TheiWestiAmericantScientist. 



ii 



No. 2605 Broadway, San Diego, California 



VOLUME XVIII. WHOLE NO. 139 

 February, 1914 



O 



Established 1884. 



THE WEST AMERICAN SCIENTIST. 



Monthly, $1.00 per year. Exchanges 

 invited. 



Single copy, 10 cents. 



Charles Russell Orcutt, Editor and 

 Publisher. 



O 



LOWER CALIFORNIA. 



(Continued from last issue.) 



visited by other than light showers, and 

 these at long intervals apart. On the 

 northeast side, about 3 miles from the 

 extreme north end, a low, sandy point 

 makes out; to the south of this there is 

 good anchorage during the prevailing 

 coast- winds. In a gulch near by is a 

 small stream of fresh water, and like-, 

 wise in several of the valleys leading 

 from the shore to the southward water 

 may be found within a mile or two of 

 the beach. At one of these places it is 

 of excellent quality. The only practical 

 place, however, for a vessel to obtain a 

 supply, is on the southeast side, where 

 is found a spring running through rush- 

 es at the foot of a high peak close to 

 the shore. * * * Anchorage may be 

 had off this spring within two cables of 

 the shore in 20 fathoms water, but a 

 much better place for a large vessel to 

 lie is two miles farther south off a low 

 shingle beach, where it is not so deep, 

 and the gusts that come down the 

 mountain when the wind is west are 

 not so heavy as at the other anchorage. 

 A vessel can always find shelter from 

 the northwest, winds on the south side of 

 the island, the depth varying from 6 to 

 20 fathoms, and these winds blow with 

 the regularity of a trade from May to 

 October, and the only precaution to be 

 kept in mind in choosing an anchorage, 

 is to avoid fixed kelp. From October to 

 ^fay, much of the time the winds are 

 light and the weather delightful. Occa- 

 sionally a strong norther,- or a light, 

 southeaster or southwest gale blows the 

 first part of the winter, and strong gales 

 from the northwest again set in about 

 the first of May." 



Dr. John A. Veatch has reported find- 



ing in a few days 114 species of marine 

 shells on this island, and a list of its 

 fauna and flora and mineral resources 

 would alone form a small volume. Ed- 

 ward Lee Greene has published a con- 

 siderable list of its flora, otherwise chief- 

 ly known by the collections of Dr, 

 Veatch, made in 1859, during a stay 

 through the months cf June July and 

 August. 



CRESCI ENTE: a small island north- 

 east of Santa Margarita Island, 2 or 3 

 miles from the mainland. 

 1 "CENISAS: a small island near San 

 Quentin bay, 2 or 3 miles in length. 



ISLANDS OF THE GULF OF CALI- 

 FORNIA. 



Only a t few of these are known to us, 

 even by name, which must be our ex- 

 cuse for the brief notes accompanying 

 the following list. 



CERALBO: 100 miles north of Cape 

 San Lucas, some .12 miles long, also 

 known , as "White Hills" to the early 

 American explorers. Stated to contain 

 copper mineo of great value. 

 ( ESPIRITU SANTO: at the mouth of 

 La Paz bay, 6 miles long, containing rich 

 copper deposits. 



SAN JUAN NEPOCENO: a small is- 

 land in Pichilingue bay, near La Paz. 



SAN FRANCISCO: small. 



SAN JOSE: 12 miles long. 



SANTA CATALINA: about 10 miles in 

 Circumference. 



MONTSERRAT: five or six miles of 

 Santa Catalina. 



CARMEN: nf ted for its most peculiar 

 and most acce ssible salt-mine, the rich- 

 est in the world and considered inex- 

 haustible. It is about 25 miles long by 

 6 broad, within a few hours' sail of the 

 old town of Loretto. 



CORONADOS: a few miles in extent, 

 some 6 miles from Carmen Island. 



SAN IDELFONSO: 30 miles from Car- 

 men. 



p SANTA ISABEL: at the mouth of 

 Moleje bay, only a few miles in extent. 

 GALAPAGOS' 30 miles north of Moleje 



bay, 



TORTUGAS: within sight of Guaymas, 

 Son. An extinct volcano is ascribed to 

 this island. 



TRINIDAD: 20 miles in circumference. 



