the Indian reservation, being the property of the United States government. A strip of country about five miles wide and twenty long, lying near the coast between Trinidad and Humboldt, comprises nearly all the level land in the county-the most of it, however, being heavily timbered, but little has been brought under tillage. To the east of the redwood timber belt lies a portion of the Bald hills, already described.

Placer mining constitutes the leading pursuit of the population of Klamath, though there are many lodes of gold bearing quartz in different parts of the county, some of which have been sufficiently prospected to demonstrate that they would pay well for working. In 1861 there were twelve quartz mills along the banks of Salmon river, there being numerous valuable quartz veins in this vicinity. The most of these mills having been destroyed by the flood of 1862, they have not since been rebuilt, leaving but three at present in the county. Klamath contains a number of small ditches, aggregating about one hundred miles in length, and costing $130,000. Gold Bluff, the discovery of which led to much speculation and excitement in the spring of 1851, and where the branch of mining known as beach washing has for many years been carried on, is situated in this county.

Klamath county is situated wholly to the west of the main Coast Range, which here makes a broad deflection to the east. The Salmon river mountains, dividing the Salmon from the Klamath river, are a broad broken range, running northwest and southeast, reaching an altitude, in some places, of perpetual snow. The principal rivers aro the Klamath, Trinity, Salmon and Redwood. The county derives its name from the first mentioned stream, signifying in the Indian tongue "swiftness." This river heads in a series of large lakes situated on the confines of Oregon and California, and after pursuing a devious course through Siskiyou, Del Norte and Klamath counties, enters the ocean a little to the north of Gold Bluff. Once over the bar at its mouth, which, from its frequent shifting is difficult and dangerous of entrance, small steamers can run up forty miles, to its confluence with the Trinity, below which point it carries a volume of water equal to the Sacramento. Confined to a narrow, deep cañon, this stream frequently rises to a great height, it having, during the flood of 1862, reached a stage one hundred and twenty feet above its ordinary level, at which time it carried off a wire suspension bridge ninety-seven feet above low water mark, and also swept away most of the soil and improvements on its banks. The mountains bordering this river reach a considerable altitude-Prospect and Flagstaff peaks being upwards of six thousand feet high, while some unnamed ridges are still more lofty.

The Trinity, Salmon and Redwood all take their rise in the coast mountains, run northwest, and empty, the former two into the Klamath, and the latter into the Pacific ocean. Near the sources of the Salmon are the remains of an extinct volcano, an area of nearly two square miles being covered with lava, obsidian, and similar matter their occurrence the more noticeable from being the only evidences of volcanic action in this portion of the Coast Range. The rocks here are almost exclusively slate and granite, and this, like Trinity county, is without hot or mineral springs and deposits of sulphur or petroleum.

Owing to its extremely rugged surface, but few wagon roads have been constructed in Klamath, most of the transportation being done with pack animals. During the winter, when the snow is deep, communication with the coast is kept up by snow-shoe express.

The placer mines here not having been worked so extensively as in the counties further east and south, pay better average wages, perhaps, than in any other part of the State. Many of the diggings, under the action of the floods, have also the further peculiarity of partially renewing themselves every year. Bars, worked out, are swept away, and new deposits formed, often affording virgin diggings. Water, in most localities, is also abundant, costing the miner but little. On the other hand, however, the country is difficult of access, the cost of living great, and operations much interrupted during the winter by reason of the cold and snow.

The first mining done in this county was in the spring of 1850, at Orleans bar, now the county seat. The present population of Klamath does not exceed fifteen hundred, a much smaller number than it contained ten years ago. The climate here is subject to heavy fogs and dews during the summer and to excessive rains-snow, on the mountains during the winter. The precipitation along this part of the coast, as well as to the north, is much greater than at points further south, the quantity of rain and snow almost equalling that falling in the Sierra Nevada. The storms of thunder and lightning that sometimes occur among the higher peaks of the Coast Range are grand and appalling, being often kept up continuously for many hours.

The native tribes inhabiting this region, in common with those throughout the entire northern portion of the State, are large and well proportioned, but sullen, fierce and warlike, and being well armed, have given the settlers and miners much trouble ever since the first arrival of the latter in the country, These Indians are usually divided into three classes by the whites: the Coast, Klamath and Hoopa tribes— readily distinguished by their appearance and habits. The first occupy

the southwestern portion of the county, along the sea coast, from Mad to Redwood river; this tribe is nearly exterminated, the remnant left having greatly degenerated through intercourse with the whites. The Klamaths live in the mountains that border the main river from its junction with the Trinity north into Oregon. In 1866 the various families composing this tribe numbered two thousand warriors; they are divided into the Mekares, or Upper, and the Weitchepecs, or Lower Klamaths. It was the former who, surprising Fremont's camp, in 1846, killed several of his party.

The Hoopas had their rancherias in the valley that bears their name, and on the mountains adjacent. A few hundred, mostly women and children, are all that is left of this tribe-which remnant has been collected and placed on the reservation in Hoopa valley.

These northern races, besides being larger and more athletic, are of a lighter complexion than those in the interior and southern portions of the State, the men being well developed, and many of the women by no means ill-looking, though the latter greatly disfigure themselves, at least in the estimation of the whites, by tatooing their chins in a hideous manner. The males are well skilled in the use of fire arms,

and dexterous in all the arts and devices of the chase.

