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Show [ 148] 42 cellent . . There were several aays of warm weather, with occasional showers and hot sun, and cattle began to seek the shade. The 23d was a day of hard rain, followed by fine weather on the 24th, and a cold southeasterly rain storm on the 25th. During the remainder of the year, the weather continued fair and cool. No rain fell during the first half of January, which we passed between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles: the days were bright ~nd very pleasant, with \varm sun; and the nights,-generally, cold. In the neglected orchards of the San Buenaventura and Fernando missions, the olive trees remained loaded with the abundant fruit, which continued in perfectly good condition. About the 14th, a day of rain succeeded b:y an interval of fine weather, again interrupted by a rainy, disagreeable southeaster on the' 23d. During the remainder of the month the days were !:night a~d pleasant-almost _of sum~er-sun and clouds varying; .the n1ghts clear, but sometimes a httle cold; and much snow showing on the mountain over looking the plains of San Gabriel. In the first part of February, at Los .IJ.ngeles, there were some foggy and misty mornings, with showers of rain at intervals of a week. The w~ather then remained for several weeks uninterruptedly and beautifully serene, the sky remarkably pure, the air soft a.nd grateful, and it was difficult to imagine any climate more deh~ htful. In the meantime the processes of vegetation went on With singular rapidity, and, by the end of the month the face of the count:y was be~utiful .with the great abundance 'of pasture, c~vered w1 th a 1 uxunan t growth of geranium, ( erodium cicutarium,) so esteemed as food for cattle and .horses, and all grazing animals. ~he orange trees were crowded with flowers and fruit in various Sl~es, an? along the foot of the mountain, bordering the San Gabnel plain, fields of orange colored flowers were visible at the distance of fif~een miles fro.m Los Angeles. . In the midst of the bnght weather there was occasionally a cold n1ght: In the ~orning of March 9 new snow appeared on the an Gabn.el mountain, a~d there was frost in the plain below; but these oc~as1onally cold ntghts seemed to have no influence on vege· tahon. . On the 23d and 27th of March there were some continued and heavy showers of rain, about the last of the season in the southern country· .. In the _lat.ter part of April fogs began to be very freque~ t, nstng. at mtdnight and continuing until 9 or 10 of the fol- , lowtng morning. ~bout the beginning of May the mornings were { regularly foggy until near noon; the remainder of the day sunny requentlr accompanied with high wind. ' The chmate of maritime California is greatly modified by the ~tructure ~f. t_he country, and under this aspect may be considered ~n three dtvlsions-the s,outhern, belo,v Point Concepcion and the C anta Barbara mountain, about latitude 35°· the northern from ~pe M~ndoc~no, latitude 41°, to the Orego~ boundary; a~d the b~ddle, Incl~dtng the bay and basin of San Francisco and the coast etween Point Concepcion and Cape Mendocino. Of these three .• 43 [ 148] divisions the rainy season is longest and heaviest in the north and lightest in the south. Vegetation is governed accordingly-coming with the rains-decaying where they fail. Summer and winter, in our sense of the terms, are not applicable to this part of the country. It is not heat and cold, but wet and dry, which mark the seasons; and the winter months, instead of killing vegetation, revive it. The dry sea~ on makes a period of consecutive drought, the only winter in the vegetation of this country, which can hardly be said at any time to cease. In forests, where the soil is sheltered; in low lands of streams and hilly country, where the ground remains moist, grass continues constantly green and flowers bloom in all the months of the year. In the sout~ern half of the country the long summer drought has rendered irrigation necessary, and the experience of the missions, in their f>rosperous day, has shown that, in California, as elsewhere, the dry est plains are made productive, and the heaviest crops produced by that mode of cultivation. With irrigation a succession of crops may be produced throughout the year. Salubrity and a regulated mildness characterize the climate; there being no prevailing diseases, and the extremes of heat during the summer being checked by sea breezes during the day, and by light airs from the Sierra N evatla during the night. The nights are generally cool and refreshing, as is the shade during the hottest day. California, below the Sierra Nevada, is about the extent of Italy, geographically considered in all the extent of Italy from the Alps to the termination of the peninsula. It is of the sair).e length, about the same breadth, consequently the ~arne area, (about one hundred thousand square miles,) and presents much similarity of climate and pro-ductions. Like Italy, it lies north and south, and presents some differences of climate and productions, the effect of difference of latitude, proximity of high mountains, and configuration of the coast. Like Italy, it is a coulltry of mountains and vallies: different from it in its internal structure, it is formed for unity; its large rivers being concentric, and its large vallies appurtenant to the great central bay of San Francisco, within the area of whose waters the dominating power must be found. Geographically, the position of this California is one of the best in the world; lying on the coast of the Pacific, fronting Asia, on the line of an American road to Asia, and possessed of advantages to give full effect to its grand geographical position. The map of Oregon and California, presented with this memoir, is only a part performance of the Senate's order of February 2, 184 7. That order contemplated a topographical and descriptive map, for which there is some material on hand, but not enough to complete the work on the plan required, or in a way to do justice to the subject. As now laid before the Senate, it may be assumed to be the best that has yet appeared, but is still imperfect . and incomplete~ With the knowledge already acquired in the ex- |
