earned 20,000 dollars in two weeks. It is reported that new and valuable gold mines have been discovered upon the Turkee river, 01 the other side of the Sierra Nevada, and that several parties from the N forks were on their way thither. It is stated that from 500 to 1.000 dollars have been dug per day. If this report is true the real diggings are just being discovered." An extensive tract of new "diggings" has been discovered recently on a river called Trinity. This river is said to issue from a range of mountains which run parallel with the Snowy mountains, and falls into the sea about 2 to 3 degrees N of Ross, or Rossi, a settlement once in possession of the Russian Fur company, situated aat 2° N of San Francisco. The American assayers report that Le earliest specimens of C. gold submitted to them are 21 carats fine, or within half-a-carat of the quality of English sovereigns an! American eagles. The gold is usually obtained in small sales and sometimes in grains or dust. Some specimens are mixed with crystals of quartz; and some lumps of pure gold of a Large size have been obtained.

The following is chiefly extracted from the journal of a scientife and practical miner in the gold region in 1849. "Starting from San Francisco, you cross the bay of the same name to the leeward of Angel island, enter the bay of San Pablo, and proceed up to the straits of Carquen to the new town of Benecia, where you enter the bay of Suisun (which I think is Freshwater Bay of Beechey), about 25 m. NW of San Francisco. After passing the bay of Suisun-into which the Sacramento empties itseif--the river runs in a northerly direction for about 15 m. through a low marshy country. At this point the river forms tw branches-one the main branch running a little to the eastward.--and another called the Sleugh or Sluice. This latter is generally the one taken by boats, as it cuts off about 18 m. of a bead which the main river forms: the country between the branch and the main stream forming an island of considerable estant, thickly wooded and full of lakes and swamps formed by the overflowing of the river. The banks, upon entering the Sagh, become bold and woody on both sides, the principal timber being white oak of an inferior kind, the sycamore, and a kind of bastard beech. The gramens which I noticed upon this river are the wild tare, the lichen, and various species of trefoil The earth is of a sandy alluvial character, with a sub-strata of black clayey mud The banks of the river abound in deer and elk, hares and rabbits. Of the feline tribe I have noticed only one, keled by one of my men, of the small panther species. Grizzly bears, of a large size, are numerous. The ornithology of this part of the country is poor and of very little variety, with the exception of the aquatic birds. Ducks, geese, the cormorant, and the stork are very numerous. The land birds noticed by me were, the raven, the common crow, the jar falcon, and the white hawk, besides a species of mocking bird with a blue plumage. I have also noticed one species of humming bird of the dwarf kind. with very beautiful red and green plumage. Rattlesnakes abound on the banks of the river, although they are said not to be so venomous here as in the warmer regions. There are also several species of red and black streaked snakes, but they are perfectly harmless. The water abounds with salmon and trout of an excellent quality After passing the Sleugh, the river (Sacramento) makes a bold sweep almost due N, its width being about aquadra and a half, 120 yards. Following this direction, you reach a place called the Russian embarcadero, where the Russians formerly had an establishment for trading with the Indians, The features of the banks of the river continue the same, with a flat fertile country in the back ground, covered with flowers of every description; and amongst the numerous bulbous plants I neticed some of the lily species, very large and beautiful. These plains are bounded on each side of the river by a range of mountains at a distance of about 25 or 30 m., those on the W side being low and apparently wooded. Those on the E side consist of two distinct ridges, one apparently of secondary formation, from which the auriferous rivers descend; and beyond this the Grand Snowy ridge, or cordillera of the Sierra Nevada, which as yet has been but little explored.

