272 CHANNEL ISLANDS OF CALIFORNLV 



over two hundred feet deep, and submarine ridges 

 extend from San Miguel toward Concepcion and from 

 Anacapa to San Buenaventura on the mainland, at a 

 depth of not over seven hundred feet; hence if an 

 elevation of the entire coast should occur the entire 

 group would become connected with the mainland. 



In the Post Miocene times (several million years 

 ago), all these islands were, according to Smith, moun- 

 tains belonging to the mainland, with the exception of 

 San Nicolas and San Clemente, the latter coming into 

 existence early in the Pliocene with San Nicolas. In 

 the Pliocene depression, during which the sea stood 

 fifteen hundred feet below its present level, Santa 

 Cruz was a narrow island, or a line of islands, about 

 seven miles long. In the vast ages following, the 

 islands literally had their ups and downs, rising and 

 sinking. 



From the highest peak the green, irregular, pre- 

 cipitous, rocky shores could be seen with little indenta- 

 tions, but no real harbors anywhere. Off to the south 

 end Gull Island rises one hundred and fifty feet high, 

 one of a group of rocky islands one-fourth of a mile in 

 extent, about three-fourths of a mile offshore — a splen- 

 did barrier to the sea in a gale, which leaps into the 

 contact shivering, gleaming in the light. Around Gull 

 Island the kelp forest is very thick, affording a refuge 

 for many fishes — the ever-present golden perch, or 

 angel-fish, rock bass, kelp-fish, black sea bass, and 

 many more. 



Far beyond the island this garden extends, terminat- 

 ing in blue water a mile to the east. We sailed com- 

 pletely around Santa Cruz and endeavored to count 

 the innumerable ancient abalone heaps and mounds 



