Lawson:] PoSt-PUoci'HC DictStrOpkism. I 29 



stands out in bold lines, sharp, yet massive and impressive. The 

 shore contour exemplifies this simplicity in a remarkable degree, 

 being devoid alike of sinuous bays and of intricate coves, so that 

 practically there are no sheltered harbors, even for small craft, on 

 the island, the only anchorages being a few roadsteads very close to 

 shore. The island is essentially a flat-topped, plateau-like ridge, 

 the crest of which runs along the northeast side of the island, having 

 a maximum elevation of 1,964 feet. This side presents a wonder- 

 fully abrupt and precipitous scarp, rising sharply from the ocean 

 level to elevations ranging from a few hundred feet to 1,800 feet in 

 sheer acclivity. From the crest line the surface descends, partly by 

 gentle slopes and partly by abrupt, step-like terraces, to the south- 

 west shore of the island, the present sea-cliffs along this side being 

 of very moderate elevation. The transverse profile of the island is 

 thus similar to that of a tilted orographic block. This suggestion 

 as to the orographic structure of the island is supported by the 

 occurrence of fault scarps of smaller dimensions on the surface of 

 the island parallel to its general trend, at a point about one-third of 

 its length from the north end, and to the east of the crest trail. It 

 is the opinion of the writer that the precipitous northeast scarp of 

 San Clemente is genetically a fault scarp, although it is now, and 

 has been at many lower stages of the island, functionally a sea-cliff. 

 The submarine contours show that the contrast of slope on the two 

 sides of the island is maintained beneath the shore contour. 



The imposing feature of the topography is, however, the system of 

 wave-wrought terraces which have been cut with such wonderful 

 vigor and incisiveness into the slopes of the island, particularly on its 

 southwest side. These terraces are the most remarkable and most 

 magnificent examples of this type of topography which it has ever 

 been the good fortune of the writer to behold. Up to an elevation 

 of 1,320 feet there are seventeen great terraces which appear to be 

 of amazingly recent formation, so little has atmospheric degradation 

 affected them, with such precision do they retain their original 

 characters. Such features having once been evolved, one might 

 expect to find on a planet that had been stripped of its atmosphere, 

 where erosion is not, and topographic forms have become fixed, no 

 longer the geologically evanescent things we know them to be on 



