The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-29
A 30 URNEY 10 POINT LO1fI,
An Enjoyable Trip on the California
Coast.

| Coast.
The following is record of a journey
| to Point Iona in the Pacific ocean
| with some mention of things spiritual
as well as material:
Any one who reads the journals OF
the old-time voyagers along the coast
of California must of necessity be fired
with a desire to follow in their track
and view some of the magnificent seen
cry which they describe in such quaint
and glowing terms.
One of these ancient worthless in
speaking of Point Loma--he did not call
it so then, but had bestowed upon it the
name of his patron saint, and what a
store of saints these sometimes pious
sea rovers must have had-says: 1--WE
found the ascent exceeding difficult,
meanwhile the way thereto was beset
by many pestiferous serpents, but the
view from the heights full fair, and all
the place below appearing as most de-
lectable, inviting us to it by the pleasure
it seemed to promise, and lettering us
from it by the beauty of the prospect"
ALBERT" he continues, I'VE did not long
remain there, for our watch having dis
cerned tall ship in the offfng, we made
a hasty descent to our boats"
And the conclusion seems plain that
where booty was in prospect neither
delectable views nor pestiferous SER
penis were much regarded. Fortunate
~ for US in these latter days, the pes
tiferous serpents have been mostly elm
mated, and good carriage road built
to the lighthouse at the very summit
and extremity Of the point, so there is
little difficulty in the way to prevent
US from feasting our eyes on the pros
pect full fair" And full fair it is per-
haps not to be exceeded by any view in
the world.
Four hundred feet below the great
waves of the Pacific thunder upon the
rocks and seem to shake the very hills,
while on every hand there lies a scene
of indescribable beauty.
Yonder rising abruptly from the ocean
are the high, precipitous, and appar-
emily inaccessible Coronado Islands,
silent witnesses to the loot Of many a
rich galleon, and if all accounts are cor
rect still holding grim guard over
buried treasure.
There we see the mountains and table
lands of Mexico stretching away till
they dissolve with distance, clouds
shadows, and mountains mingled to-
gether.
There at our feet lies the land-locked
bay of San Diego, it's narrow entrance
locking but a thread, beyond is the city,
spread from waters edge to the heights
above, the whole encircled by hills,
with mountains piled on mountains in
the background.
To the right is Coronado Beach and
its big hotel, the objective point Of so
many tourists, far to the left is False
Point, enclosing False Bay, the doom Of
many an over-conf1dent mariner, while
at the very head of the bay and sunk
in dreams of the past lies Oldtown with
its cluster of adobe houses under the
graceful and historic palms.
Among these is the priests house
where Romano" was married-once at
least-and there are the old mission
bells, now lacking a belfry they are
mounted on frame of timber before
the rude church. and stil1--as of old
call on the reluctant wor-
shippers to leave off cock fighting and
come to church.
Dominating the place from nearby
height are the ruins of the Presidio;
gone are the garrison and all the ap-
paratus of war except one large and
venerable Spanish cannon. No more it
speaks for war, or stands for defense,
but only does glorious duty for Fourth
of July celebration and on occasion
makes most tremendous racket
The returning road winds along the
dizzy edge Of canons much too deep
and close for comfort, every turn giving
an enchanting view of mountain, city or
plain
And, poured round all
Old ocean S gray and melancholy waste"
Midway of the return journey are the
grounds and the begun temple of the
theosophists, here are the leaning pill |
lars, large and high, composed of great I
stones Of divers colors, brought with !
trouble and much expense from the |
uttermost parts of the earth, relics are |
they of ancient temples, and holy |
places, each stone possessed of a queer |
history of its own, symbols of we know !
lot what
We pass without difficulty the invisi- |
Die door which is supposed to bar out
III unbelievers, and those who have not |
proper respect for astral bodies, and |
yaze about with wonder. but our dog |
Grower" sees or senses things be- |
'ond our vision and in spite of all that
We can do banks so loudly and so con- \
inuously that we are much afraid he
nay bring down upon us the wrath of
he resident spirits And so we hasten
o take our departure, glad enough to
,et away in our own proper persons.
j. +. b.