"On the eighth day after leaving San Francisco we arrived at the new town called the Disembarcadero, situated near the junction of the Rio de los Americanos, or American fork, with the Sacramento. The banks here continue to maintain the same features as already described. At this point, leaving the larger vessel-a launch or barge-I proceeded up the river in a whalebeat, to a distance of about 55 m., where the river is joined by another of its tributaries called Feather river This river, which runs in a direction nearly due E, from the mountains to the Sacramento, is a broad, deep, rapid stream, its banks rather bolder than those of the other river, but presenting the same geological and botanical features; and it is singular to remark that none of those rivers, in their course towards the ocean, roll any stones, and I believe but little gravel, along with them. No stones are to be found on the banks, the only thing approaching to them being 'tosca, a petrifaction of sand. The only shells found on the banks are a few bivalvula, or fresh water mussel. Proceeding up Feather river to a distance of about 50 m., you come to the junction of the Yuba, or Juba, the banks of which are covered with wild grapes. At this point I left the boats on account of the rapidity of the current, finding it too laborious to pull against the stream. I crossed a valley on horseback for about 15 m., the whole of which is a magnificent country, fertile in the extreme, covered with clumps of wood which reminded me of a park in England. The weather, although only the end of April, was uncommonly hot, the therm, standing at 90° in the shade at mid

sant.

day; but the evenings and mornings remarkably cool and pleaAfter passing this plain I began to ascend the Alpine region. Here the face of nature changes suddenly, the vegetation being confined principally to the pine and dwarf beech, and a sinall shrub of the myrtle species, being a hard iron-wood with which the Indians point their arrows. The ground here is of a red marly clay, and contains gold even to the summit of the hills, which are interspersed with large crags and rocks. The river to which you descend to get into what is called the placers, or gold washings, is a rapid dangerous mountain-torrent, running between bold banks of crags and rocks, from the sand accumulated amongst which the gold is washed out. As yet mining has been done in a very imperfect manner by the adventurers who first flocked to these regions, and who, finding gold so abundant on the surface, gave themselves little trouble, and did not care to

penetrate into the bowels of the earth The gold runs in a regular strata, formed, in my opinion, by the alluvial deposit from the neighbouring hills during a lapse of ages, and, as a natural consequence, arising from the gravity of the metal, the substrata is infinitely richer than that upon the surface. I am at present (June 1849) working at a place on the Juba where the gold has already been taken from the surface, and I find that the deeper I dig the richer the earth is. As a proof that this gold is all alluvial or brought down by the river--it is found in greater quantities at a bend where the river forms a bar. I have also observed that where the hills on the sides of the river are bold and precipitate, the auriferous deposit is generally greater than where they run in a gentle slope. As yet I have seen no veins of gold in these mountains, but a specimen of gold imbedded in a matrix of white quartz was shown to me, said to have been brought from the Snowy ridge. It was exceedingly rich, the greatest part of the ore being pure gold, and weighing about 4 lbs. Troy. That the beds of these rivers contain incredible riches I have little doubt, because after the freshets occasioned by the melting of the snow are reduced, and a part of the course of the stream is left dry, the earth dug out is much richer than that found up the banks; which is easily accounted for, as the principal bed of the river receives the auriferous deposit from all the hills which it passes from its source, whereas the higher banks can only be enriched by the gold washed down from the nearest mountains."

With reference to the actual annual production of the precious metals, M. Chevalier gives as the result of his researches the following calculations with respect to gold. The quantities are expressed in kilogrammes, of which, to avoid minute fractions, it may be sufficient for the general reader to state that one kil. is equal to about 2 lb. 3 oz. avoird. The values are rendered in round numbers into sterling. The production of— America (North and South) is stated at 14,950 kil. or £2,059,760 Europe, 1,300 id. or Russia, 30,000 id. or 17,000 id. or

Africa, and Southern Asia,

Totals.

179,120 4,133,320 2,342,200

63,250 id. or £8.714,400

The actual annual production of silver M. Chevalier estimates at 875.000 kil., including 100,000 for China, Japan, and the Indian archipelago. Of the total quantity America, Spanish America for the greater part of the whole, yielded 615,000 kil., against 900,000 at the commencement of the present century. The coinparative results, shown at an interval of half-a-century, are thus given. At the commencement of this century production was— In gold-32,950 kil., or In silver-900,000 kil, or

