33 Life in the Open 



Nearly all these islands are peaks of an offshore 

 coast range, thrust up here ages ago, and we can 

 imagine them lofty isolated peaks rising from a ridge 

 that doubtless runs along shore far to the south. 



Only one of these groups, Santa Catalina, has a 

 permanent settlement, the town of Avalon. This is the 

 only inhabited island open to the public and having 

 regular daily boats. Avalon is a fully-fledged and well- 

 equipped community, with hotels, cottages, homes, and 

 what is without question the finest rod fishing for 

 large game fishes in the world. This and its singu- 

 larly perfect climate have given Santa Catalina a wide 

 reputation. 



The town stands on a miniature crescent-shaped bay 

 from which a deep caflon reaches away, stopped by a 

 mountain range two miles to the west. The vale of Ava- 

 lon is a romantic and beautiful amphitheatre, surrounded 

 by ranges of hills which rise one above the other in a 

 jumble of peaks. In winter it is green, a marvellous con- 

 trast to the deep blue of the sea, in which the island 

 rests in peace and tranquillity, almost the only object 

 that is " pacific" in this sea of Balboa. The harbour of 

 Avalon is a miniature Naples, and the climate is so 

 singular that from April to November, and often 

 December, a storm or squall of any kind is unknown. 

 Nearly every day there is a stiff breeze a short distance 

 out, but along the rocky coast, near shore, the high 

 mountains ranging up to twenty-two hundred feet pro- 

 duce a lee so that small boats are perfectly safe. 



