As soon as the point is passed, a long, low beach of shingle is opened, making out from the east side of the point and forming a natural breakwater, formerly called Punta de Guiranas* by the Spaniards, but now designated as Ballast Point.

Round up gradually until Ballast Point is brought in range with the easternmost house of La Playa, (distant one mile from Ballast Point and on the same side of the bay,) and be careful not to open more of the village, as the shoal called Barros de Zunigał stretches south from the east side of the entrance, parallel to the ridge of Point Loma, and distant only three-quarters of a mile from it. Between Point Loma and this shoal runs the channel, which is less than half a mile wide within the three-fathom lines. With the least swell the breakers show the position and extent of the shoal, and at the lowest tides part of it is bare. It has been said that a rock, having but five or six feet of water upon it, lies in the channel; its position being marked by a patch of kelp, which is, however, torn away in heavy weather. The pilot-boat Fanny reported having struck on it in 1851, but the examinations of the Coast Survey have developed no such danger, and the report has been generally discredited.

During the summer keep as close to Point Loma as the draught of the vessel will permit, and lie on the wind up to Ballast Point, off which four fathoms can be carried within a ship's length, with ten fathoms in mid-channel, and a very strong current on the ebb and flood tides; the former setting over the Zuniga shoal. After passing Ballast Point steer for La Playa, and anchor anywhere in from four to ten fathoms, with good holding ground. Inside the point, and about two hundred and fifty yards north by west from it, is a shoal having only twelve feet water upon it, in a line from Ballast Point to the westernmost house at La Playa. It is a quarter of a mile long. The shoals on the starboard hand, after entering, are plainly in sight, except at very high water. The channel, however, is buoyed, and cannot be missed. From La Playa to New San Diego, four miles distant, the channel curves to the right and contracts, but about six fathoms water may be carried that far. A mile or two beyond the town the bay becomes shoal and filled with flats, yet a very narrow three-fathom channel runs close along the eastern shore, nearly to the head of the bay.

Coming from the south, run for the extreme end of Point Loma until Ballast Point and La Playa are in range, as before, and follow the foregoing directions.

When inside the harbor vessels are perfectly safe, but during very heavy southerly weather the kelp is said to drive in such masses as to make vessels drag their anchors. We have never known such a case, and doubt if a vessel with good ground tackle and proper attention would suffer from this cause. Certainly there is not reach enough for the wind to raise a swell, and the holding ground is excellent. In heavy southeast weather the sea breaks over Ballast Point.

* Or Punta de los Guijarros.

+ Named by Viscaino in 1620. Don Gaspar de Zuniga, Count de Monterey, dispatched the expedition.

TIDES AT SAN DIEGO.

General remarks upon the nature of the tides will be given when discussing the tides at San Francisco.

The corrected establishment or mean interval between the time of the moon's transit and the time of high water at La Playa is 9h. 38m. The mean rise and fall of tides is 3.7 feet, of spring tides 5.0 feet, and of neap tides 2.3 feet; the mean duration of the flood is 6h. 25m.; of the ebb, 6h. Om.; and of the stand Oh. 30m. The average difference between the corrected establishment of the a. m. and p. m. tides of the same day is 1h. 20m. for high water, and 1h. 6m. for low water. The differences, when the moon's declination is greatest, are 2h. 4m. and 1h. 36m. respectively. The average difference in the height of these two tides is 1.5 feet for the high waters and 2.1 feet for the low waters. When the moon's declination is greatest, those differences are 2.2 feet and 3.0 feet, respectively. The average difference of the higher high and lower low waters of the same day is 5.5 feet, and when the moon's declination is greatest, 6.3 feet. The higher high tide in the twenty-four hours occurs about 9h. 10m. after the moon's upper transit, (southing,) when the moon's declination is north, and about 3h. 16m. before when south. The lower of the low waters occurs about seven and a quarter hours after the higher high tide.

The greatest observed difference between two low waters of one day was 4.2 feet, and the greatest difference between the higher high and lower low waters of one day, 8.8 feet.

The two tides of the same day are generally unequal in proportion to the moon's declination. The time and height can be obtained approximately from the following table:

The interval is to be added to the time of the moon's meridian passage to give the time of high or low water. The time of the moon's upper meridian passage is given in the almanac, and the time of its lower meridian passage is the middle between two successive upper passages. The heights are given in feet and tenths, and show the rise above the level of the average of the lowest low waters; to which level the soundings on the chart are given.

Spring Tides.-At the full and change of the moon the high waters will be 0.7 foot higher than the above, and the low waters 0.7 foot lower.

Neap Tides.-At the moon's first and last quarters the high waters will be 0.7 foot lower, and the low waters will not fall as low by 0.7 foot.

The existence of a bar at the entrance of this port was discovered by Vancouver in 1793, and in criticising a plan of the harbor, published by Dalrymple in 1782, he remarks: "This plan, in point of correctness, is justly entitled to much praise, but was yet capable, as far as came under my observation, of the following little improvements: the scale representing five nautical miles should only subtend three miles and a half; the shoals of Barros de Zooniga, though well placed, instead of being two distinct shoals ought to have been one entire shoal, stretching something further to the northwest and southeast than is therein represented; and the soundings between Barros de Zooniga and the land of Ponta de la Loma, (which is omitted,) are in no part, from the south extremity of the former directly across to the latter, more than four fathoms at high water, and form a narrow bar from the shore to the shoal, gradually deepening as well on the inside as on the outside of the bar, with a regular increase in mid-channel, from five, close to the shore, to ten fathoms between the two low points that form the entrance to the port."-(Vol. II, page 473.)

