84 NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OP 



mountains to Bill Williams's fork ; down this stream to the Colorado, 

 then up the jMohave, and across to San Francisco. The party returned 

 to the United States in April, 1854, with the exception of Dr. Bigelow, 

 the botanist, who remained a few months longer exploring the Sierra 

 Nevada. 



The collections in every department were very large, and included 

 many new and rare species. 



4. Survey of the several j)artial routes on the Pacific side under Lieutenant 



Williamson. 



The fourth of the principal government parties for the survey of the 

 Pacific raih'oad route is that of Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, accom- 

 panied by Lieutenant J. G. Parke as assistant, William P. Blake as 

 geologist, and Dr. A. L. Heermann as surgeon and naturalist, together 

 with a skillful artist and civil engineer. The escort was commanded 

 by Lieutenant Stoneman. The party started from San Francisco and 

 passed up the San Joaquin and Tulare valley, and explored the region 

 about Walker's Pass, and along the Mohave over to the Colorado. 

 They also examined the Tejon Pass, the Canada de las Uvas, the Ca- 

 jon, the Goigona and Caliente passes of the coast range. Lieutenant 

 Williamson returned in the latter part of 1854, and is now engaged in 

 preparing his report, to include notices of many interesting collections 

 in natural history. 



5. Survey near the 32d yaralUi of latitude, western end, under Lieutenant 



Parhe. 



After the completion of the survey of Lieutenant Williamson, Lieu- 

 tenant Parke, accompanied by Lieutenant Stoneman and Dr. Heer- 

 mann, started from San Diego in January, 1854, and proceeded by 

 way of Warner's Ranch to camp Yuma at the mouth of the Gila, and 

 thence up this river to the Pima and Maricopa villages, thence to Tuc- 

 son, Fort Webster, Dona Ana and Trentera. This point was reached 

 on the 24th of March, the entire distance from San Diego having been 

 traversed with wagons in about sixty days. Here the exploration ter- 

 minated, and the party proceeded rapidly home via San Antonio, reach- 

 ing Washington in May, 1854. 



In October, 1854, Lieutenant Parke again returned to California for 

 the purpose of making further surveys. He was accompanied by Mr. 

 Albert H. Campbell, civil engineer; Dr. Antisele, surgeon and geolo- 

 gist; H. Campbell, G. G. Garner, and N. H. Hutton, assistants. Lieu- 

 tenant Parke will organize his expedition at Benicia, with all possible 

 dispatch, and proceed to explore the Salinas river, from the Bay of 

 Monterey to its sources, with a view of finding a practicable passage 

 through the coast range into the Mohave basin, or into the valley of 

 Los Angeles. Further examinations will also be made of the Mohave 

 river, in the vicinity of the Colorado, on Lieutenant Whipple's route. 

 Returning thence, this party will start from San Diego and go across to 

 El Paso, on the Rio Grande, by the route south of the Gila. 



