A Trip to the Farallones. 



near the island we found ourselves in 

 a new and strange wonderland. There 

 was but a bare, jagged ridge of rock cut 

 out in places into great cones and 

 pyramids. Yonder was one shaped like 

 a titanic beehive and about it swarmed 

 a vast throng of sea birds in lieu 

 of bees. Off toward the farther end 

 was a rock with a little archway cut 

 through it near the top. The rocks 

 were of a light pinkish or cream color, 

 from the guano upon them, inter- 

 spersed with patches of pale green 

 where some mosses or lichens had taken 

 root. Lower down, where the waves 

 dashed upon them, they were clean and 

 almost black in color, while, in beauti- 

 ful contrast to their somber hue, the 

 breakers were shattered into white foam 

 and pale-green opaline tints. But that 

 which interested us most was the vast as- 

 semblage of birds. Every cranny upon 

 the face of the rough, granitic cliffs was 

 alive with murres, uttering their charac- 

 teristic note, some at rest, some flutter- 

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