As the mean rise and fall of spring tides is five feet, and of neap tides about two and a half, Vancouver's and the recent examinations of the Coast Survey confirm each other, and tend to show that the depth has remained the same for the last sixty-three years.

The primary astronomical station of the Coast Survey is on the round-topped hill, one hundred and ninety-four feet high, and a quarter of a mile west-southwest of La Playa.

The eastern side of the entrance to San Diego Bay is low and flat, covered with thick bushes and grass. It is called "The Island," although a peninsula, being very low and narrow towards the head of the bay. On Ballast Point, at the base of the Point Loma ridge, are visible the ruins of the old Spanish fortifications, &c.

From Ballast Point the bay runs about north for a mile and a half; thence curves gradually to the eastward for three miles to New San Diego; thence to the head of the bay, southeast, seven miles. The average width of the bay after passing La Playa is a mile and a half, but at New San Diego, after contracting to a trifle over half a mile, it again expands to about a mile and a half, with low shores and extensive marshes and flats. Many years since the San Diego River changed its course during a freshet, and emptied into San Diego Bay instead of Puerto Falso to the northwest. The result was a rapid filling in of the bay opposite the old town of San Diego. An appropriation was made by Congress to turn

the channel of the river to its original bed. This was done a few years ago, but the works have not proved of sufficient strength. The river flows into San Diego Bay, which is represented as shoaling at that point.

The great drawback in San Diego Bay is the want of fresh water, which has to be brought from the river. An effort was made in 1851 to obtain a supply at La Playa by sinking an artesian well, but after boring six hundred and thirty-five feet the attempt was abandoned. A similar attempt, with like results, was made at New Town, both confirming the previously expressed opinion of geologists. The same amount of money would have brought it in earthen pipes from the river. During the long dry season the river loses itself in the sand, and the inhabitants are compelled to dig in its bed to obtain their supplies. Fresh provisions are readily procured here.

When fishery assumes a practical shape on this coast the harbor of San Diego will become a position of importance. Already several small companies are engaged in the whaling business. The waters in this vicinity abound with the "California Greys," which are very troublesome to deal with, unless the bomb-lance is used in killing them.

Communication with San Francisco and the northern or windward ports is maintained every week by steamer, and by regular lines of sailing vessels.

San Diego Bay was discovered by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese in the service of Spain, in September 1542; called Port San Miguel, and placed by him in latitude 34° 20′ north, showing the imperfection of the instruments and the modes of observing in those days. He found great numbers of Indians here, who received him hospitably, but with caution. It received its present name from Sebastian Vizcaino, who surveyed it in November 1602. In his time there existed a forest of tall, straight oak and other trees bordering the northwest side of the bay. This forest was said to be three leagues in length and half a league in breadth, and that to the northwest of it was a good harbor, now known as Puerto Falso.

La Pérouse (in 1787) gives a copy of an English map of San Diego, of 1782, (Dalrymple's,) on which no name is assigned to the Zuniga Shoal, but the shoal inside Ballast Point and under the eastern shore is called "Shoal of Zuniga." Ballast Point is called "Point Guisarros," and Point Loma, " Hill Point.”

At the north end of the ridge of Point Loma is an extensive shoal bay called Puerto Falso, or False Bay. The bar at its entrance lies north by west half west, distant five and a half miles from the southern extremity of Point Loma : and having but three feet of water, it can be crossed only in the smoothest weather. The entrance just inside the line of heavy breakers is about a quarter of a mile in width, but rapidly contracts to less than an eighth. The northern point of this bay is about two miles in length, very narrow, and covered with low sand dunes.

To the north and west of this the shore is compact and unbroken, except by

the valleys of San Luis Rey and San Juan Capistrano. The waters off this stretch of the coast were called by Vizcaino the Bay of Santa Catalina.

The latest chart of San Diego Bay is that accompanying the Report of the Superintendent of the Coast Survey for 1857.

From the southern extremity of Point Loma the coast runs north by west for twenty-two miles; thence to Point Lausen, (of Vancouver, 1793,) forming the east point of San Pedro Bay, northwest by west half west nearly sixty miles.

SAN LUIS REY.

The mission of San Luis Rey was the largest in California; it was founded June 13 1798; stands in a rich valley from one to two miles wide; is about three miles from the ocean, being separated therefrom by a range of hills; and the number of domesticated Indians formerly in its neighborhood gave it the appearance of a large and thriving settlement.

It is nearly in the centre of a section of country unequaled for salubrity and productiveness, but the scarcity of rain is an insuperable drawback.

The mission is now a military post, but very few men are stationed there. The anchorage is very much restricted and unprotected, and now rarely visited. Its position on the coast will be seen by reference to the chart of the Coast Survey.

Its approximate geographical position is:

is now a place of no importance, with an unprotected anchorage, rocky bottom, and bad landing. The bay has a high cliff-like head to the northwest but terminates in low sandy beaches to the southward.

It is situated in a fine valley, and its site is marked on the chart of the Coast Survey.

The approximate geographical position of the anchorage as determined by the United States Coast Survey is:

In latitude 33° 30′ north, about four miles northwestward along the coast from the western point of Capistrano anchorage, the line of equal magnetic declination of 13 east cuts the shore, and passes over the great transverse break of the island of Santa Catalina. This line annually moves southward a mile and a half.