A FOURTEEN-YEAR PERIOD 309 



which I thankfully accepted. We finished the Mojave 

 work and surveyed part of the San Bernardino Valley 

 near Cocomonga, which was accomplished shortly before 

 this diary entry. 



August 31st, 1856. 



Having taken a few days of involuntary rest I chanced 

 to meet Johann Behn, who owns a farm and a cattle 

 ranch on 



Catalina Island, 

 where he offers to employ me during the summer. 



Santa Catalina is a mountainous and very romantic 

 island, about twenty miles in length, situated just South 

 of San Pedro and about twenty-five miles from the main- 

 land. Some of its mountain peaks are more than two 

 thousand feet high, I judge, and the attractiveness 

 would certainly be great, were not the absolute lack of 

 fresh well water a material drawback for visitors or set- 

 tlers. Kain is likewise very scarce. The necessary 

 drinking water for man and beast is drawn from cisterns 

 and decidedly disagreeable to the newcomer on account 

 of its salty taste. John Behn has a well laid farm and 

 a neat little home in a pleasant valley on the North side 

 of the island, which reminds me of Valdivia, as it is cres- 

 cent shaped and protected by the capes on either end. 

 Small vessels are perfectly safe within its realms. Cata- 

 lina has from afar the appearance of two islands, owing 

 to the peculiar fact that both the north and the south 

 end of the island have for miles high mountain chains, 

 which fall off so suddenly that they resemble a low sad- 

 dle, the highest point of which extends hardly thirty 

 feet out of the water. This freak of nature causes the 

 well formed little harbor on the west side and a finely 

 protected road on the east side. Thos. Whitley, an 

 American, brother-in-law of Behn, resides here. 



the County Surveyor's Office that surpasses the work in accuracy 

 and neatness. No wonder Capt. Hancock raised his salary. 



