THE ISLAND OF SAN CLEMENTE 149 



island that cannot talk back. The rocks of the island 

 are given as mainly volcanic. Great clots of lava are 

 seen on the east reaching out into the sea; and on the 

 extreme east end there is a splendid burst of basaltic 

 columns overlooking what, under normal conditions, 

 is the finest yellowtail fishing in any sea. 



The geologist will find this end of the island a mar- 

 vellous study; one should not leave it without climbing 

 some of the east end canons, studying the old sea 

 beaches (terraces), which rise one above the other here, 

 riding or walking down the island on the summit, 

 making a trip around the island to see the strange 

 geological features which express themselves as caves, 

 canons, and rifts. The island is seemingly almost 

 without verdure, yet is fascinating in its aridity; this 

 in summer. After a heavy winter rain the volcanic 

 rocks, the barren places, are often covered with green; 

 wild flowers spring up, and San Clemente is in places 

 a garden of the sea. 



At this time a marvellous sight is to be seen on the 

 northeast coast — the precipitous side of the island. 

 Huge cliffs rise everywhere, while on the south coast 

 the land in many cases slopes away from the sea and 

 there are pseudo beaches. But on the northeast coast 

 great precipices breast the ocean, and down through 

 the Miocene and Pliocene rocks the rains of millions 

 of years have cut marvellous canons, some so narrow 

 that they appear like cracks or knife-cuts. Some, as 

 at Mosquito, reach the sea, and little beaches form, 

 but this is rare; most of these stupendous gashes have 

 not yet been cut down to the surface, and between 

 them and the water are steep cliffs. Now when a 

 torrential rain comes, these halls of silence become 



