This landing was know[n] as Pacific Valley or Cook’s Hole and consisted of a highland probably 60 to 80 ft. above high water. The Mountains which had every since our start from home <(Puceda Alaveho)> had hugged the shore so close that there was no space for even a trail, and that many <lirnes> for miles, had taken the ridges from the shore, and at an<d> elevation of 3 to 5000 ft. But on passing Point Gorda the mountains had swing back from the shore, leaving a bench or mesa, averaging ½ mile wide and swinging again down to the waters’s edge, about 6 or 8 miles from the point of forming the valley, making a beautiful spot <braurrsed> at many points by being out from the mountains to the ocean by small creeks or brooks. Lining these beautiful streams were red-woods and alders making a glorious combination of colors.
I believed on beholding this spot I had never saw any place to compare with it. Some 3 or 4 families controlled this valley and they had no cause to fear any outside influence to mar this peaceful and grand home life. No road lead into to it. No road lead out, and in fact no road lead and where because there was no road. The mountains back of them which parallel the coast was to[o] steep and rough fro roads, and down the coast it was the same and up the coast ditto. They had wagons. You know doubt will ask the same question I did. “What use have they for wagons?”
I found out that the wagons can be used put to many purposes in a place of this kind. I have seen places where it was impossible to get a wagon, but instead the mountaineers used sleds, on observing the wagon in Pacific Valley, I saw at once where these people had improved on others who did not have them. They here in the valley raised considerable hay and grain, but especially for home consumption, now this product had to be moved and the valley being several hundred acres in area, they found it could be handled at a much better advantage by wagons then by sleds so wagon were either packed in over the mountains or shipped down the coast in schooners and brought ashore in lighters. In fact all of their produce was handled this way except the cattle, these were driven out over the mountains to the railroad some 35 or 40 miles. All lumber used, was sawed by the people with a small mill, and I must say I saw no better houses and farms than I saw here on our entire trip, even places that were accessible to towns. The also had a grist mill for family use and their <infirmmity> and progressiveness was to me quite astonishing . Everything was as in a pioneer day. They bought only that which it was impossible to make themselves and sold cattle and hogs. The hogs were shipped out by water being loaded as I say in a schooner by lighters.
Our stay here was one round of pleasure. There was nothing to[o] good for us, and we were reluctant to leave, but we had planned to run in here for only a stay of one or two days and nearly a week was now gone., So one bright and early morn, we pulled out for out next landing some 18 or 20 miles north across a bay know[n] in that locality as Lime Kiln bay, but not shown on the maps. We were headed for Big Creek or Arroyo Grande, beyond Lopez Point. It was a grand morning, as we were out own masters, we always tried to pick a smooth and windless day, and this proved one of them. I had now become reconciled to the swing of the boat, the gradually rising and sinking of the boat in the sells which at first gave me a sensation of never rising or descending again, now had become unnoticeable, and I began to enjoy the many curious object that abound in the ocean. Birds I saw were on object of great wonder to me. I knew most all the land birds and their habits so naturally I was deeply interested in what I saw here, especially the vast numbers. The day me left Pacific Valley, we run into a steady stream of birds flying southward some 50 or 75 yards wide, and as far as the eye could see and they continued to fly all that day and were flying still at dusk. The next morning I saw from the shore the same black line <steading> going southward. Two weeks later I saw the same thing over again, but this time flying northward. I was told the name of these birds was Black Shearwater, later I have seen them flying swiftly in some one direction where suddenly the leaders would begin to circle, in perhaps an area of 20 acres, and this would continue until a vast multitude of birds were circling, as thick as they could fly, finally settling into water. I wonder for sometime at this vast assemblage, curious to know what they were doing. At last I found they would fly in this fashion until a school of sardines or herring was sighted, when they would at once begin circling and feasting until the school wound sink for protection, then after a few minutes of a most tremendous crying and squawking they would straighten out by following the leaders and continue in one long line, swiftly in pursuit of their prey, which would be probably many miles before they would find another school. The sea parrot near Point Lopez where I first saw them, was another curious bird, pretty of color, but very clumsy and awkward on land and almost as ungainly in the water. They have a bill resembling almost identically the beak of a parrot. The cormorant I believe to be the best swimming bird of any I saw, being of an unsightly appearance, his looks does not appeal to me, but his swimming is so marvelous, his looks at once become really handsome. He is a bird some 35 inches in length and glossy black. I have know him to swim under water 300 yards and at such speed that one man pulling a boat, try as he would, could not overtake him, and he kept this strenuous work up for at least 30 minutes under very trying circumstances, as we were shooting at him every time he came up, not allowing him a moment for rest or air. We were about I should say, half way across the bay between the Valley and Arroyo Grande, when I noticed as I was looking shoreward a great white blot on the shore which resembled a landslide, but the distance be so great I could not distinguish what it was. It was at least 8 or ten miles distance. Calling Jack attention to this, he told me it was what gave this bay it’s name. It was Lime Kiln Landing, and one of the most dangerous landing on the coast of California, only one line of breakers occureded there, and they broke immediately on the pebble, as it was a rocky beach, and there was no danger of getting ones feet wet, as the undertow was so great, that the instant the swell broke, it was carried out in this suction or undertow, 30 feet from where the swell broke it had a depth of 250 and 100 ft. out it measured the enormous depth 500 ft. Several men at various time being drowned here, by being caught only by a few feet of breaker. The landing was carried on by the means of a crane guyed into the solid rock from a shelf of rock cut and blasted out f the mountain side creating a space some 80 ft. square. This crane was operated by hand, using blokes and tackle to lower or raise from a lighter or boat which was loaded from a schooner anchored some ¼ of a miles off shore, but at the time I was there it had not been in operation for many years.