Gold Bluff, the discovery of which, in the spring of 1851, lead to one of those excitements culminating in sudden migratory movements, so common among the mining populations of California, is situated on the ocean beach, about fifteen miles south of the mouth of Klamath river, and twenty north of Trinidad bay. The bluff consists of a high sandy ridge or headland, against which the waves impinging, wear it slowly away. Mixed with the sand of which this bluff is composed are particles of fine gold, which, as the former is washed down by the action of the waves, are released, and mingling with the shore sand, forms the gold beach found at the foot of the bluff.

Orleans Bar, a small town of about one hundred and twenty-five inhabitants, is situated on the Klamath river, sixty-five miles southeast of Trinidad, and is worthy of notice only as being the county seat.

Trinidad, the only port in the county, contains about two hundred and fifty inhabitants. The town stands on a ridge, which, projecting south, shelters the harbor on the northwest. The port is an open roadstear, having deep water and good anchorage, but is exposed on the south and west. There are extensive wharves here, affording good accommodations for the increasing trade of the place.

Auriferous lodes of large size and supposed value have been found at several places in this county; and although the ores, so far as tested,

have proved extremely rich, the lack of cheap transportation to a shipping point will probably prevent any extensive developments being made here for a long time.

DEL NORTE COUNTY.

This county, organized in 1857, occupies the extreme northwestern corner of the State, having Oregon on the north, Siskiyou county on the east, Klamath county on the south, and the Pacific ocean on the west. It is about fifty miles long, east and west, and thirty miles wide. In its geographic and climatic features, Del Norte strongly resembles Trinity and Klamath counties, already described. The Klamath river, running across its southwestern border, and Smith's river, flowing centrally through it, are the only considerable streams within its limits. The entire southeastern part of the county is corrugated by a heavy chain of mountains, with numerous subordinate and parallel ranges, running northeast and southwest. There is also a similar tier of mountain ranges extending north and south, near the coast, the most westerly about six hundred feet high, and the main ridge, further back, three thousand feet high. The most of the county is well timbered with redwood, spruce and pine. It contains a number of small fertile. valleys and a considerable extent of rich prairies, together with three thousand five hundred acres of swamp and overflowed lands. The number of acres enclosed in 1867 amounted to about 8,000, of which 3,500 were under cultivation, the most of it being planted to wheat, of which grain there were about 16,000 bushels raised, with 2,000 of barley and 9,000 of oats. The yield of the cereals here is generally large -wheat frequently turning out from thirty to forty bushels to the acre, and barley and oats much more. All the vegetables, dairy products and fruits required for the use of the inhabitants were also raised, the soil and climate being well suited to the growth of all these staples. Vines and berries also thrive with little care, and stock keep in good condition throughout the winter on what they can pick running at large. Several small flocks of sheep are grazed in the county—a few thousand pounds of wool being clipped every year. The horses and mules kept for draft number about 2,000, with about an equal number of neat cattle. There are no quartz mills in this county, though it contains many auriferous veins of much promise, and placer mining is carried on with success along the Klamath river and several of its tributaries, and also on the headwaters of Althouse creek. For introducing water into these diggings fourteen small ditches have been constructed at an aggregate expense of about $60,000. With additional water supplies the

product of the placers might be much increased, there being yet a large scope of these mines but partially exhausted. The county contains one grist mill, situated in Smith river valley, capable of grinding fifty barrels of flour daily, and four saw mills of small capacity, situated in different localities, engaged in making lumber for local uses, there being none exported from the county. A good wagon road has been constructed, leading from Crescent City, the county seat, to Illinois. valley, Oregon, a distance of forty-five miles. It cost $50,000, and serves for the conveyance of supplies to the Althouse and other diggings in southwestern Oregon.

A number of cupriferous lodes, some of them of good size and rich in metal, were discovered at a point about fifteen miles northeast of Crescent City, some ten or twelve years ago. Two or three of these were partially developed at the time, and several hundred tons of high grade ores taken out. Owing to their remoteness from market, however, and other unfavorable circumstances, but little has been done with these mines for the past ten years, though there is little doubt but they will ultimately prove valuable. It has recently been discovered that the croppings of some of these cupriferous lodes, consisting of mundic, are rich in free gold, forming deposits similar to those now being worked extensively and profitably in Placer, Amador and Calaveras counties.

The only town of any size in this county is Crescent City, containing a population of about five hundred, and, which being favorably situated on a small but safe harbor, the only one along this part of the coast, must ultimately become the shipping point for a large back country, insuring its future growth and importance. The entire population of the county amounts to about two thousand five hundred.

SISKIYOU COUNTY.

This county occupies the northeastern corner of the State, being bounded on the north by Oregon, on the east by the State of Nevada, on the south by Lassen, Shasta and Trinity, and on the west by Klamath and Del Norte counties-its length, east and west, being one hundred and sixty, and its width, fifty-eight miles. It contains 5,300,000 acres, of which 250,000 are adapted to agriculture. In the year 1867 there were 50,000 acres of land enclosed, and 20,000 under cultivation. About 1,000,000 acres are covered with valuable forests, and nearly half as much more by several large lakes, of which Goose, Rhett and Wright are the principal. A large proportion of the county consists of rugged mountains, deep cañons and elevated, barren table lands. Mount