No. 4. 



REPORT 



UPON THE 



PKOGRESS OF THE PACIFIC RAILROAD EXPLORATIONS AOT) SURVEYS. 



NOVEMBER, 1856. 



BY CAPTAIN A. A. HUHFHBETS, UNITED STATES TOFOGBAFHICAL SNeiNEEBS. 



War Department, 

 Office Pacific Railroad Explorations and Surveys, 



Washington, November 29, 1856. 



Sir : At tlie date of my last report, November 29, 1855, the party of Lieutenant John G. 

 Parke, topographical engineers, had just returned to "Washington from the field. Since then 

 it has been occupied in preparing the reports and maps of the survey, which are now nearly 

 completed. 



By instructions from the department, of October 2, 1854, Lieutenant Parke was directed to 

 make explorations to determine the practicability of constructing a railroad from the waters of 

 the bay of San Francisco to the plain of Los Angeles, by the Salinas river valley, and through 

 the spurs of the Coast range, which extend to the seacoast, near Point Concepcion ; or, if that 

 was found to be impracticable, by the coast route ; to make certain explorations in the Great 

 Basin, in connexion with the route of the 35th parallel, and to explore the country between the 

 Pimas villages on the Gila and the Eio Grande ; the attention of the party being particularly 

 directed to such examinations in the latter region as would show the degree of practicability of 

 constructing artesian and common wells. 



The survey was commenced at San Jose, California. The route lay through the Santa Clara, 

 or San Jose valley, to the Pajaro river ; down the valley of this stream to near its dehouche 

 into the bay of Monterey ; around the foot hills of the Gavilan range of mountains to the 

 Salinas plains and the valley of the Salinas river, and up the Salinas river to Santa Margarita, 

 at the base of the San Luis pass. 



Thus far, no material obstacles were presented to the construction of a railroad ; the Santa 

 Clara valley and Salinas plains affording a peculiarly favorable location for it. A bridge across 

 the Pajaro and some light earth work at the terminal spurs of Mount Gavilan, and in the valley 

 of the Salinas, between the mouth of the San Lorenzo and Santa Margarita, constitute the 