£4,539,760 8,000,000

£12,539,760

£8,714,400

7,776,680

£16,491,080

Thus, whilst the production of gold has very sensibly increased within the half-century, that of silver has diminished, although in a much less proportion. It must be observed here, however, that the materials are not so exact and available for estimating the production of gold as of silver, and possibly that of gold is more likely to be underrated. The result of this change in the proportions of the metals, or rather in the extraordinary increase of the gold produced, accompanied with some falling off in the silver, has been that, at the beginning of this cent., 27, or probably more than 30, kil. of silver were received in the general market against one kil. of gold. Taking 27 only, and estimating the two metals according to the tariff of French money, this was equivalent to 1 franc 76 cent. in silver against 1 franc in gold. At the present time it is 14 kil. of silver only against one of gold, or, in specie values, 89 cent. in silver against one franc in gold. This, M. Chevalier remarks, is the most remarkable variation between the two values ever known, except for a short time during the great era of the Brazilian gold mines towards the middle of the 18th cent. Ordinarily, the relations had been from 40 to 50 kil. of silver to 1 of gold. This extraordinary revolution, quite unforeseen twenty years ago, is attributable to the gold mines and production of Russia. In 1828 these mines yielded only 10,440 lbs. of gold; in 1845, 40,740 lbs.

Professor Ansted conceives the supply will not be great enough to materially affect the relative price of the precious metals in Europe, or produce the revolution anticipated. He shows from

Utah lake are in this basin, towards its eastern rim, and constitute its most interesting feature; the one, a saturated solution of common salt-the other, fresh; the Utah about 100 ft. above the level of the Salt lake, which is itself 4,200 ft. above the level of the sea; and both connected by a strait, or river, 35 m. long. These lakes drain an area of 10,000 or 12,000 sq. m.; and have, on the E along the base of the mountain, the usual bench of alluvion, which extends to a distance of 300 m., with wood and water, and abuudant grass. The Mormons have established themselves on the strait between these two lakes, and will find suficient arable land for a large settlement, important from its position as intermediate between the Mississippi valley and the Pacific ocean, and on the line of communication to C. and Oregon. The Utah (u) is about 35 m. long; and is remarkable for the numerous and bold streams which it receives, coming down from the mountains on the SE, all fresh water, although a large formation of rock-salt, imbedded in red clay, is found within the area on the SE, which it drains. The lake and its affluents afford large trout and other fish in great numbers, which constitute the food of the Utah Indians during the fishing season. The Great Salt lake (sss) has a very irregular outline, greatly extended at time of melting snows. It is about 70 m. in length; both lakes ranging nearly N and S, in conformity to the range of the mountains, and is remarkable for its predominance of salt. The whole lake waters seem thoroughly saturated with it, and every evaporation of the water leaves salt behind. The rocky shores of the islands are whitened by the spray, which leaves salt on everything it touches and a covering like ice forms over the water which the waves throw among the rocks. The shores of the lake in the dry season, when the waters recede, and especially on the S side, are whitened with incrustations of fine white salt; the shallow arms of the lake, at the same time, under a slight covering of briny water, present beds of salt for miles, resemMing softened ice, into which the horses' feet sink to the fetlock. Plants and bushes, blown by the wind upon these fields, are entirely incrusted with crystallized salt, more than an inch in thickness. Upon this lake of salt the fresh water received, though great in quantity, has no perceptible effect. No fish, or animal life of any kind, is found in it; the larva on the shore being found to belong to winged insects. A geological examination of the bed and shores of this lake is of the highest interest. Five gallons of water taken from this lake in the month of Sept., and roughly evaporated over a fire, gave 14 pints of salt, a part of which, being subjected to analysis, gave the following propor

tions:

100.00

"Southward from the Utah is another lake (g) of which little more is now known than when Humboldt published his general map of Mexico. It is the reservoir of a handsome river, about 200 long, rising in the Wah-satch mountains (rr), and discharging a erasiderable volume of water. The river and lake were called by the Spaniards, Severo, corrupted by the hunters into Sevier. On the map they are called Nicollet, in honour of J. N. Nicollet, whose premature death interrupted the publication of the learned Work on the physical geography of the basin of the Upper Mississippi, which five years of labour in the field had prepared him to give. On the W side of the basin, and inmediately within the trst range of the Sierra Nevada, is the Pyramid lake (P), receivng the water of the Salmon-trout river. It is 35 m. long; between 4,000 and 5,000 ft. above the sea, surrounded by mountains; is remarkably deep and clear, and abounds with uncomranly large salmon-trout. Southward, along the base of the Sierra Nevada, is a range of considerable lakes, formed by many large streams from the Sierra. Lake Walker, the largest among these, affords great numbers of trout, similar to those of the Pyramid lake, and is a place of resort for Indians in the fishing stason. There are probably other collections of water not yet known. The number of small lakes is very great, many of them more or less salty, and all, like the rivers which feed them, changing their appearance and extent under the influence of the season, rising with the melting of the snows, sinking in the dry weather, and distinctly presenting their high and low water mark. These generally afford some fertile and well-watered land, capable of settlement."

