SAN MIGUEL 299 



missions, to be within reach of their teachings. There 

 is no evidence that a mission was ever built on any 

 of these islands, though a primitive one was of course 

 possible ; but the splendid buildings opposite the islands, 

 with their rich ranches and cattle, as Santa Barbara 

 Mission, San Buena Ventura, San Fernando, San 

 Gabriel, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Rey, and San 

 Diego, all with thousands of head of stock, and good 

 living, and within sight of the islands, — must have 

 been an alluring attraction to many of the island 

 natives; and while many were killed in war, swept 

 away by disease or by the invaders, doubtless the 

 majority ultimately went to the various missions 

 where they soon lost their identity. 



San Miguel will impress the visitor for its many 

 satellites, little rocky islands about it, often tremendous 

 needle-like peaks rising out of the sea from deep 

 water, the home of the eagle or osprey. Many are 

 colored white by the cormorants; in a fog one can 

 readily imagine them ghostly ships, or the phantoms 

 of the many craft that have doubtless met their 

 fate here. 



In a general way the Channel Islands, so far as the 

 large ones are concerned, number twelve: three Coro- 

 nados, four Santa Catalinas, and five Santa Barbarans; 

 but to give the islands their full dues would be to 

 include them all, and there are about thirty-five islands, 

 big and little, from wind-swept San Nicolas to Los 

 Coronados. The largest of the small ones is the rock 

 of Santa Barbara, about twenty-one miles north of 

 Santa Catalina. It can be seen over twenty-five miles 

 at sea, being five hundred and forty-seven feet high, 

 resembling a great rounded rock. Approaching, its 



