
san 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 beetling hills, the little cabin,
pathetic in its loneliness, with the
sturdy old man sitting on the porch,
his dogs and fowls around him, watch
ing the vessel out of sight.