Rivers of the Great basin.] "The most considerable river in the interior of the Great basin is the one called on the map Huaboldt river, as the mountains at its head are called Humheit river mountains, as a small mark of respect to the Nestor of scientific travellers, who has done so much to illustrate North American geography, without leaving his name upon any one of its remarkable features. It is a river long known to hunters, and sometimes sketched on maps under the name of Mary's or Ogden's, but now for the first time laid down with any precision. It is a very peculiar stream, and has many characteristics of an Asatic river-the Jordan, for example, though twice as long rising in mountains and losing itself in a lake of its own, after a long and solitary course. It rises in two streains in mountains West of the Great Salt lake, which unite, after some 50 m, and bears westwardly along the N side of the basin towards the Great Sierra Nevada, which it is destined never to reach, much less to pass. The mountains in which it rises are round and

handsome in their outline, capped with snow the greater part of the year, well clothed with grass and wood, and abundant in water. The stream is a narrow line, without affluents, losing by absorption and evaporation as it goes, and terminating in a marshy lake, with low shores, fringed with bulrushes, and whitened with saline incrustations. It has a moderate current, is from two to six feet deep in the dry season, and probable not fordable any where below the junction of the forks during the time of melting snows, when both lake and river are considerably enlarged. The country through which it passes (except its immediate valley) is a dry sandy plain, without grass, wood, or arable soil; from about 4,700 ft. (at the forks) to 4,200 ft. (at the lake) above the level of the sea, winding among broken ranges of mountains, and varying from a few miles to twenty in breadth. Its own immediate valley is a rich alluvion, beautifully covered with blue-grass, herdgrass, clover, and other nutritious grasses; and its course is marked through the plain by a line of willow and cotton-wood trees, serving for fuel. The Indians in the fall set fire to the grass, and destroy all trees except in low grounds near the water. This river possesses qualities which, in the progress of events, may give it both value and fame. It lies on the line of travel to California and Oregon, and is the best route now known through the Great Basin, and the one travelled by emigrants Its direction, nearly E and W, is the right course for that travel. It furnishes a level unobstructed way for nearly 300 m., and a continuous supply of the indispensable articles of water, wood, and grass. Its head is towards the Great Salt lake, and consequently towards the Mormon settlement, which must become a point in the line of emigration to California and the lower Columbia. Its termination is within 50 m. of the base of the Sierra Nevada, and opposite the Salmon Trout river pass-a pass only 7,200 ft. above the level of the sea, and less than half that above the level of the Basin, and leading into the valley of the Sacramento, some 40 m. N of Nueva Helvetia.

