State Agricultural Society. 383 



"There is a noteworthy fact in relation to the depth of water on tho 

 bar of San Diego Ba}-; a comparison of tho surveys of Dalrymple, in 

 seventeen hundred and eighty-two, and Vancouver, in seventeen hundred 

 and ninety throe, and the last United States Coast Survey examinations, 

 show no change to have taken place since the former date. 



" The bottom is uniformly good. No rocks have been discovered in 

 the bay or approaches. The position of San Diego Bay with relation 

 to the coast and of the bar with relation to Point Loma, is such that 

 there is rarely much swell on tho bar; in Summer, there are not many 

 days of heavy southeast weather. As a rule, there is less swell on this 

 bar than on any other bar on the Pacific Coast. 



" I consider the approaches, the channel, and the facilities of enter- 

 ing and leaving good, at all ordinary seasons, for all vessels not draw- 

 ing over twenty feet of water; and at high water for vessels drawing 

 twenty-two feet." 



With testimon}- like this, from such authority, there can bo no doubt 

 of the facilities of the harbor to meet the demands of commerce. 



While the trade of our own State is not an unimportant item, yet 

 when the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts shall be united by the iron rails of 

 rival roads, the great struggle will be for the carrying trade between 

 the Orient and the European and Atlantic ports of our own country, 

 and the one possessing the greatest advantages will become the Pacific 

 Coast port of transhipment; and these advantages arc claimed for San 

 Diego. 



Having been designated by Congress as the western terminus of tho 

 Texas and Pacific Railway — a road which will be built south of the snow 

 belt — her business connections with the East will not be interrupted by 

 the snow blockade. The distance from here to New York is four hun- 

 dred and twenty-three miles less than from San Francisco, and we are 

 five hundred miles nearer to China, Japan, and the South Sea islands, 

 thus saving nearly one thousand miles between New York and the lat- 

 ter countries — and as shipping expense by steamer from New Orleans 

 or Galveston to Europe would be about the same as from New York, 

 goods from China or Japan for Europe, by this route, will save the 

 expense of one thousand and four hundred miles of rail transportation 

 over the present route via San Francisco and New York. The comple- 

 tion of the railroad will make this the natural gateway through which 

 must pass supplies for the rich mineral regions of New Mexico, Arizona, 

 and the Northern Mexican States, in addition to those of Southern Cali- 

 fornia, and these combined, form the richest mineral region in the 

 world. 



These, with the safety of the harbor and its approaches, together with 

 the fact that from three to four days may be saved between Europe and 

 Asia by this route, are some of the advantages claimed, and the latter 

 fact alone, in this fast age, when the great endeavor seems to be to 

 annihilate time and space, will give it the preference. 



There are four wharves on the bay — one at Eoseville, on the west side 

 and near the mouth of the harbor, owned by Louis Eose; two at New 

 San Diego, one owned by William Jorres, and occupied by Goodall, Nel- 

 son <fc Perkins' steamship line, the other owned and occupied by the 

 Pacific Mail Company; and one at National City, five miles further up 

 the bay, owned by the Kimball Brothers. The wharves at New San 

 Diego have commodious warehouses to each. 



During the year eighteen hundred and seventy-four there has arrived 



