29 6 Life in the Open 



the island, and the sea rushing in in big rollers from the 

 west, while others came around the point of the island 

 and joined them, making the landing particularly 

 dangerous. On the rocky point we could see the lions, 

 and their roars came in muffled notes as the wind swept 

 over this deserted spot seemingly destined to go into 

 the sea. 



For some time we rode the breakers watching for an 

 opportunity, and when the waves came in less menacing 

 size we rowed in on the top of one, leaped over as the 

 boat struck the beach, and dragged it up the sands. 

 One man lived on this wind-swept place ; and he was on 

 the beach to meet us. Probably in all America there is 

 not a more desolate spot, or a more windy one, yet here 

 was a man, monarch of all he surveyed. He told us 

 that he had built his home down among the rocks so 

 that it would not be blown into the sea. I noticed 

 great stones on the roof ; these he said were to hold it 

 down, as the wind was terrible. He also seemed to fear 

 the sea-lions, and said that during heavy storms they 

 came up around his hut and roared and barked. 



This great rookery was on the south end of the 

 island, low and rocky, and the herd was on the main 

 beach. Some of the lions here were very large, espe- 

 cially the bulls, but they paid but little attention to us. 



About forty miles south of San Nicolas lies the 

 large island of San Clemente, twenty miles long. I 

 found a number of rookeries here, with many sea-lions ; 

 in nearly every instance in isolated places. 



