feet above the present level of the river, which evidently cut them all. To the west of the town of Santa Barbara, on the south side of the Santa Inez mountains, the coast line forms a terrace extending from Santa Barbara to the base of the Gaviota pass, eighty feet above the

ocean.

The town of Santa Barbara is situated on the shore of the bay, on a headland to the west of which there is a good lighthouse. It is nearly in the center of the county, on the southern coast line. The houses, which are nearly all built of adobe, and roofed with red tiles, in the old Mexican style, extend continuously from the shore, for about a mile inland. It contains about 1,600 inhabitants, nearly 1,200 of whom are Mexicans and native Californians, the others being chiefly Americans and Europeans. There is one hotel and numerous stores. A good wharf has been built, but it is not far enough out from the shore for vessels to load or unload without boats. About a mile and a half from the shore, further up the valley, on an eminence which commands a fine view of the surrounding country and of a wide expanse of ocean, stands the old mission, from which the town and county derive their name. It is in a good state of preservation, service being still performed in it by the Catholic pastor. There is considerable land under cultivation in this fine valley, but little in other parts of the county. The orange, lemon, grape, olive, fig, and the cereals, are produced here.

At the hacienda of Semar del Cannello, near Montecita, about three miles east of Santa Barbara, on the sea-coast, is the largest grape-vine in the State-probably the largest on the American continent. This vine is of the old mission, or Los Angeles variety. It was planted about forty-three years ago, by Maria Marcilina Felix, a Mexican woman, who died there in 1865, at the age of 107. The vine measures nearly twelve inches in diameter at four feet from the ground; at two feet higher, the stem is divided, and its branches are supported by a rude trellis-work, forming a splendid bower, which covers an area of 10,000 square feet. It annually produces about 12,000 pounds of grapes. The bunches are generally from fifteen to eighteen inches long, and weigh from six to seven pounds each. There is a smaller vine near by, being about ten years old, that produces annually from 900 to 1,200 bunches. No fertilizer is used about these vines, excepting that the cuttings are burned, and their ashes placed in the soil over the roots. Irrigation is employed very sparingly, and only at the time when the ashes are used. No better proof of the adaptability

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of the soil and climate of this part of the coast for the culture of the grape can be required.

East of Santa Barbara, there is a level plain, averaging two miles. wide, and about fifteen miles in length, which is nearly all in a good state of cultivation. Some of the finest barley raised in the State is produced on this plain, and most kinds of fruit are also cultivated. Monticito and Carpenteria are both located on this plain. Siticoy and Santa Clara valleys have a frontage on the coast of sixteen miles, and extend inland about forty miles, gradually narrowing, and are cultivated to some extent. These valleys and plains produce immense quantities of wild mustard, which grows to the size of small trees in some localities. Wild bees are also very numerous, yielding a great deal of honey and wax. These articles are among the staple exports of the county. A large number of mulberry trees have been planted within the past few years, for propagating the silk-worm, which is found to thrive well in this county. Its present agricultural products are of comparatively little importance, not more than 15,000 acres of land being under cultivation. The entire county contains but one grist-mill, and that with only one set of stones, about two hundred tons of flour being annually imported from San Francisco. The chief products are cattle and sheep. It is one of the most important grazing counties in the State. As recently as 1864, thousands of cattle were slaughtered for their hides and tallow, but they have increased in value two hundred per cent. since then, owing to the increasing cultivation of land in other counties. Large numbers of horses raised here are sent to Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. Messrs. A. and T. B. Dibblee, and Col. W. W. Hollister, of San Francisco, graze 31,500 sheep upon 120,000 acres of land, near Point Concepcion. These sheep are chiefly Spanish merinos and their grades, bred with imported bucks. The wool clip from this flock, for 1867, amounted to 106,000 pounds. Hollister & Cooper, on ranchos adjoining the above have 20,000 sheep of the same character of breed. There are numerous smaller flocks in other portions of the county, and on the islands off the coast, amounting in the aggregate to 185,000. The want of population is the only impediment to the development of its resources; but it is probable that this defect will be remedied to some extent during 1868, as roads have been laid out to connect with Kern and Inyo counties.

The peculiarly mountainous character of the county renders it somewhat difficult and expensive to make good roads of any length. That which crosses the Santa Inez mountains, to Santa Barbara, is very

romantic and sinuous. It winds up steep mountains by zig-zags, and crosses sandy creeks and marshy valleys, until it reaches the Gaviota pass-a natural chasm, about sixty feet wide, through a lofty chain of mountains, reaching within a mile of the sea. The sides of this pass are nearly perpendicular walls of solid rock, upwards of three hundred feet high. From this pass, the road winds at the base of these mountains, for nearly twenty miles along the sea beach. This is a delightful trip during the summer-the white-crested billows of the Pacific curling and seething about the horse's feet; and the cool seabreeze, how refreshing after leaving the hot and dusty roads over the mountains. But it is not quite so agreeable at night, during the winter, when the wind has lashed the waves into fury; it is then not a little dangerous to fail to make the trip between the tides.

Three miles southeast of Carpenteria, near Mount Hoar, the seashore is covered with a thick deposit of asphaltum, which oozes from the slaty bank in the form of thick tar, covering the beach and concreting the sand and pebbles as hard as rock, running under the sea, in places where the surface has become hardened and smooth. There are similar deposits of this mineral along the sea-shore in this and Los Angeles county, from which about two thousand tons of asphaltum are annually collected and shipped to San Francisco.

