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the mainland, south of Point Concepcion, where the coast line trends almost due east for about sixty miles. This channel affords shelter on the north and south, but is exposed from the east and west. There is plenty of water and good holding ground in the middle of the channel, but the whole coast, nearly as far down as San Diego, is shallow for several miles from the shore.

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There is a good wharf at the town of Santa Barbara, which runs out nearly one thousand feet, and enables vessels drawing twelve feet of water to load and unload alongside. This section of the State, being chiefly devoted to cattle and sheep raising, the shipping business is not very extensive. Wool and hides form leading items in the exports.

The extensive deposits of asphaltum which exist on this section of the coast give employment to several vessels in supplying the demand for the San Francisco market, where it is largely used for paving and other purposes. The vessels engaged in this business load from the beach, where they collect the material. The following plan for loading asphaltum will explain the nature of the coast in this vicinity, and be interesting as an illustration of Yankee inventiveness. The proprietor of a large deposit of this mineral found it impossible to get it on board vessels to send to a market. The breakers, which curl with great fury for miles along the coast, stove all the boats he used, and the shore was so hard and rocky that piles could not be driven to make a wharf, and the vessels were compelled to lay too far out to make a connection with the shore. As a last resource, he hit upon an expedient. Having a number of yoke of well trained oxen, they are made to haul a large cart containing three or four tons of asphaltum through the surf beyond the breakers, where boats from the vessel are in waiting to receive it, the oxen standing up to their ears in the salt water while the boats are being loaded. About twenty tons a day are loaded in this

manner.

At San Buenaventura, about twenty-five miles southeast from Santa Barbara, there is a landing at which it is contemplated to build a wharf to connect with a road from this place to Owens' valley, via Havilah, Kern county. Should this project be carried out, it would greatly increase the importance of Santa Barbara as a shipping port.

SAN LUIS OBISPO BAY.

San Luis Obispo bay is a small, open indentation on the coast-line, with good anchorage and plenty of water, south of Point San Luis, a spur of Mount Buchon, which projects five or six miles to the westward, affording shelter from northerly gales. It is in San Luis Obispo

county, about two hundred miles south of San Francisco, but is of little importance as a harbor.

About ten miles further north is Estero bay, formed by a bold headland terminating the Santa Lucia mountains, which projects to the north-west, and thus affords a much better shelter than San Luis bay. A deep lagoon runs inland three or four miles behind Estero point, in which there is excellent anchorage and good conveniences for a road and landing. This lagoon is sheltered from all points, except the south. The California, Oregon and Mexico Steamship Company have had this place surveyed, with a view of making it a refuge for their vessels during the prevalence of northerly and westerly gales; such a place of safety being very much required on this portion of the coast.

There are a number of other places between Estero point and San Pedro, which are well adapted for coasting harbors, but they afford little shelter from the most dangerous winds that blow along that part of the coast.

MONTEREY BAY.

Monterey bay is ninety-two miles south of San Francisco. It is a broad, open bay, about thirty miles wide, circular in form, Point Pinos forming its southern, and Point New Year its northern headlands. Santa Cruz harbor is near the latter, and Carmelo bay near the former. These afford shelter to vessels, from certain quarters, but the bay of Monterey is exposed to all except easterly winds. There are a number of points around this bay, where coasting vessels carry on an extensive business. There are wharves erected for their accommodation, at Watsonville, Soquel, Miller's landing, Pajaro, (at the mouth of the Pajaro river, the port of the rich valley of that name,) and Millard's point. The wharf at Aptos creek is eleven hundred feet in length, from low-tide water. Considerable improvements have been made at Monterey wharf, which is now carried out to deep water. Before this improvement, passengers and freight were landed, from little boats, on the rocks along the shore.

The wharves at the mouth of the Salinas river have also been greatly improved. The dimensions of this river increase so greatly during the winter season, as to make it a risky business to build expensive wharves along its shores. Its usual width, at the entrance of the bay, is about four hundred and fifty feet. In 1862, during the wet season, it exceeded a mile.

The bay is safest and most sheltered in front of the town of Monterey, under the lee of Point Pinos, but the trade is not in that direction. Carmelo bay, on the other side of this point, is also tolerably

well sheltered, but it is not convenient for shipping. This little bay is one of the most delightful places along the coast. The mission of San Carlos was located here, its massive ruins still remaining to show the taste and skill of its early builders. It was from this bay that the granite used for building purposes at San Francisco, was obtained, before the discovery of the quarries at Folsom.

One of the most pleasant trips for a summer day is across Monterey bay, from Santa Cruz to the old town of Monterey. The two places are twenty-one miles distant by water, but forty-five miles by land. The water is so peculiarly transparent that the rocks, pebbles, and mosses at the bottom, are distinctly seen, to the depth of nearly twenty feet, while the shore of the bay in the vicinity of the old town is bold, rocky, and exceedingly picturesque. The town itself is located in a sort of nook on the side of a gently sloping hill, every house in it being visible from the water. It is surrounded by lofty hills, crested with pine and redwood, which lend a peculiar charm to the scene, embracing the clear waters of the bay in the foreground, with the dark, moss-covered rocks along the shore, and the hill side dotted with the white dwellings in the city, surmounted by the dark green belt of timber which forms a fringe against the pale blue sky. Beyond the beauty of the scenery and the interest felt in the place, there is little to attract strangers to Monterey.

