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Show CHASING WHALES IN PACIFIC. Mi- Mill ! loellneil to lie reiolllar and Merry. ""The coast of southern California Is protected, to a certnln extent, by the Islands off shore. The group begins a Santa Ilarbara with Ran Miguel; thea comes Santa lloia, Santa Crux, Ana-capa, Ana-capa, and further out to sea, thirty miles, Ban Nicholas The next following follow-ing south are Stnla Ilarbara, Santa Catnllna, San Clement, nnd then with n break of setenty miles to tho Corona-does Corona-does These, Islands nre almost psrnllif to tho coast rango nnd constitute vlr" tually nn out-to-sca roast range ot mountains which, In nil probihlllty wcro thrust up at tho time tha coast was formed lentlng a deep depression between them and tho mainland This region of extremely deep water Is n famous roadway for whales, several kinds being found hero feeding upon tho tast schools ot Jelly fishes which aro nearly always present The whnlo most common la tho California gray which goes etcry year to tho shallows ot tho gulf of California to giro birth to It young, then moving north along tho California const In what Is virtually virtu-ally a great procession At this tlmo tho channel Is the sporting ground for the hugo animals, and nearly every stcrmor that crosses sights a school, tho scene forming one ot tho attraction! of tho trip, as the whales, far from bo-Ing bo-Ing wild or timid, sometimes evlnco a playful mood or. Incited by curiosity, come near the steamer affording tho passengers n near view ot the largest ot living nnlmnls This social disposition disposi-tion has resulted In several encounters between the whales nnd vessels, In which tho former havo always camo off second best Samo ears ago a steamer on tha trip from Ban Pedro to Ban Tranclsco struck some body, supposed sup-posed to bo a log Several nt tho men wero thrown to tho deck; the wheel turned over sa violently that tho helmsman was thrown down nnd the steamer for the moment came to a standstill All bands were called, the pumps sounded, nnd as thn mate ran aft ho saw a largo whale lashing tho water astern The teasel had struck It directly back of tho right paddlo ant evidently crushed It down, rising ovol It This whale drifted Into Santa Catn Una some days later, and waa toweo Into one of thn llltlo bays ot tha coast where It was cut up by tho fishermen Chicago News |