Cruisiug Along the Channel Islands 333 



about one hundred miles north of Santa Catalina. The 

 winds are often heavy for a small boat here, and for 

 perfect comfort and safety a commodious yacht is 

 needed. Anacapa lies to the south, a long rocky spit, 

 changing at every point of view. Over a small channel 

 lies Santa Cruz Island, nearly as large as Santa Cata- 

 lina, well wooded, hilly, and very attractive, in the inte- 

 rior of which is a vineyard, the property, as is the 

 entire island, of a Swiss-Italian wine colony. The 

 interior is reached up a narrow but beautiful oak-lined 

 canon the bed of a stream winding upward and lead- 

 ing into the little valley of grapes. The harbours at 

 Santa Cruz are more or less open, but good anchorage 

 is to be had, and strong winds for sailing are met with 

 every day. 



Santa Rosa lies farther out, and is a large island 

 used as a sheep and cattle ranch. Portions of San 

 Miguel, which lies to the north, it may be said, are being 

 blown into the sea. With San Nicolas it represents the 

 undoing of an island, and the view of white sand dunes 

 flowing over mountains is an interesting phenomenon, 

 and the island is worth visiting if for nothing else than 

 to witness the vagaries of the winds which come in from 

 the west and toss the sand aloft where clouds and wraiths 

 go whirling through the air, borne upward to drop like 

 snow upon the waters. Three hundred years ago this is- 

 land was discovered by Cabrillo, the Spanish adventurer, 

 who died and was buried here. At that time the island, 

 it is said, was covered with verdure, trees and brush, 



