12 CHANNEL ISLANDS OF CALIFORNIA 



famous Log is complete from the time of sailing, but 

 it is very voluminous, hence only that part relating to 

 the Channel Islands is quoted. It gives an excellent 

 and interesting illustration of the style and methods 

 of the valiant geographers of the sixteenth century, 

 and while there is some uncertainty as to the exact 

 locations intended, the navigator of the Pacific Coast 

 to-day, or the layman familiar with the islands, readily 

 recognizes the places referred to in the quaintly worded 

 Log. 



It is interesting to compare the old maps of Cali- 

 fornia made by the navigators, explorers, priests, and 

 soldiers from the time of Cabrillo, in which are pic- 

 tured the Channel Islands. All show some or all of 

 them, and some so very many, and with so great 

 uncertainty about the descriptions, that one can well 

 imagine that Tanner's Bank and that of Cortez 

 (see Chapter XVII) might then have been above 

 water, or that within four hundred and fifty years, 

 islands which then existed, have disappeared. There 

 is no good reason for believing this, and the islands 

 of the coast of CaHfornia have, doubtless, not mate- 

 rially moved up or down for thousands of years. On 

 one old map, of 1670, the coast line is fairly correct 

 below Point Concepcion. The great indentation of 

 Santa Barbara is shown, and the islands of San Miguel, 

 Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa. San Nicolas 

 is given a fairly accurate position, and Santa Catalina 

 ("I. S. Cathalina") is drawn as perfectly as though 

 done to-day; but San Clemente is swollen out of all 

 proportion, doubtless being described from hearsay. 

 Between San Clemente and the mainland, the map- 

 maker inserted four small islands which are not known 



