HUMBOLDT BAY,

Humboldt bay is two hundred and twenty-three miles north of San Francisco, in Humboldt county, latitude 40°44'. It is a securely landlocked harbor-the best on the northern coast-formed by two densely timbered peninsulas, which enclose a very handsome bay, about twelve miles in length, and from two to five miles in width, its shores thickly timbered with magnificent pine and redwood, to the water's edge. The entrance to this bay is about a quarter of a mile wide, with eighteen feet of water at low tide. It is somewhat difficult for sailing vessels to make this entrance at certain seasons, but there are powerful tow boats belonging to the port which are always on hand when required. The upper portion of this bay is quite shallow, but there is plenty of water and good anchorage along the lower portions. There is an extensive trade in lumber, salmon, and produce carried on here, as well as considerable ship building.

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The Elk and Jacoby rivers passing through a good agricultural country, empty into this bay, and there are several good roads connecting it with the interior. Eureka, the county seat, and Arcata, are located on the shores of the bay. The Eel river settlement is about forty miles distant, inland. This important harbor was not discovered until 1850, when a party of prospectors, among whom was a lumberman from New Brunswick, while searching for gold, saw it, and perceiving the advantages it presented for obtaining and shipping lumber, they abandoned gold hunting, and set to work cutting timber. The first log was cut in July, 1850; since that time, 400,000,000 feet have been sent to market, vessels loading in the bay for the Sandwich Islands, China, Australia, and Central America, as well as for San Francisco.

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TRINIDAD BAY.

Trinidad bay is an open roadstead, sheltered to some extent from the north by a point of land extending at an acute angle about a mile to the south. The town of Trinidad is located at the base of this point. It is in Klamath county, two hundred and thirty-nine miles north of San Francisco, in latitude 41°03'. It has better anchorage and deeper water than Crescent City, from which it is distant about forty miles. The principal trade of the place is in lumber of which the county produces large quantities, most of it being shipped from this point.

CRESCENT CITY HARDOR.

This is an open roadstead, in Del Norte county, two hundred and eighty miles north of San Francisco, in latitude 41°30', near the

extreme northern boundary of the State. The harbor is formed by Point St. George, a bold headland projecting nearly a mile to the west, on the south of which a plain about twenty miles in length, and from six to seven miles in width, forms the coast line. Crescent City, the county seat, is located on the south of this plain. A considerable trade is carried on with the mining districts in the mountains adjoining, in both Oregon and California, this being the nearest place for obtaining supplies.

The mountain regions, comprising about nine tenths of the county, also produce large quantities of redwood, pine, and fir, that make excellent timber, which is shipped from this port in considerable quantities. There are good wharf accomodations for vessels to load, but the harbor being exposed to the fury of the southwesterly gales, it is not safe when the wind blows from that quarter. In 1862, a violent gale destroyed nearly four hundred feet of the wharf, which was, at that time, thirteen hundred feet in length. It has been greatly extended and improved since.

The anchorage is indifferent, and the water along the coast, south of the point, so shallow that vessels drawing twelve feet of water are not safe within half a mile of the shore, except at the wharves in front of Crescent City.

IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE.

The subject of improving the harbors along the coast bounding this State, and establishing places of refuge in which the large fleet of steamers and sailing vessels engaged in the coasting trade can find shelter in emergencies, appears to be attracting the attention of the Federal government. Several examinations have recently been made by officers especially detailed for this purpose. In view of the rapidly expanding foreign and domestic commerce of California, which is exceeded by that of few States in the Union at present, it would appear to be the duty of the government, independent of all political considerations, to have everything done that is necessary to afford security or facilities to the shipping engaged in this commerce. It is urged by those most interested in this matter, that lights are required at Point Reyes, at Santa Cruz, and at San Pedro, and that breakwaters be built on the north of Monterey bay, and at the mouth of the harbor of San Pedro. From the outline of the coast harbors given in the foregoing, the necessity for these improvements appears obvious.

ISLANDS ON THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA.

The Farallones consist of two clusters, comprising seven islands, the nearest of which is about twenty miles west from the Golden Gate. They are all utterly destitute of soil and vegetation, consisting of bare, rugged rocks, which are the resort of immense numbers of sealions, and of myriads of birds, the eggs of which at one time were a source of great profit to those who collected them. As many as 25,000 dozen were collected in some seasons lasting from the middle of May until the middle of June, which sold at from thirty to fifty cents per dozen. The southernmost of the group is the largest, containing about two acres, and is also the nearest to the coast. On this there is a first-class lighthouse, to warn the mariner of the dangers of the locality.

