AROUND SANTA ROSA 293 



never decays, as the bleached stems cover large places where 

 the sand drifts, and nothing now grows. A kind of ironwood, 

 peculiar to the islands, is found here; it has beautiful fern-like 

 leaves, with a slightly aromatic smell. Another large plant, 

 with leaves Uke sweet anise, rising in a green parasol from a 

 thick fleshy stem, was also a stranger to the visitors. The 

 wild flowers were not in bloom, but are said to carpet the ground 

 in great profusion. The constant action of the wind has worn 

 the sandstone and clay cUffs and exposed edges everywhere 

 into strange caves, grotesque carvings, and little nooks; in the 

 latter the foxes find a charming home, and in one boulder 

 standing apart in Caiion Verdi is a room large enough for 

 half a dozen sheep to stand, and keep their fleeces dry during 

 a sudden shower. 



"Several picturesque natural bridges are formed by the 

 action of the tide and the surf, which is so much heavier there 

 than on the mainland in that vicinity. In the crannies of the 

 rocky shore are thousands of abalones, of whose dried flesh and 

 shells the Chinese fishers ship many tons to their countrymen. 

 When alive the abalone is a pound or less of very unpalatable 

 looking black fife; and dried, it looks and feels like the heel of 

 an old boot. Immense sea urchins and starfishes, anemones, 

 crabs, and spiky little fishes are in the pools. Excellent fish of 

 several kinds are to be had for the catching, and for some rea- 

 son are better than those caught nearer the mainland. Clams, 

 mussels, and sometimes crabs, are to be had, but the large 

 ones were very wary, perhaps because the men had then so 

 much time to hunt them. There were over seventy men em- 

 ployed, — more than usual, for the broken pier was being 

 mended laboriously from the sea end, where the pile driver 

 was left standing when the rest was washed away." 



A number of interesting fossils have been taken 

 from Santa Rosa, as the teeth and bones of a prehis- 

 toric elephant {Elephas americanus), and the follow- 

 ing shells of the Pliocene : Saxidomus, Callesta, Lucina, 

 Turitella, Mactra, Glysineris, Hinnites, Ostrea, Pec- 

 ten, Liro pecten, Turbinella. At Santa Catalina but 



