The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
HARBOR IS SPLENDID
MAGDALENA BAY ONE OF WORLDS
GREATEST ROADSTEADS

with fish. fowl. or mountain sheep. or
those which sailOTmen make for them
selves IN such environment. They will
seldom have such opportunities TO vary
the mess bill Of fare as Magdalena Bav
viii afford. From its waters they may
take as many Of the huge turtles which
swarm there as they need The meat
cuts into very palatsble steaks. and is
the largest part Of the meat supply OF
the permanent inhabitants II makes
even better soup and the rich green Eat
under the shell is one OF the greatest de-
lights Of the gornant the world over.
Variety of Fish Abound.
Fish in a thousand delicious varieties
can be pulled in as fast as hooks can be
baited- Magdalena Bay is likely 10 be
the foraging ground soon Of the fishers
for canne-y concerns who have now
practically exhausted the great finny
wealth Of the Upper Pacific Coast streams
and bays The Mexican corporation which
owns thief concessions at the bay also con-
trolls the fishing rights.
japanese fishermen OF san Francisco
are frequent visitors 70 Nagdalena Bay.
because there IS probably no place in the
world where sharks are so numerous. and
their ms arc highly priced as Oriental
delicacies.
Shark fishing is lively sport. and there
are likely 10 be many lines hanging over
side during the stay Of the naval vessels
II is now an Old trick, but is said 20 have
been originated in Magdalena Bav. for
the sailor TO make fast his line and at
tach lighter cord from the line 20 the
steam whistle Of launch or tug When
the shark takes the hook he pulls the
whistle and breaks the light line. thus
saving the whistle structure, which might
otherwise be demolished sy the tug OF
the sea savage.
All the shores are desert wastes. but
the little bays are full Of wild ducks.
flamingOeS. and pelicans- There are quaH
IN the brush OF the sandy shores. and
nine or ten miles inland there are rich
grazing valleys. In one Of them there are
5000 head Of cattle Mountain sheep are
IN the hills
Good Water II Precious.
Water obtained from the few wells
which have proved worth the expense Of
drilling Is very brackish and unfit 10
drink until boiled The land along Man
o'-war Cove has no wells of any value.
and the water supply for the village OF
Magdalena Bay is obtained from another
Of the islands in the harbOr. where a well
yields FIVE gallons minute OF brsckish
water. This has 10 be drawn into barrels.
loaded upon boats. and carried eight miles
10 reach the village. whose various other
advantages OF location have prevented
It's bodily removal 70 the main source Of
water supply
All Of the country Of the mainland back
from Magdalena Bay has been carefully
studied and mapped by Louis F. KWiat-
kOwski. an engineer. now living in New
York He spent the better part of six
years in Lower California, and when he
first sought a basis for his survey he dis
covered that those made by the Mexican
government surveyor years ago we're not
findable. He did find those made by the
United States steamer Ranger nearly for
" years ago The first stake he pulled up
bore the words George F. Dewey. L. 5.
y. Lieutenant, commanding Ranger"
Mr. KwiatkOwski declares that the
Lower California peninsula has an al
lUvial soil Of forty feet average depth,
which, with Irrigation viii grow any
thing under the sun. He says that the
hills are OF such formation that irrigating
catch basins can be built with much less
expense and labor than those OF the lower
part OF California, and that the rich val
leys are hundreds Of times larger IN
Lower California. where they await irri-
cation. than the small valleys which have
been most successfully irrigated in Cali
fOrnia