No water fit for drinking, except such as was collected from rains and fogs, was obtainable on any of these islands until 1867, when some of the egg-gatherers discovered a spring on the main island, within a half-mile of the lighthouse. The water from this spring, which is of a pale amber color, and pleasant to the taste, possesses important medicinal qualities: by analysis, it is found to contain chlorides of sodium, lime, and magnesia, with traces of sulphate of ammonium and free hydrochloric acid.

There are no other islands on the coast of California north of Point Concepcion. South of that headland, there are two groups, the most northerly consisting of the islands of San Miguel, on the west; Santa Rosa, in the center; and Santa Cruz, on the east. They are nearly in a line, parallel with, and about twenty miles distant from the mainland, in Santa Barbara county, and form the southern boundary of the Santa Barbara channel.

Santa Cruz, the largest of this group, is twenty-one miles in length, and four miles wide, and has a rugged surface. The Messrs. Barron, of San Francisco, who own this island, graze about thirty thousand sheep upon it.

Santa Rosa is fifteen miles in length, and nearly ten miles wide. Its surface is tolerably level, and produces a thick crop of coarse grass and low bushes; but its steep, rugged sides, which rise nearly two hundred feet almost perpendicularly, afford no good landing place. This island was once inhabited by a large tribe of Indians, who, until 1840, furnished the currency for all the tribes along that section of the coast, and from the Tulare valley. This currency was called ponga,

and was made of the hard shell of a species of edible mollusca, which abounds along the southern coast. These shells were rounded, had a hole made in the middle, and were strung on fibres of wild hemp. This was the only currency in the country until 1820. Santa Rosa is now inhabited by several Mexican families, who raise a considerable number of cattle, besides herding ten thousand sheep.

San Miguel is nearly eight miles long, and from two to three miles wide. It is almost a barren rock; but several thousand sheep manage to subsist upon the limited pasturage growing on the island. About forty miles southeast from the above cluster of islands, and off the coast opposite Los Angeles county, are the islands of San Nicolas and Santa Barbara, and still further in the same direction are Santa Catalina and San Clemente. These are not so close together, or as near

the shore, as the others.

San Nicolas, the most western, is nearly sixty miles from the main land. It is eight miles in length, by about four miles in width. Its surface is a flat ridge, nearly six hundred feet high, tapering down in rocky ledges to the sea. It is occupied as a sheep ranch; about eight thousand of these animals appear to thrive on the scant herbage it produces.

Santa Barbara lies about half-way, and nearly in line, between the main land and San Nicolas. It is nearly circular in outline, and about two miles in diameter at the base; its surface, on the top, containing about thirty acres. It is about five hundred feet high-steep and rocky on all sides, and is tenanted by swarms of sea-lions, gulls, and other aquatic birds.

Santa Catalina, the largest island of this group, is about four hundred miles south from San Francisco, and twenty-five miles from San Pedro, its nearest point to the main land. It is nearly twenty-eight miles in length, about seven miles wide on its southern, and two miles on its northern end. Its surface is rough and uneven, some points being three thousand feet above the sea-level, but contains several small valleys which are under cultivation, fruit-trees and vegetables thriving in these sheltered places, while quite large flocks of sheep find pasturage among the surrounding hills. There is a small stream of pure water running nearly through its entire length; it also has a number of springs of fresh water. The mountains contain several large veins of white quartz, in which there are numerous deposits of argentiferous galena and copper ores. Wild goats, hogs, and quail abound in the upper portion of the hills. It has two good harbors near its center-Catalina bay on the south, and Union bay on the north

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which are separated by an isthmus about half a mile wide. It was taken possession of by the United States, for military purposes, in January, 1864, and a company of soldiers have been stationed there since. This island, when first discovered, was inhabited by a tribe of Indians, who carried on quite a trade with the natives of the mainland, by means of large canoes. Not a relic of the race remains.

San Clemente, the most southern, lies about fifty miles from the main land, off San Diego county. It is twenty-two miles in length, by about two miles in width, being but little more than a series of rocky peaks, some of which rise upwards of one thousand feet above the level of the sea. It contains neither soil, vegetation, nor water. It is occasionally visited by seal-hunters, who make considerable quantities of oil from some of the animals found there.