harbor all the things that have come to pass, and more. It would be pleasant to know that Heaven afforded peep-holes in its walls through which these dreamers might look down to see what is now happening to their adored “land of sunshine.” I am sure that Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher, who commanded the Pacific Squadron from 1866 to 1868, says “I told you so,” to grandfather when they meet on some golden street corner. Wouldn’t you, if you had written this letter to him in the old days on earth?
Nahant, Mass.
Sept. 25th, 1879.
My dear friend Hathaway,
... During my various visits do the port of San Pedro I observed the facility with which that Bay could be made a perfectly secure harbor for ships in all weather by simply building a mole of stone with which the shore is lined for miles. And then blasting “Dead Man’s Island” close at hand for the foundation of said mole and using the millions of tons of smaller rocks to be found all along shore for the filling in. At present the anchorage of S. P. is perfectly safe so long as the wind remains north,—but when from the south no ship could escape destruction at that anchorage unless supplied with steam power. I foresaw that San Francisco would strongly oppose any attempt to make S. P. a port of entry because it would deprive them of the power of plundering that fair and fertile portion of California as they now do. And all the products of that (best) portion of the