Opposite La Golita and Positas ranchos, in the roadstead of Santa Barbara, and extending coastwise as far as the "Rincon," the sea is covered with an iridescent film of oil, which finds its way to the surface at numerous points, over an extent of at least twenty miles, escaping, probably, from the outcropping edges of the strata.

There are numerous oil-springs, and petroleum deposits, in all of the southern counties.

Sulphur and salt are also obtained along the coast in Santa Barbara county; and some gold and copper have been found in the valley of the Santa Inez.

There are only three towns in the county: Santa Barbara, the county seat; San Buenaventura, thirty miles east; and Santa Inez, forty miles north-west. The population of the county is about 6,000, of whom 1,700 are children under fifteen years of age. Considerably more than one half of the adult population are Mexicans and native Californians.

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY.

San Luis Obispo county is bounded on the north by Monterey, on the east by Kern, on the south by Santa Barbara county, and on the west by the Pacific ocean. It contains about 1,500,000 acres, nearly

1,000,000 acres of which are mountainous, less than 200,000 being fit for agricultural purposes, but nearly the entire county is adapted for grazing, to which most of it is applied. Only 12,000 acres of land were under cultivation in 1867. The population of the county does not exceed 3,500, of whom nearly 1,200 are children under fifteen years of age. Three-fourths of the entire number are Mexicans and native Californians. The greater portion of the land being held by virtue of Mexican grants, in large ranchos, which are mainly devoted to cattle and sheep raising, prevents the development of the resources of the county. There are only three small towns in it, with but indifferent roads to connect them. One good stage road, from Monterey, passes through the county to Santa Barbara. San Luis Obispo, the county seat, has a population of about one thousand; San Miguel, distant forty-one miles, has one hundred and fifty inhabitants; San Simeon, thirty-seven miles northwest, has two hundred inhabitants; all the rest of the population are scattered throughout the mountains and valleys.

The valley of San Luis Obispo, on which the mission that gives name to the town and county is situated, extends in a nearly northwest and southeast direction from Estero bay to the Arroyo Grande, in the Santa Lucia mountains, a distance of nearly twenty miles, and is from three to five miles wide. The Cañadas de los Osas and de las Piedras branch from this valley-the greater portion of which is good agricultural land.

A range of mountains, which are nearly two thousand three hundred feet high on the north, but decrease to about one thousand feet where they unite with the Santa Lucia range, a little south of the Arroyo Grande, extends from the coast line and forms a wide, funnelshaped reservoir for the sea breeze, which, passing through to the low hills further inland, materially influences the climate and vegetation of this county. The San Luis Obispo creek, which flows through a greater portion of the valley, empties into the bay below the port of San Luis Obispo. The town is situated nine miles inland in a small valley, surrounded by low hills, between the Coast Range and the sea.

The Santa Margarita valley is a broad plateau on the northeastern side of the Santa Lucia mountains, about twenty miles northeast of San Luis Obispo. This extensive plateau is nearly twelve hundred feet above the sea, and much more thickly timbered than the lower valleys. Oak, pine, manzanita, and other trees peculiar to the California Alpine regions, grow here to perfection, showing that there is more moisture in the air than in the lower districts. A branch of the Salinas river passes through this valley.

The Salinas valley is another extensive agricultural district. The main branch of the Salinas river, which has its source among the southeastern peaks of the Santa Lucia, flows through this valley for a distance of twenty-five to thirty miles, when it enters Monterey county. There is some good land along this great valley and in others which branch from it to the east and west.

On the south side of the Santa Lucia range of mountains, the temperature is more than ten degrees warmer than it is on the north. The effect of this difference is seen in the vegetation; the grasses are green and fresh on the south side for more than a month after those on the north side are dried and withered. This is due to the form of the San Luis Obispo valley, already mentioned.

The Paso Robles, is the name of a very large rancho on the eastern slope of the Santa Lucia mountains, about twenty miles north of San Luis Obispo. This rancho embraces a fine level plain containing nearly ten square miles, thickly studded with magnificent live oaks. Being quite free from underbrush, during the spring, when the grass is green, it has the appearance of a splendid park. Near the ranch house, or hotel, are the Paso Robles springs. Those nearest the house are almost scalding hot; about a mile to the north is one of icy coldness, but, like the hot ones, highly charged with sulphur. A short distance from these is a mud spring which has an aperture nearly two feet in diameter through which flows a stream of hot, thick, liquid, black, slimy mud, which is said to be effective in the cure of rheumatism. Hot mineral springs exist at several other localities in this county. There are a number of other valleys connected with the great valley of the Cuyama, extending along the southern border of the county.

With a larger population, and greater facilities for sending the products of the land to a market, the importance of this county might be materially increased. Its present exports consist of hides and wool. Cattle, horses, hogs and sheep are its staple products, but grain, fruits, and vegetables, are raised in sufficient quantities for home consumption-transportation being too expensive to send any of them to

market.

In 1863, considerable excitement was created by the discovery of a deposit of cinnabar in the dividing ridge of the Santa Lucia mountains, about fifteen miles from San Simeon bay. Deposits of copper ore have been found in the Coast Range in several localities, and gold and silver have also been discovered in the mountains in the eastern portion