OYSTER RESOURCES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 359 



San Pablo Bay. — The most diligent dredging from a steam laimcli 

 failed to reveal any shell life, excei)t clams, upon the bottom of San 

 Pablo Bay. The native oyster, 0. luridaj so abundant in San Francisco 

 Bay, particularly far south of the city, was not found here at all. It 

 is probable that it formerly lived here, for there are extensive deposits 

 of shells of this species to be seen in tlie faces of the blufits along the 

 west side of Mare Island fronting on San Pablo Bay. Nearly all the 

 supply of soft-shelled clams is derived from the mudflats of San Pablo 

 Ba3\ This species is apparently as abundant here as if it had always 

 existed in these waters. 



While San Pablo Bay appears to be devoid of shell life, except clams, 

 it is rich in shrimps and fishes. Many of the Chinese shrimp-fishers' 

 nets are set here constantly and the Italian fishermen take many stur- 

 geon. The shrimp nets also take sculpins, young flounders, and other 

 small fish in abundance. 



The muddy character of the bottom is due to its being a favorable 

 place for the waters of the Sacramento Eiver to expand and thereby 

 deposit the sediment carried by its current. The river maintains a 

 deep channel along the south side of the bay on its course to the sea, 

 but when it meets an incoming tide at the entrance to San Francisco 

 Bay its muddy flood is spread all over the broad extent of San Pablo. 



Mr. M. Manson, engineer for the Harbor Commission, states that the 

 shoaling of San Pablo Bay dated from the time of hydraulic mining, 

 but that since the causeof debris has been removed the bay has improved 

 and will doubtless continue to do so. He recommended an examination 

 of the west side of San Pablo Bay with reference to the possibility of 

 its being made bedding-ground for oysters, but as far as I was able to 

 examine it there were no indications of firm bottom like that of the 

 west side of San Francisco Bay. 



Mr. McNear, proprietor of the wharves at McNear's Landing, on San 

 Pablo Bay, once laid out eastern oysters upon a narrow mudflat near 

 the landing, but lost most of them from continued rough weather, during 

 which they were either washed upon the beach or covered by soft mud. 

 The experiment was not repeated. 



Thougli I have as yet found no oysters in San Pablo beyond McNear's 

 Landing, the discovery of many eastern and Willapa Bay oysters about 

 the narrows at the entrance to the bay is interesting as showing the 

 jn-opagation of oysters exposed to the fresh water of the river, and is 

 an indication that something might be done for oyster-culture in San 

 Pablo Bay if firmer bedding-grouiuls can be secured. 



Tide lands — The sale of the tide lands of San Francisco Bay has 

 hitherto been considered as exercising a retarding influence upon the 

 development of the oyster industry, as well as of other branches of 

 business. These laiuls, surveyed and sold by the State at $1.25 per 

 acre, have gradually passed into the hands of the larger oyster com- 

 panies. This is especially true of the extensive', flats in the southern 