"The other principal rivers of the Great Basin are found on its circumference, collecting their waters from the Snowy mountains, which surround it.-Bear river, on the E, rises in the massive range of the Timpanogos mountains, and falls into the Great Salt lake, after a doubling course through a fertile and picturesque valley, 200 m. long.-The Utah river, and Timpanaozu or Timpanogos, discharging themselves into the Utah lake on the E, after gathering their copious streams in the adjoining parts of the Wah-satch and Timpanogos mountains.-Nicollet river, rising in the long range of the Wah-satch mountains, falls into a lake of its own name, after making an arable and grassy valley, 200 m. in length. through mountainous country.-Salmon Trout river, on the W, runs down from the Sierra Nevada and falls into Pyramid lake, after a course of about 100 m. From its source, about one-third of its valley is through a pine-timbered country, and for the remainder of the way, through very rocky, naked ridges. It is remarkable for the abundance and excellence of its salmon trout, and presents some ground for cultivation.--Carson and Walker rivers, both handsome clear-water streams, nearly 100 m. long, come, like the preceding, down the E flank of the Sierra Nevada, and form lakes of their own name at its base. They contain salmon trout and other fish, and form some large bottoms of good land.-Owen's river, issuing from the Sierra Nevada on the S, is a large bold stream about 120 m. long, gathering its waters in the Sierra Nevada, flowing to the S, and forming a lake about 15 m. long at the base of the mountain. At a medium stage it is generally 4 or 5 ft. deep, in some places 15; wooded with willow and cotton-wood, and makes continuous bottoms of fertile land, at intervals rendered marshy by springs and small affluents from the mountain The water of the lake in which it terminates has an unpleasant smell and bad taste, but around its shores are found small streams of pure water, with good grass. Besides these principal rivers issuing from the mountains on the circumference of the Great Basin, there are many others, all around, all obeying the general law of losing themselves in sands, or lakes, or belts of alluvion, and almost all of them an index to some arable land, with grass and wood.

Interior of the Great Basin.] "The interior of the Great Basin, so far as explored, is found to be a succession of sharp mountainranges and naked plains, such as have been described. These ranges are isolated, presenting summit-lines broken into many peaks, of which the highest are between 10,000 and 11,000 ft. above the sea. They are thinly wooded with some varieties of pine, (Pinus monophyllus,) cedar, aspen, and a few other trees; and afford an excellent quality of bunch grass, equal to any found in the Rocky mountains. Black-tailed deer and mountain sheep are frequent in these mountains; which, in consideration of their grass, water, and wood, and the alluvion at their base, may be called fertile, in the radical sense of the word, as signifying a capacity to produce, or bear, in contradistinction to sterility. In this sense these interior mountains may be called fertile. Sterility, on the contrary, is the absolute characteristic of the valleys between the mountains-no wood, no water, no grass; the gloomy artemisia the prevailing shrub-no animals, except the hares, which shelter in these shrubs, and fleet and timid antelope, always on the watch for danger, and finding no place too dry and barren which gives it a wide horizon for its view and a clear field for its flight. No birds are seen in the plains, and few on the mountains. But few Indians are found, and those in the lowest state of human existence; living not even in communities, but in the elementary state of families, and sometimes a single individual to himself-except about the lakes stocked with fish, which become the property and resort of a small tribe. The

abundance and excellence of the fish, in most of these lakes, is a characteristic; and the fishing season is to the Indians the happy season of the year.

Climate of the Great Basin.] "The climate of the Great Basin does not present the rigorous winter due to its elevation and mountainous structure. Around the S shores of the Salt lake, in lat. 40° 30', to 41°, for two weeks of the month of October 1835, from the 13th to the 27th, the mean temp, was 40° at sunrise, 70° at noon, and 54° at sunset; ranging at sunrise, from 28° to 57°; at noon, from 62° to 76°; at four in the afternoon, from 58° to 69°; and at sunset, from 47° to 57°. Until the middle of the month the weather remained fair and very pleasant. On the 15th, it began to rain in occasional showers, which whitened with snow the tops of the mountains on the south-eastern side of the valley. Flowers were in bloom during all the month. About the 18th, on one of the large islands in the south of the lake, helianthus, several species of aster, erodium, cicutarium, and several other plants, were in fresh and full bloom; the grass of the second growth was coming up finely, and vegetation generally betokened the lengthened summer of the climate."

Geology and Soil.] With respect to the geological character of this part of C., the late Thomas J. Farnham, in his work entitled Life. Traveis, and Adventures in California, states, that throughout the whole immense tract lying W of the Rocky mountains, the evidences of past volcanic action are strewn far and wide. "The main ranges of the Rocky mountains," he says, "which rise from 12,000 to 27,000 ft. (?) above the level of the sea are chiefly composed of primitive rock covered with eternal snows. Having passed these, the wayfarer westward enters a region parts of which are occupied by plains covered with volcanic sands and debris, or piled with mountains of fused rock and decomposing lava, clothed with forests of terebinthine trees, broken often by bold barren tracts of cliffs, and overhung here and there by lofty pinnacles of extinct volcanoes, towering in freezing sublimity, thousands of feet above the line of perpetual frostsgreat sentinels in the heavens-clad in the shining raiments of everlasting snow. This is a general description of the whole territory lying W of the Rocky mountains, and extending from Cape San Lucas to the Arctic sea,"

