268 CHANNEL ISLANDS OF CALIFORNIA 



heavy earthquake should occur at that time and lower 

 the entrance a foot or two, we should be imprisoned 

 beneath the mountain. As I stepped out on the shelf, 

 screams, yells, and shouts seemed to come from the 

 dark unfathomed caves far beyond, and all the evil 

 demons of this sea cave apparently sprang to life. 

 At the same time a particularly big wave came in, 

 filling the entrance completely, and as it went rever- 

 berating on into countless other caves, it released 

 myriads of reverberations and echoes until the sound 

 was deafening, confusing, and appalling. 



The cave was a sea-lions' den. When I stepped onto 

 the ledge I dislodged several by almost stepping on 

 them in the dark, and their barking protests as they 

 dashed out added to the volume of sound. As they 

 swam beneath us the water blazed with phosphores- 

 cence, turning the place into a veritable witches' 

 caldron. I crashed two planks together to find out 

 what sound really was, and we could hear it bounding 

 off and far away into the interstices of the mountain 

 in an appalling series of sounds. 



Watching our chance, we reversed the operation; 

 the moment a wave came in we pushed the boat through 

 into the dazzling sunshine. 



If I should attempt to designate the most striking 

 feature of Santa Cruz I should nanje its caves, as 

 the entire coast on the water line appears to be cut 

 and perforated by the gnawing sea. Some are large 

 and open; others spout water and air with undisguised 

 ferocity; some merely hiss, growl, and moan as the sea 

 rushes into them; while others again appear so far 

 beneath that the compact merely shakes the rock with 

 a dull heavy reverberation. 



