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  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CALIFORNIA 
  

  

  here 
  in 
  the 
  forms 
  of 
  extensive 
  glaciers 
  covering 
  the 
  Sierra, 
  at 
  least 
  half 
  way 
  

   down 
  their 
  western 
  slope, 
  and 
  probably 
  the 
  hi;'j;'hest 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  Coast 
  Range. 
  

   Now 
  we 
  have 
  in 
  summer 
  a 
  mere 
  remnant 
  of 
  that 
  great 
  ice 
  field, 
  which 
  no 
  doubt 
  

   did 
  a 
  great 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  excavation 
  of 
  the 
  tremendous 
  canons 
  now 
  cut 
  deep 
  be- 
  

   low 
  the 
  previous 
  volcanic 
  deposits 
  of 
  the 
  Sierra. 
  The 
  thawing 
  of 
  such 
  an 
  ice 
  

   field 
  must 
  have 
  acted 
  much 
  more 
  rapidly 
  in 
  this 
  erosion 
  than 
  the 
  comparatively 
  

   slight 
  water 
  courses 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  time. 
  There 
  is 
  evidence, 
  also, 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  

   existence, 
  of 
  far 
  northern 
  land-shells 
  and 
  plants 
  along 
  the 
  whole 
  length 
  of 
  our 
  

   Sierra 
  Nevada, 
  that 
  the 
  glacial 
  period 
  progressed 
  slowly, 
  allowing 
  them 
  to 
  

   spread 
  southward 
  before 
  its 
  advance, 
  without 
  being 
  exterminated. 
  

  

  PRESENT 
  EPOCH. 
  

  

  The 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  reign 
  of 
  ice 
  brings 
  us 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  epoch, 
  in 
  which 
  there 
  

   has 
  been 
  very 
  little 
  change 
  in 
  the 
  outlines 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  of 
  California, 
  although 
  

   some 
  changes 
  have 
  occurred 
  in 
  the 
  fauna 
  and 
  flora, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  climate, 
  which 
  

   are 
  yet 
  undetermined. 
  The 
  volcanic 
  disturbances 
  have 
  continued 
  with 
  decreasing 
  

   intensity 
  since 
  the 
  advent 
  of 
  man 
  in 
  the 
  postpliocene 
  epoch, 
  and 
  may 
  have 
  

   elevated 
  considerable 
  portions 
  of 
  laud, 
  especially 
  southward, 
  followed 
  by 
  in- 
  

   crease 
  of 
  dryness 
  and 
  probably 
  greater 
  extremes 
  of 
  temperature. 
  A 
  rising 
  of 
  

   land 
  near 
  the 
  Arctic 
  Sea 
  would 
  further 
  decrease 
  the 
  temperature. 
  Judging 
  

   from 
  the 
  continual 
  discoveries 
  still 
  being 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  these 
  latest 
  for- 
  

   mations 
  of 
  the. 
  earth's 
  surface 
  in 
  Europe 
  and 
  the 
  Eastern 
  States, 
  we 
  may 
  safely 
  

   say 
  that 
  a 
  vast 
  field 
  still 
  remains 
  open 
  for 
  the 
  investigations 
  of 
  science 
  in 
  Cal- 
  

   ifornia. 
  

  

  Professor 
  Hilgard, 
  of 
  the 
  University 
  of 
  Michigan, 
  and 
  at 
  present 
  

   dehvering 
  a 
  course 
  of 
  agricultural 
  lectures 
  at 
  the 
  State 
  University, 
  

   was 
  introduced 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Stearns. 
  After 
  congratulating 
  the 
  mem- 
  

   bers 
  on 
  the 
  flourishing 
  condition 
  of 
  their 
  organization, 
  the 
  number 
  

   present 
  greatly 
  surpassing 
  that 
  of 
  ordinary 
  meetings 
  of 
  scientific 
  

   bodies 
  in 
  the 
  Eastern 
  States, 
  Professor 
  Hilgard 
  made 
  some 
  refer- 
  

   ence 
  to 
  the 
  remarks 
  made 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Cooper, 
  and 
  then 
  made 
  a 
  few 
  

   remarks 
  on 
  the 
  geology 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mex- 
  

   ico, 
  comparing 
  it 
  with 
  the 
  geology 
  of 
  this 
  coast. 
  

  

  The 
  California 
  Aborigines. 
  

  

  BY 
  STEPHEN 
  POWERS. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  Monthly, 
  of 
  March, 
  1874, 
  there 
  was 
  published 
  an 
  article 
  enti- 
  

   tled 
  "Aborigines 
  of 
  California,'" 
  in 
  which 
  I 
  presented 
  facts 
  tending 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  

   these 
  aborigines 
  are 
  descended 
  from 
  the 
  Chinese. 
  The 
  conclusions 
  which 
  were 
  

   arrived 
  at 
  in 
  that 
  paper 
  have 
  been 
  questioned, 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  that, 
  however 
  great 
  

   maybe 
  their 
  likeness 
  lo 
  the 
  Celestials, 
  they 
  cannot 
  be 
  descended 
  from 
  them, 
  

   since 
  they 
  have 
  no 
  pottery, 
  no 
  hieroglyphics, 
  and 
  no 
  monuments 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  time 
  

  

  