Several parties of whalers have had their headquarters in this bay for some years past. They ship from five hundred to fifteen hundred barrels of oil annually to San Francisco. If the contemplated breakwater, near Santa Cruz, is ever completed, Monterey bay will become of great importance to the commerce of the coast.

SANTA CRUZ HARBOR.

Santa Cruz harbor is eighty miles south of San Francisco. It is situated at the northern extremity of Monterey bay, in Santa Cruz county, latitude 36° 57', on the westerly slope of the Santa Cruz ridge of the coast range. It is one of the most important ports on the southern coast, being the outlet for the products of an extensive section of the richest agricultural and timber lands in the State, and the seat. of a rapidly expanding manufacturing interest. Over one third of all the lime used at San Francisco, is shipped from this port, and there are extensive manufactories of powder, paper, leather, and a number of lumber-mills, which ship their products and receive their supplies from this place, giving employment to a large amount of tonnageboth sailing vessels and steamers.

The San Lorenzo, a beautiful stream of fresh water, which in its course affords motive power to numerous factories erected along its banks, passes through the town of Santa Cruz, into the bay of Monterey.

This harbor is small, but has twenty-four feet of water at low tide, with good anchorage, and is well sheltered except from the southwest, which makes it dangerous to enter or leave during the prevalence of winds from that quarter.

It is in contemplation to erect a breakwater, to protect this exposed portion. The officers of the United States coast survey have made several examinations of the locality for this purpose. It has been suggested that a wall, extending from Seal Rock point for two thousand feet, eastward, across the bay of Monterey, and a few feet above high water-mark, would make this a safe resort for vessels during the southerly gales, so dangerous along the coast, and from which there is no place of shelter at present. The erection of a light on Seal Rock point, or some other suitable place in the vicinity, has become a necessity, in consequence of the increasing importance of the trade of Santa Cruz-second only to that of San Francisco.

HALF MOON BAY.

This bay is in San Mateo county, forty-six miles south of San Francisco. It is of little importance as a harbor, but is a most convenient point for shipping grain, produce, and lumber, from that portion of the coast to San Francisco. Spanish town, quite a thriving place, is located at the landing on this bay.

DRAKE'S BAY.

Drake's bay is in Marin county, south of Point Reyes, and thirty miles north of the Golden Gate. It is of no importance, except as being the place where the great English navigator, whose name it bears, landed. It is sometimes called Jack's harbor, a name given to it by the fishermen, who resort there to follow their vocation.

TOMALES BAY.

This bay is forty-five miles north of San Francisco, in Marin county, latitude 38° 15'. It is formed by an inlet of the Pacific ocean, which here penetrates the Coast Range about sixteen miles, nearly to the center of Marin county, averaging about a mile and a quarter wide for about twelve miles from the entrance, which is less than half a mile wide. There is a bar at the mouth of this entrance, having eleven feet of water at low tide.

It is perfectly land-locked, and sheltered from all winds. It has two small islands about three miles from the entrance, about two acres in extent, which are covered with verdure. Its safety, and the beauty of the surrounding scenery, makes it a sort of miniature copy of the bay of San Francisco.

The surrounding country is famous for its agricultural products, particularly butter, of which article Marin produces more than any other county in the State.

The lands around this beautiful little bay are high, but gently undulating in outline. The hills, being covered with grass and wild oats, afford pasturage for extensive flocks and herds.

Preston's point, on the east side of the bay, and about three miles from its entrance, named in honor of R. J. Preston, the pioneer settler in the district, is destined to become the site of an important agricultural trade. There is a good wharf here, eleven feet of water alongside, where there is generally quite a fleet of schooners, loading produce for the San Francisco market, this being the most convenient shipping port for Bloomfield, distant only nine miles, and for a number of villages scattered throughout this section of the county. Olema, one of the most thriving towns in the county, is located immediately at the head of this bay. Four miles from its south-east shore, on the banks of a beautiful stream of water-the Tokeluma, which flows from Mount Tamalpais-is located the Pioneer paper-mill of California.

BODEGA BAY.

This harbor is formed by a narrow spit of land, about two miles in length, which projects from the south of Bodega Head and extends to within three miles of the spit which forms the western side of Tomales bay. The two bays are reached through the same entrance, between these spits. It is very much smaller, and scarcely as well sheltered as Tomales bay, being open to the southerly gales, which sometimes blow with considerable violence during the fall. It has but nine feet of water at low tide. The Russians selected the point of land forming the western side of this harbor for their settlement, which they maintained from 1812 to 1841.

A considerable trade is carried on in the shipment of produce, there being good anchorage and wharf accomodation for vessels engaged in the business. The town of Bodega is located at the head of this bay about fifty miles distant from San Francisco.

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