CHOEOGEAPHT. 9 



The harbor of Yallcjo is excellent, lying between Mare Island 

 and the mainland. It is half a mile wide, by three miles long, 

 with four fathoms of water at low tide, excellent holding- 

 ground, and perfect protection against all winds. 



The bay of San Diego is twelve miles long, from one to two 

 miles wide, and crescent-shaped, running from the entrance, 

 and then turnmg to the southeastward. A channel, thirty 

 feet deep and half a mile wide, extends more than half the 

 length of the bay from the entrance. The holding-ground is 

 good; the protection from the winds perfect. There is no 

 difficulty in entering at any time, but it is not safe for sailing- 

 vessels to go out during gales from the southeast. 



In latitude 34° 38', thirty-five miles southeastward from Los 

 Angeles, is a land-locked estuary about eight miles long and 

 from half a mile to a mile wide. It has not been surveyed, and 

 its value for commerce is not known, but there has been some 

 talk lately of using it as a port for some of the adjacent towns. 

 The entrance is not more than ten feet deep, and probably not 

 so deep as that. 



Of the open harbors, that of Crescent City is the most 

 northern, in latitude 41° 44'. It lies on the southern side of a 

 rocky point that juts out about half a mile in a westward 

 direction, at right angles to the general line of the coast. The 

 harbor is small and shallow, with a bottom of sand and rocks. 

 Vessels drawing twelve feet of water lie nearly half a mile 

 from the shore. The harbor is safe while the wind blows 

 from the north and northwest, but Tcry dangerous when it 

 blows from the southward. The harbor might be made much 

 more safe by a breakwater, at a cost of one or two millions 

 of dollars, but the trade of the place would never justify such 

 an expenditure. 



Trijiidad, in 41° 03', is a very small harbor, open to the 

 south, with deep water and excellent holding-ground. 



Bodega Bay, in 38° 18', has nine feet of wtttdi, and opens 

 to the southward, so that the anchorage is secure only while 

 the wind blows from the north. Tomales Bay, just opposite. 