Southern district.] "The country," says Lieutenant Emory, "from the Arkansas to the Colorado, a distance of over 1,200 in., in its adaptation to agriculture, has peculiarities which must for ever stamp itself upon the pop, which inhabits it. In no part of this vast tract can the rains from heaven be relied upon to any extent, for the cultivation of the soil. The earth is destitute of trees, and in great part also of any vegetation whatever. A few feeble streams flow in different directions from the great mountains, which in many places traverse this region. These streams are separated, sometimes by plains, and sometimes by mountains, without water and without vegetation, and may be called deserts, so far as they perform any useful part in the sustenance of animal life. The cultivation of the earth is therefore contined to those narrow strips of land which are within the level of the waters of the streams; and wherever practised in a community with any success, or to any extent, involves a degree of subordination, and absolute obedience to a chief, repugnant to the habits of our people. I made many inquiries as to the character of the vast region of country embraced in the triangle formed by the Colorado of the W, the Del Norte, and the Gila. From all that I learn, the country does not differ materially in its physical character from New Mexico, except, perhaps, being less denuded of soil and vegetation. The sources of the Salina, the San Francisco, Azul, San Carlos, and Prieto, tributaries of the Gila, take their rise in it. About their head-waters, and occasionally along their courses, are presented sections of land capable of irrigation. The whole extent, except on the margin of streams, is said to be destitute of forest-trees. The Apaches, a very numerous race, and the Navajoes, are the chief occupants; but there are many minor bands, who, unlike the Apaches and Navajoes, are not nomadic, but have fixed habitations. Amongst the most remarkable of these are the Soones, most of whom are said to be Albinoes. The latter cultivate the soil, and live in peace with their more numerous and savage neighbours. Departing from the ford of the Colorado in the direction of Sonora, there is a fearful desert to encounter. Alter, a small town, with a Mexican garrison, is the nearest settlement. All accounts concur in representing the journey as one of extreme hardship, and even peril. The distance is not exactly known, but it is variously represented at from four to seven days' journey. Persons bound for Sonora from C., who do not mind a circuitous route, should ascend to Gila as far as the Pimos village, and thence penetrate the province by way of Tucson. At the ford, the Colorado is 1,500 ft. wide, and flows at the rate of 1 m. per hour. Its greatest depth in the channel at the ford where we crossed is 4 ft. The banks are low, not more than 4 ft. high, and, judging from indications, sometimes, though not frequently, overflowed. Its general appearance at this point is much like that of the Arkansas, with its turbid waters and many shifting sand islands."

Lieutenant Emory's narrative of his journey from this point across the desert of C. is so interesting and characteristic that we make a few extracts from it:

"Nov 27 and 28.-The Mexicans had informed us that the waters of a salt lake, some 30 or 40 m distant, were too salt to use, but other information led us to think the intelligence was wrong. We accordingly tried to reach it; about 3 P. M., we disen. gaged ourselves from the sand and went due (magnetic) W, over an immense level of clay detritus, hard and smooth as a bowling

