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Show • [ 148] 38 at an elevation of 2 200 feet above the sea, and in sight of Monterey the mean te~perature was 44° at sunrise, 55° at 9 in the morning 60° at noon 62° at 2 in the afternoon, 57° at 4, and 53° at sunseL At the sa:ne hours, the dew point was at 42°.0, 48°.1, 52P.8, 54°.9, 52°.9, 51°.6, and the quantity of moisture in a cubic foot of air, 3.283 grs., 3.982 grs., 4.726 grs., 4.972.grs., 4.?82 grs., and 4.558 grs., respectively. '!he weather re~ained bn~ht and pleasant; fogs sometimes covenng the mountains. at sun.nse, but going off in a few hours. These are open. mountains, untimbered; but fertile in oats and other grasses, afford1ng fine range for cattle. Oaks an'd pines are scattt red thinly over their upper parts, and in the higher and more exposed situations the evergreen oaks show the course and influence of the northwest winds, stunted and blighted by their chillness, bent to the ground by their force, and growing in that form. . . Descending into the valley of the San Joaquin, (March 11th,) we found almost a summer temperature, and the country clothed in the floral beauty of advanced spring. Southern country and rainy season, (latitudes 32°-35°. )-South of Point Concepcion the climate and general appearance of the country exhibit a marked change. The coast from that cape trends almost directly east, the face of the country has a more southern exposure, and is sheltered by ranges of low mountains from the violence and chilling effect of the northwest winds; hence the climate is still more mild and genial, fostering a richer variety of productions, differing in kind from those of the northern coast. The face of the country along the coast is generally naked, the lower hills and plains devoid of trees,- during the sum~er heats parched and bare, and water sparsely distributed. The highef ridges and the country in their immediate vicinity are always more or less, and sometimes prettily, wooded. These usually afford water and good green grass throughout the year. When· the plains have become dry, parched an(l bare of grass, the cattle go up into these ridges, where, with cooler weather and shade, they find water and good pasture. In the dryest part of the year we found sheep and c.attle fat, and saw flowers blooming in all the months of the year. Along the foot of the main ridges the soil is rich and comparatively moist, wooded, with grass and water abundant; and many localities would afford beautiful and productive farms. The ranges of the Sierra Nevada (here approaching its termination) still remain high-some peaks always retaining snow-and afford copious streams, which run all the year. Many of these streams are absorbed in the light soil of the larger plains before they reach the sea. Properly directed, the water of these rivers is sufficient to spread cultivation over the plains. Throughout the country every farm or rancho has its own springs or running stream sufficient for the support of stock, which hitherto has made the chief ob.ject of industry in California. T.he soil is generally good, of a sandy or light character, easily cul~1vated, and in many places of extraordinary fertility. Cultivation has always been by irrigation, and the soil seems to re- 39 [ 148] quire only water to produce vigorously. Among the arid brushcovered hills south of San Diego we found little vallies converted by a single spring into crowded gardens, where pears, peaches, quinces, pomegranates, grapes, olives, anJ other fruits grew luxuriantly together, the little streaxn acting upon them like a principle of life. The southern frontier of this portion of California seems emi ... nently adapted to the cultivation of the vine .and the olive. A single vine })as been known to yield a barrel of wine; and the olive trees are burdened with the weight of fruit. During the month of .llugust the days are ~right and hot, the sky pure and entirely cloudless, and the nights cool and beautifully serene. In this month fruits generally ripen-melons, pears, peaches, prickly fig, (cactus tuna,) &c.,-and large bunches of ripe grapes are scattered numerously through the vineyards, but do not reach maturity until the following month. After the vintage, grapes are hung up in the houses and so kept for use throughout the winter. The mornings in September are cool and generally delightfulwe sometimes found them almost cold enough to freeze~the m~dday hours bright and hot, but a breeze usually made the shade pleasant; the evenings calm, and nights cool and clear when unob ... scured by fogs. We reached the southern country at the end of July; and the first clouds we saw appeared on the 6th September at sunset, gradually spreading over the sky, and the morning was cloudy, but clear again before noon. Lightning at this time was visible in the direction of Sonora, where the rainy season had al• ready commenced, and the cloudy weather \vas perhaps indicative of its approach here. On some nights the dews were remarked to be heavy; and as we were journeying along the coast between San Diego and Santa Barbara, fogs occasionally obscured the sunset \>ver the ocean, and rose next morning with the sun. On the wood-ed plain, at the foot of the San Gabriel mountain, in the neighborhood of Santa Barbara, and frequently along the way, the trees were found to be partly covered with moss. Country between the Santa Barbara mountain and Monterey, (lat. 34° 30' to 36° 30'. )-About the middle of September we encamped near the summit of the Cuesta de Santa Ines, (Santa Barbara mountain,) on a little creek with cold water, good fresh grass, and much timber; and thenceforward north along the mountain behind the Santa Ines mission, the country assumed a better appearance, generally well wooded and tolerably well covered with grass of good quality-very different from the dry, naked aad parched appearance of the country below Santa Barbara. The neighboring mountain exhibited large timber, redwood or pine, probably the latter. Water was frequent in small running streams. Crossing the fertile plain of San Luis Obispo, (lat. 35° ,) a sheltered valley noted for the superiority of its olives, we entered the Santa Lucia range, which lies between· the coast and the Salinas, or Buenaventura river (of the bay of Monterey.) We found this a beautiful mountain, covered thickly with wild oats, prettily wooded, and having on the side we ascended (which is t'he water shed) in every little hollow a running stream of cool water, which the weather made , |