388 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



MARIN COUNTY. 



Marin County is a peninsula bounded on the north by the line of Sonoma 

 County, on the east by the bays of San Francisco and San Pablo, and on 

 the west by the Pacific Ocean. The extreme southern extremity faces the 

 Golden Gate, beyond which the city of San Francisco is distant about 

 three miles. Its geographical advantages can be appreciated at a glance. 

 Situated on the highway, over which the commerce of the great undeveloped 

 North must pass and find a terminus, it must one day be the center of great 

 business interests. Its immediate proximity to the metropolis of the Pacific 

 Coast, also coupled with the attractions of climate and scenery, have already 

 both given it extensive introduction to settlers and made it a favorite place 

 for suburban residence. Its area, in round numbers, is about 350,000 

 acres, or a little less than 600 square miles. 



Marin County has two distinct climates, that may be classified, in gen- 

 eral terms, as the ocean coast climate and the inland climate. They differ 

 from each other to an extent that can hardly be realized when it is known 

 that these great atmospheric variations are only separated by a shallow 

 mountain range not more than two orthre^ miles across. 



SAN MATEO COUNTY. 



The climate of this county is quite as varied and diversified as the sur- 

 face. It has been truly said that in California one may find every variety 

 of climate, from frigid to torrid, from Sahara dryness to perpetual humid- 

 ity. This assertion is well illustrated in San Mateo County, except that 

 the extremes are not so great as above expressed. The thermal condition 

 of the atmosphere has a remarkable equability throughout the year, but 

 there is much difference of climate in the different localities. In the north- 

 ern portion it bears some resemblance to that of the adjoining county of 

 San Francisco, fogs and cold winds prevailing to a considerable extent 

 during the six months from April to October. From the neighborhood of 

 Mt. San Bruno it grows milder, and the severity of the winds is rapidly 

 diminished until, south of Belmont, they become mild and refreshing 

 breezes, just sufficient to prevent the interior heat known over a large area 

 of California, rendering the climate healthy, bracing, and delightful. On 

 the ocean coast the thermometer ranges slightly lower than on the bay 

 coast, but the climate is rather more equable, owing to oceanic influences, 

 and the fogs which prevail in summer. Here again, the climate is very 

 healthy, as much so as on the eastern side of the mountains, while the fogs 

 render agriculture a more certain and reliable pursuit than along the bay, 

 because of the consequent moisture of the atmosphere. The mountain 

 climate differs again from that of both sections mentioned. In the sum- 

 mer, dense fogs at times drench the summit in moisture nearly equal to a 

 rain, and snow falls at intervals during most winters, but seldom remain- 