green. The desert was almost destitute of vegetation; now and then an Ephedra, Enothera, or bunches of Aristida were seen; and occasionally the level was covered with a growth of Obione canescens, and a low bush with small oval plaited leaves, unknown. The heavy sand had proved too much for many horses, and some mules, and all the efforts of their drivers could bring them no further than the middle of this dreary desert. About 8 o'clock, as we approached the lake, the stench of dead animals confirmed the reports of the Mexicans, and put to flight all hopes of our being able to use the water. The basin of the lake, as well as I could judge at night, is about three-quarters of a mile long, and half-a-mile wide. The water had receded to a pool, diminished to one-half its size, and the approach to it was through a thick soapy quagmire. It was wholly unfit for man or brute, and we studiously kept the latter from it, thinking that the use of it would but aggravate their thirst. A few mezquite trees and a chenopodiaceons shrub bordered the lake. With the sun rose a heavy fog from the SW, no doubt from the gulf, and, sweeping towards us, enveloped us for two or three hours, wetting our blankets and giving relief to the animals. Before it had disappeared we came to a patch of sun-burned grass. When the fog had entirely dispersed we found ourselves entering a gap in the mountains, which had been before us for four days. The plain was crossed, but we had not yet found water The first valley we reached was dry, and it was not till 12 o'clock, M., that we struck the Cariso creek, within half-a-mile of one of its sources, and although so close to the source, the sands had already absorbed much of its water, and left but little running. A mile or two below, the creek entirely disappears. We halted, having made 54 m. in the two days, at the source, a magnificent spring 20 or 36 ft. in diameter, highly impregnated with sulphur, and medicinal in its properties. No vessel could be procured to bring home some of the water for analysis, but I scraped a handful of the salt which had effloresced to the surface of the adjacent ground, and Professor Frazer finds it to contain sulphate of lime, and magnesia, and chloride of sodium. The spring consisted of a series of smaller springs, or veins, varying in temp. from 68° to 75o. This variation, however, may have been owing to the different exposures of the fountains in which the therm. was immersed. The growth was cane, rush, and a coarse grass, such as is found on the marshes near the sea shore. The desert over which we had passed, 90 m. from water to water, is an immense triangular plain. bounded on one side by the Colorado; on the W by the cordilleras of California, the coast chain of mountains which now encircles us, extending from the Sacramento river to the S extremity of the Lower California; and on the NE by a chain of mountains, a continuation of the same spur noted on the 22nd as running SE and NW. It is chiefly covered with floating sand, the surface of which in various places is white with diminutive spinelas, and everywhere over the whole surface is found the large and soft muscle shell. I have noted the only two patches of grass found during the jornada. There were scattered, at wide intervals, the Palafoxia linearis, Atriplex, Encelia farinosa, Daleas, Euphorbias, and a Simsia, described by Dr. Torrey as a new species. The S termination of this desert is bounded by the Tecate chain of mountains, and the Colorado; but its N and E boundaries are undefined; and I should suppose from the accounts of trappers, and others, who have attempted the passage from California to the Gila by a more northern route, that it extends many days' travel beyond the chain of barren mountains which bound the horizon in that direction. The portal to the mountains through which we passed was formed by immense buttes of yellow clay and sand, with large flakes of mica and seams of gypsum. Nothing could be more forlorn and desolate in appearance. The gypsum had given some consistency to the sand buttes, which were washed into fantastic figures. One ridge formed apparently a complete circle, giving it the appearance of a crater; and although some miles to the left, I should have gone to visit them, supposing it to be a crater, but my mule was sinking with thirst, and water was yet at some distance.

"Nov. 29.-We followed the dry sandy bed of the Cariso nearly all day, at a snail's pace, and at length reached the Little pools, where the grass was luxuriant, but very salt. The water strongly resembled that at the head of the Cariso creek, and the earth, which was very tremulous for many acres about the pools, was covered with salt. This valley is at no point more than half-smile wide, and on each side are mountains of grey granite and pure quartz, rising from 1,000 to 3,000 ft. above it. A few miles from the spring called Ojo Grande, at the head of the creek, several cabbage trees marked the locale of a spring and a small patch of grass. We found also to-day, in full bloom, the Fouquiera spinosa, a rare and beautiful plant; the Plantago, new to our flora; a new species of Eriogonum, very remarkable for its extremely numerous long hair-like fruit stalks and minute flowers. We rode for miles through thickets of the centennial plant, Agare Americana, and found one in full bloom. The sharp thorns terminating every leaf of this plant were a great annoyance to our dismounted and wearied men, whose legs were now almost bare. A number of these plants were cut by the soldiers, and the body of them used as food. The day was intensely hot, and the sand deep; the animals, inflated with water and rushes, gave way by

scores.

"Dec. 12.-We followed the Solidad through a deep fertile valley in the shape of a cross. Here we ascended to the left a steep hill to the table lands, which, keeping for a few miles, we descended into a waterless valley, leading into False bay at a point distant 2 or 3 m. from San Diego. At this place we were in view