4 L Gustav Eisen: 



The physical feature of these islands is nearly the samé in all. 

 There is always a central backbone running in the long axis of the 

 island. In the fonr islands of the southern group this axis run s north 

 and south, but in the northern group it runs east and west. 



The élévation of this backbone varies between 800 and 2200 feet 

 giving ample protection agaiust winds and furnishing a not inconsi- 

 derable drainage area for various creeks. Consequently water is to be 

 found on all of the islands even during the dry season of the year. 

 Owing to the height of the islands compared with the width, many 

 of the streams háve eut out deep gorges which again give shelter 

 to small but beautifull woods of wild cherry, oak, cotton-wood, pines 

 etc. The slopes facing the north of all the Valleys are always densely 

 and beautifully covered with bushes or even smaller trees, while the 

 slopes exposed towards the south are covered with a dense mat of 

 cacti and other desert plants. 



The climate of ail the islands is mild. Frost is rare or perhaps 

 entirely unknown. During a five months stay on Catalina during the 

 coldest season of the year the thermometer never went below 55 Fah. 

 and océan bathing was possible every day. 



As regards wild fruits and herbs from which Indians could 

 nourish themselves, there are several, ail found in great abundance. 

 We will only refer to a few. The principal one is the fruit of the 

 wild cactus of which there are several gênera and species. Even now 

 the white visitors to the islands use these cactus fruits for préserves 

 and value them for their acid, sweetness and flavor. When we con- 

 sider that at least one half of ail the surface of the islands is covered 

 with cactus we raay judge to the number of Indians which might 

 hâve for several months in the year subsisted on its fruits which are 

 good both fresh and cooked. The wild cherry already mentioned is 

 of more limited distribution, but we still find it in large groves on 

 several of the islands. The fruit is as large as our large cultivated 

 cherries, though the méat is thin and insignificant compared with 

 ours. There are besides a number of smaller fruits and berries, to 

 say notbing of acorns and pinenuts, suitable to fill the natural and 

 limited wants of the aborigines. 



There remains only to say a few words of the animal life on 

 those islands. When I first visited the islands in 1873, man had made 

 very little change and inroad in the primitive aspect of the fauna and 

 flora. I found the shore actually swarming with two species of seals 

 and sea-lions. One species was said to breed on the islands while 



